Esports is a term that you hear more and more in the media. Today’s millennials swear by e-sports, and the phenomenon is gaining ground by the day. E-sports is particularly popular in Asia, but it is also gaining popularity in the UK. Youtube and Twitch play an important role in this. But what exactly is eSports, and what does the future look like? And the key question: can you bet on eSports at non GamStop bookmakers?
What Is eSports & Can You Bet on It at Non GamStop Bookmakers?
E-sports or Electronic Sports is a form of gaming in which amateurs, but also professional gamers, compete against each other. The internet serves as a means to compete against each other.
The gamers can compete individually or in groups against other gamers. Not all games are by definition suitable for e-sports, it is the gamers themselves who consider the games in question to be suitable. For the time being, there are more male than female e-athletes.
Betting on eSports at non GamStop bookmakers at thegamepoint.io, has been on the rise, especially in recent years, because there are many options, and it is relatively new. This also ensures that more profit can be made with this branch of sport.
Types of eSports
There are different types of e-games within eSports. These eSports can be roughly split into the following categories:
First Person Shooter (FPS)
When playing First Person Shooter games, you put yourself as a player in a person who competes against other persons. The goal is to kill the other person during individual combat, viewing the game from the player’s perspective (eyes).
Real-Time Strategy (RTS)
Real-Time Strategy, games that require tactical insight. The purpose of these games is to guard your own piece of land and to expand it. You do the latter by conquering and holding an opponent’s piece of land.
Martial Arts Games
With these games, you master your own fighting strategy, which requires frequent practice. Each character has its own specialties.
Multi Online Battle Arena Games (Moba)
In this form of play, you fulfill a character in a team of players. Unlike an RTS game, you take care of conquering a piece of land, but in a group. Each player fulfills his own role with his specialties.
History of Esports
The eSports phenomenon has been around longer than you might suspect. Let’s take a dive into history for this. In 1972 a real competition was organized based on the game ‘Spacewar’.
This competition at the time was small-scale in nature, which is also reflected in the prize money: an annual subscription to Rolling Stone. Bruce Baumgart won the individual competitions, and team ‘Tovar and Robert’ won the honor for the best team.
The 80’s
Eight years later, this form of ‘sport’ took on more serious forms. Atari took matters into its own hands and came up with the Space Invaders Championships.
This competition was already big at the time, with no fewer than 10,000 participants. In the same year, Walter Day founded an organization to keep track of high scores, which were published in the World Guinness Book of Records, among others.
Back in 1985, Billy Mitchell managed to hold six records simultaneously, including Donkey Kong. In the 1980s, various programs paid attention to eSports.
The 90’s
In the 1990s, the internet connection improved considerably, which made it possible to offer eSports on a large scale. In 1988 the first official online sports game was launched: ‘Netrek’.
Nintendo also came into play in the 1990s and organized multiple events, all based on games released by Nintendo.
In the late 1990s, eSports took on more and more serious forms, and some well-known tournaments were founded, including the ‘Professional Gamers League’.
Esports From 2000
From 2000 onwards, the further roll-out of broadband internet in South Korea ensured the enormous popularity of eSports. It is believed that the high unemployment rate in South Korea at the time prompted people to participate in e-sports events as an excuse.
Where in the year 2000, only 10 tournaments were organized. In 2010, more than 260 tournaments were organized. Over time, several larger tournaments were established, including the eSports ‘Olympic Games’: World Cyber Games.
From 2000, eSports were massively broadcast on South Korean television, leaving the rest of the world behind. This changed with the arrival of Twitch, and this live streaming service has become great.
In 2013, no fewer than 12 billion minutes of video were viewed on Twitch. To this day, Twitch is the go-to channel for following esports; some channels have millions of followers.
Due to the popularity of eSports, a physical venue has even opened – an arena. This Santa Ana, California arena features eSports viewing from a grandstand, where you can watch your favorites on multiple screens.
The ambiance can be compared to a football match in a stadium. In 2018, a new e-sports arena was built at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.
No, you are not in Egypt. The Luxor resort in Las Vegas has the shape of a pyramid and is full of nice extras.
For the time being, the prevailing image is that gaming is bad for health. However, the reality is that e-athletes who operate at a high level would actually have an extremely healthy lifestyle, comparable to top athletes, which of course, does not alter the fact that a lot of time is spent behind the computer. E-athletes also experience injuries, and various doctors are now specialized in resolving typical injuries of e-athletes.
Despite the pros and cons, South Korea has already recognized the sport as a forerunner in eSports. In fact, during the Asian variant of the games, the eSports component is already included.
