The Casino Esports Revolution: Why the Casino Industry is getting interested in competitive gaming in 2024

Esports has enjoyed rapid growth over the past decade, and it is no longer a niche activity for hardcore gamers alone. Such is the popularity of competitive gaming that there has been the noticeable trend of new casino esports ventures allowing fans to watch and bet on the outcome of their favorite gaming stars. But is this a quick cash-in on a passing trend, or does the casino esports revolution mean that betting on games like CS:GO and LoL will become as common as traditional gambling entertainments like roulette, blackjack, and poker?

Enjoy Esports? Casino sites like these offer you a great way to bet on gaming

Before we take a look at how traditional bricks-and-mortar casinos are jumping on the esports bandwagon, we thought that we should provide you with a quick overview of the top online casino sites that serve up odds for esports. If you go to any of these examples of an online casino, esports betting will be made safe, quick and potentially very profitable. All of the online casino sites on our shortlist will give you a broad selection of odds for first-person shooters, battle arena titles and much more. In addition to this, we have checked to make sure that they offer a responsive customer service experience and are licensed to offer you a legal and safe way to enjoy a bet on your favorite game.

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The basics of betting on esports

Most people enjoy betting on esports just as they would any traditional sport. This means that you can bet on the team winner of an esports match of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends or Overwatch betting like you would a game of football. In order to do this, you will need to find a bookmaker who offers you odds to bet on. The higher the odds, the more risky the bet is, but the more you stand to make in winnings if luck goes your way. Conversely, if you bet on low odds, then you’re more likely to win, but your potential profits might not be quite so impressive.

League of Legends is not only the most popular MOBA, but also the best choice for punters who seek betting opportunities throughout the year. That’s because games are scheduled every week from January to August in the four major regions: LEC, LCS, LCK and LPL. The Spring Split starts in January across these regions and concludes in late March, while the Summer Split begins in June and comes to an end in August. In between there is the international Mid Season Invitation and the circuit culminates with the LoL Worlds which takes place in September and October.

Understanding the appeal of esports casino gaming

When esports was in its infancy, there weren’t too many safe and legal places where you could bet on gaming. But as esports has grown into a multi-million dollar industry, many traditional sports bookmakers and online casino brands have been quick to offer you odds for your favorite game. This phenomenon hasn’t just been limited to the online realm as we have seen many famous casino resorts and hotels making esports a key part of their attractions.

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Much of this could be down to the fact that these casinos are seeking to diversify their esports gambling options in order to cater to a younger generation of customers who shy away of traditional casino games like poker and roulette.

Many esports punters are themselves players and they fancy the idea of betting on the most important tournaments. In 2021, League of Legends fans will be looking forward to betting on the League of Legends World Championship in October and November. Dota 2 enthusiasts will focus on The International which takes place in August and has the biggest prize pool of all esports events. Counter Strike Global Offensive and Valorant fans also have plenty to look forward to this year, with the flagship events taking place at the end of 2021. Valorant Champions lock horns in November and December, while the most accomplished CS:GO professional gamers will compete in the BLAST Premier Global Finals 2021 between December 14th and December 18th.

Top examples of the casino esports experience

As casinos traditionally feature just slots and table games, it might come as a surprise to find that they would make moves to allow customers to bet on something as relatively new as esports. But all over the world, many established casino brands have spent a huge amount of time and money in getting up to speed with the competitive gaming revolution.

From casino resorts spending millions on setting up their own esports arenas, to iconic casino brands hosting events like the Casino Esports Conference, it seems that there’s no stopping casinos enjoying the popularity of competitive gaming. Here’s a quick look at some examples of how esports is taking over the casino industry.

Competitive gaming comes to Las Vegas

As Las Vegas is widely seen as being the casino capital of the world, it should come as little surprise to find that many of the city’s casinos here have been quick to implement esports betting in their resorts and hotels. Iconic casino brands in Las Vegas like MGM, Caesars and Luxor have all sought to implement esports alongside their slots machines and table games.

A quick look at the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas at The Luxor shows how this city treats competitive gaming. With 50-foot LED video walls, a 30,000 square foot gaming floor, and plenty of VIP rooms, this arena shows that Sin City’s concept of ‘bigger is better’ definitely applies to their esports entertainments.

2020 was a brutal year for land-based casinos, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to wide-spread panic among players. They were reluctant to visit the premises even when the casinos finally reopened and this proved to be extremely painful for the land-based gambling industry. Sports were also crippled by the pandemic and major leagues were abruptly terminated, major events were postponed and the few games that were played, featured no spectators in the stands. This also hurt the sports betting industry, who ended up relying more than ever on esports, which thrived even during the crisis. Granted some major events such as the League of Legends Mid Season Invitational and the Dota 2 The International were disrupted, plenty of other tournaments continued unabated online. In 2021, players and fans are anxiously waiting to watch the games on packed stadiums, which will further fuel the growth of esports.

The rise of the Casino Esports Conference

Of course, it’s not all just fun and games, as Esports Las Vegas has also been pivotal in helping gambling industries understand the phenomenon of competitive gaming. Nowhere is this better seen than at the Casino Esports Conference that takes place each year at the Luxor. This epic event is focused on helping everyone from esports players to games developers, marketers and lawyers come together to stay on top of the competitive gaming trend. As a result, you can expect to see the biggest players in the esports and casino gaming world networking at this two-day event to take advantage of the rapid growth of esports.

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How the Elements Casino esports package shows the future of gambling

Of course, it’s not just in the USA that traditional casinos are seeing the benefits of embracing the esports trend. All over the world, classic casinos are also aiming to cater to millennials by hosting esports tournaments and allowing players to bet on video games. In Canada, the Elements Casino esports entertainments have become a real hit with a special lounge that’s dedicated to competitive gaming alongside their traditional gambling options. Obviously, it could be some time before other casinos follow the Elements Casino esports model, but it shows that games of CS:GO and roulette could go hand in hand.

Could Macau become a global esports casino hotspot?

The Chinese enclave of Macau recently outstripped Las Vegas for its gambling revenues, and it’s been interesting to see how Macau has kept up with the esports trend. Brands like Melco have been pivotal in setting up huge new esports arenas in Macau, and we have also seen special girl-gamer only tournaments successfully being established in this casino hotspot. And with the Chinese government taking steps to invest in esports, we can expect a lot more from competitive gaming in Macau’s casinos in the future.

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