Are esports real sports? This question has been around for as long as the professional gaming scene itself. People from both camps are bringing in cold hard facts to the debate and the lines are still blurred. One thing is certain – esports as a whole has a massive following and people are betting on esports in ever-increasing numbers.
That has to mean something for the discussion, right? I mean, if you can bet on it, it has to be a sport, right?
The Definition of a Sport
Well, if we use that hypothesis, it would mean that shows like Miss Universe, House of the Dragon betting, and US Elections are also sports. If something has betting markets, it’s not necessarily a sport. Online bookmakers nowadays have betting markets for all sorts of things in addition to sports.
It goes something like this:
A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
What Classifies as a Real Sport
Professional esports gamers are much more than your typical gamers. They’re pretty much a new form of digital athletes that spend 10+ hours a day practicing the game they’re competing in.
Every aspect of their lives is dedicated to the game they’re playing; they often live together with their teammates in gaming houses where they’re able to fully focus on the game and their teamwork.
Even though they don’t have demanding physical training (for the most part), their training still requires hard work, though it doesn’t involve physical exertion.
That Said, if We’re Using the Above-Featured Definition, Then Esports Aren’t Real Sports.
They do feature individuals or teams competing against one another for the sake of entertainment. They also do require skill. But, it’s debatable just how much physical exertion they involve.
Sure, we’ve all been sweaty and our heartbeats went through the roof following tight clutch situations. But, let’s face it, that doesn’t really count as proper physical exertion, does it?
Key Characteristics That Make Real Sports
But, physical exertion is not the only important factor when discussing whether or not esports can be considered real sports. There are other key characteristics that are, arguably, equally important. They are as follows:
Competitive Structure
The esports scene is no longer chaotic anarchy in terms of competitive structure. Each esports franchise (f.e. CSGO, Valorant, etc) has its own competitive calendar packed with events coupled with developer-organized circuits.
For CSGO and Dota 2, that would be the DPC and Majors; for Valorant and League of Legends, it’s LoL Regional Championships and Valorant Champions Tour. Other games have their own circuit-like equivalents which feature all the best players and teams.
Global Recognition
This is something I’m sure we’ll all agree on right away – esports is no longer a marginalized hobby for people who never see the light of the day, playing video games 24/7 in their parents’ basement. That’s what people used to think about professional gamers. Heck, some still think so…
But, even those who think teens playing video games for a living is a waste of time have heard about esports. The industry of professional gaming has global recognition – it spreads across all age groups. Quite literally, everyone and their grandmother have heard about esports by now.
Sponsorship Involvement
Even today, the largest revenue stream for esports lies in sponsorship. Whether we’re talking about endemic or non-endemic sponsorship, it’s what keeps driving competitive gaming forward. Media rights are coming up in the world, but they’re still not bringing in nearly as much market value as sponsorship involvement.
What Is an Esport?
Before going any further, let’s try to figure out what makes something an esport. In short, esport is every video game that has professionally organized competitions and dedicated players who train for several hours each day and maintain their role as the best of the best.
Furthermore, esport has to be played for the sake of viewership. This is more than just a hobby – it’s a multi-million-dollar industry that manages to attract massive sponsorship deals, all because it’s watched by some of the most hard-to-reach demographics out there.
Most Popular Esports
Have you heard about the likes of CSGO, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant? These are by far the most popular esports out there. Each of them has a massive following, an insanely lucrative prize pool and spectacular events played in some of the finest and most luxurious venues in the world.
Let’s take a closer look at the top five most popular esports titles these days:
CSGO
First and foremost – CSGO! Perhaps it’s not the most popular esports title out there, it’s definitely one of the most important ones. First-person shooters were always competitive, it’s just that these days they have millions of people watching the action across the globe.
CSGO (short for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) is a decade-old game that puts emphasis on teamwork and tactics. If it’s not the most popular title, what makes it so important? Well, CSGO is important because it kickstarted the esports betting scene.
Back in its early days, people used to bet their in-game skins on CSGO matches and other types of gambling content. Of course, online esports betting was unregulated back then – everything was pretty much illegal.
Fast-forward a few years and online bookmakers caught up to the frantic action on CSGO skin betting sites. They were the reason why so many online bookmakers feature esports bets. So, if you’re looking for the game that started the whole esports betting craze, you might want to give CSGO betting a try!
League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the games that kickstarted esports. The big breakthrough of esports, the game that helped push esports into the mainstream – League of Legends. LoL’s esports scene is more than a decade old yet is still going strong and attracting massive viewership numbers year in and year out.
The bread and butter of LoL esports scene lies in a wide array of regional championships like the LPL, LEC, LCS, LCK, and so on. There are two major international events every year too, featuring the best teams from regional championships.
