Online entertainment has become a popular pastime for millions of people in 2021, and the trend is still growing. As more and more people try to distance themselves from others physically, the demand for online shopping, streaming services, and social media has increased. This social distancing trend has also forced many casino players to stay away from land-based operators and explore online platforms to satisfy their desire to enjoy casino games.Â
In 2020, online gambling reported a significant boom, with many players betting on jackpot village and similar platforms despite the temporary suspension of sports. However, the temporary suspension of sports also contributed to the eSports industry’s growth amidst the chaos. Here’s a look at the esports and casino gambling industries in 2021.Â
A New year of Esports Gaming
2020 was unconventional for many industries, with most sectors forced to embrace virtual and digital methods to survive. Many companies already had some digital aspects, but last year, they needed to rely more on technology.Â
Unfortunately for esports, many live events that brought in hundreds of fans annually had no choice but to think of alternative ways to host them. Most organizers resulted in online-only formats for their tournaments instead of having the fans attend live events in stadiums. For events like the FIFA eDivisie tournament, more time and resources had to be put into organizing and transforming locations in line with the social distancing regulations. Gamers were also managed from a distance.Â
Last year’s sports suspension left most fans craving for other entertainment options and competitions like esports. Punters were also able to have fun with esports betting through virtually held tournaments, while the usual sports betting was halted.Â
Online Gambling Is Growing
The huge growth in esports has given rise to new markets for online gambling, with high-stakes events available for betting worldwide. Today, leading online bookmakers are not only offering traditional sports like football, cricket, and tennis but also esports tournaments for games like League of Legends.Â
Esports accessibility is also creating many opportunities for various gaming companies and fans. Last year, most people relied on technology and fast internet, incorporating everything from instant messaging applications to video call software. That allowed professional players and tournament organizers to communicate effectively, attract an online audience and run live streams.Â
Growing Esports Audience
The esports market was around the billion-dollar mark annual revenue in 2019, and it has continued growing over the last year. The audience numbers are also growing bigger every year, with 2020’s lockdown and sports suspension being a major boost. In fact, research shows the global esports audience went up from 442 million in 2019 to 495 million by the end of 2020.
With platforms like Twitch growing in popularity, millions of fans and steamers are joining to enjoy the playthroughs, esports, and live streams. The number of viewers on Twitch is also expected to keep rising in 2021, with games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and Valorant being the most popular titles in 2020.
This is a paid guest post.