The Convergence of eSports and Online Casinos: Exploring New Entertainment Frontiers

Digital entertainment is slowly becoming one of the most profitable markets in the world. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that iGaming has had a very important role in the development of the market. However, the rising success of video games, especially competitive gaming, has also played a big part in the rising interest in digital entertainment.

Naturally, the two industries have crossed paths on several occasions. At first glance, it may not seem like eSports and iGaming have a lot in common. But, exploring popular casino websites might lead one to the realization that there is quite a bit of crossover. In this article, we are going to discuss the convergence of gambling and gaming, and explore this new frontier in entertainment.

Healthy Competition

For those who are not aware, eSports is a term for the growing popularity of competitive video game playing. Basically, teams from all over the world face off in tournament-style events, playing some of the most popular games. Titles that get the most traction include Defense of the Ancients 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, etc. The goal here is to outperform the opponent’s team. Naturally, as this is a professional event, competition is through the roof.

However, eSports also breeds a sense of healthy competition among fellow teammates. Attempting to outperform each other is not always a good thing. But, it isn’t necessarily bad either, as long as you remember that the ultimate goal is to defeat the enemy team. That same sense of healthy competition has been adopted by online casinos in the past few years. We are, of course, referring to gambling tournaments, which are taking the iGaming world by storm.

When we bring up gambling tournaments, most people’s minds would go to poker or blackjack. However, right now, slot games are dominating the iGaming competitive scene. Players spin reels, and hope for the best outcome. The ones that spin the highest scores, get to move on to more difficult rounds. Slot tournaments have done a lot for the proliferation of online casinos. However, it is also important to play responsibly when enjoying your time with these sorts of competitions.

Livestreaming Plays a Big Role

The success of livestreaming has played a big role in popularizing eSports, as well as iGaming. In truth, eSports might not be nearly as successful as it is, if it weren’t for sites like Twitch, that allow professional players to interact with their fan base, and form a tight knit community. More importantly, streaming is also the main venue that eSports had for a long time, to broadcast the competitions, and reach a broader audience.

Today, of course, a lot of the big-name tournaments are broadcast on television. But, for the most part, eSports fans stick to streaming services, and enjoy their hobby online. On the other hand, iGaming never really relied on streaming to get popular. However, livestreams have certainly played a huge role in elevating online casinos in the eyes of the public. Who knows where the industry would be now if it weren’t for live dealer games.

For those who don’t know, live dealer options allow players to fully immerse themselves in the casino experience, while still relaxing in their own home. A human dealer uses a streaming setup to broadcast a game to the public. The participants then place wagers from a live chat, and participate as if they were in a land-based casino. Live casinos have done a wonder for blackjack especially, elevating the game to one of the most popular choices among gamblers on the internet.

New Gambling Opportunities

Speaking of live dealer casinos, we have to discuss the growing opportunities for gambling, which came as a direct result of the intertwining between the two industries. Online casinos, for example, have taken a lot of inspiration from video games. It is hard to say whether this would have occurred, if eSports hadn’t made gaming a mainstream hobby. When discussing the influence of video games on gambling, the first thing most people go to are specialty games.

For those out of the loop, specialty games are unique, original games, which casino operators include on their websites. The name is a result of the fact that most of these games are so diverse, that they simply can’t fit into one category neatly. So, originally, they were labeled as “special games,” which soon changed to specialty. Of those, the most popular are Fishing Games, which retro gamers will recognize as a new and unique spin on the classic shooter, Space Invaders.

eSports has also benefited from online casinos, or more accurately, the sports gambling side of the iGaming industry. A lot of people are drawing parallels between eSports and classic athletic competitions, and for good reason. Online bookmakers were among the first to recognize the industry’s success, and thus were the first to start creating odds on video game tournaments. Today, featuring eSports betting odds is an industry staple, and many gamblers will outright refuse to use a website, if they don’t cover gaming.

Casino Gamification

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not bring up casino gamification. The idea of gamification is not unique to the iGaming industry, but it is the place where it can be felt most powerfully. As you might imagine, gamification is the process by which an industry adopts the staples and tropes of video games. For example, a point-based reward system, unlockable achievements, and more. Any gambler who has explored internet casinos can tell you, these are all staples of the iGaming market right now.

However, it wasn’t always like that. These tropes were only introduced recently, and in large part because of the success video games have had in the mainstream. In fact, many casino operators on the internet have noticed that gamers are much more likely to gamble online than in brick-and-mortar establishments. To cater to this new demographic, they’ve attempted to make the industry a lot closer to what they know. Thus far, their attempts have been incredibly successful.