There’s the biggest one – LoL Words, which acts like the business end of every LoL esports season. There’s the “middle-of-the-season” one called MSI (Mid-Season Invitational). If you’re interested in betting on League of Legends, these are the two events you should be checking out!
Dota 2
Moving on with our list of notable esports titles, let’s talk a bit about Dota 2. It’s another Valve masterpiece – a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) that has captivated millions of gamers worldwide. Even more people love watching it – some even bet on Dota 2. It’s really a special game, one that will still be around for years to come.
As far as Dota 2 esports scene goes, it all revolves around The Internationals. Every year, these Dota 2 events pose as the biggest and most lucrative events… not just in Dota 2 calendar but in the whole esports scene.
Today we are releasing a new feature of the 2022 Battle Pass to celebrate and support the teams: Team and Player Autograph Sticker Capsules. https://t.co/tg7XkHMVHZ pic.twitter.com/MYaSfZVZGt
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) September 20, 2022
When we’re talking about lucrativeness, other events don’t come anywhere near Dota 2 The Internationals. Let’s put it this way – last year’s TI had just over $40 million in prize money which is a much bigger prize pool than many conventional sports.
FIFA
Next up, FIFA! No need to go into too much depth here. FIFA has been the go-to soccer simulation for several generations of gamers. It used to be FIFA vs. PES, but given the fact KONAMI’s soccer series sank down to unimaginable lows, it’s all FIFA nowadays.
eNations League, eWorld Cup, and lots of regional e-leagues form the backbone of FIFA’s competitive scene. The FIFA Global Series AKA FGS is not to be taken for granted either. It brings forth all the best FIFA players and pins them against each other for massive prizes. We’re basically talking about digital soccer here – it’s a blast to play, watch, and bet on!
Valorant
Last but not least – Valorant! Valorant is the newest IP on this list. Back in its Project A days in 2020, Valorant awed its critics with short TTK mechanics, CSGO-esque maps, and a Fortnite-esque graphics style.
Fast-forward two years and it’s already established as one of the fastest-growing games out there. It’s not just fun to play, it’s fun to watch and bet on as well, which is what makes it a popular esports title too.
Make no mistake about it – Valorant was made to be a popular esports from the ground up. Everything about the game’s core mechanics was built to suit wide audiences and assert dominance among other competitive shooters.
The bread and butter of its competitive ecosystem is called Valorant Champions Tour or VCT in short. It’s a closed circuit, in many ways similar to League of Legends’ competitive stage. Nothing surprising considering the fact Riot Games is the primary organizer of both of their class-A esports.
Are Esports Real Sports?
Even though we’ve already gone through all the important factors, we still can’t give you a tangible answer. Are esports real sports? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you ask someone who truly understand what esports are all about, then I suppose you will get a positive answer.
If, however, you ask someone who’s never watched an esports match, they’ll probably tell you it’s just another gimmick not worthy of being put in the same sentence as regular sports.
Which person is right? Well, I guess that depends on what’s your opinion on the matter, really.
Should You Bet on Esports?
This leads us to another question – what about esports betting? Is esports betting profitable, are there plenty of matches for you to bet on, and should you even bet on competitive gaming?
Well, I have a couple of factors that say you should:
Professionally Structured Events
Let’s not forget about esports’ impressive competitive structure. All esports (not just the top-tier specimens) have professionally structured events and in most cases year-long circuits which feature lots of action week in and week out.
This ensures constant viewership numbers, lots of revenue, and a highly competitive pro scene that lives and breathes the game in question. This all makes esports the perfect gaming environment, which is probably why so many people enjoy betting on them.
Deep Betting Coverage
Another reason why people enjoy betting on esports is the immensely deep betting coverage. No matter which of the most popular esports franchises you’d like to bet on, chances are you’ll have a plethora of betting options to choose from.
It’s been this way for almost a decade now, but we’re still seeing the number of bets increase year over year. Esports betting variety is showing no signs of stopping, and according to the trends, it won’t be stopping any time soon!
Focus on Integrity and Anti-Cheating Measures
The entire esports scene is putting a great focus on its integrity. There’s been a number of cheating and match-fixing scandals in the industry. But, these all date back more than a few years, with fewer attempts being made because of ESIC’s (Esports Integrity Commission) anti-cheating efforts.
This ensures esports is a safe playground for everyone involved, including betting enthusiasts. If potential cheating and match-fixing are the primary reasons why you avoid betting on esports, we have to inform you that you have nothing to worry about.
The post Is Esport a Real Sport and Why Betting on Esports Makes Sense appeared first on GamblingSites.ORG.
www.gamblingsites.org
