Esports presents a lucrative opportunity for sportsbook operators in terms of betting. With a constant stream of new games and a growing fanbase, esports is unique from traditional sports.
The 2020 pandemic may have slightly cooled down the industry, but the next significant development in esports is already underway.
Mobile games have become one of the most profitable industries in the world, with billions of people from the global south owning smartphones capable of running high-definition games.
Inspired by PC and console-based games, several mobile apps have spawned competitive scenes with millions of fans and significant prize money.
Popular mobile esports titles include:
- Fortnite Mobile: A phone-based port of the popular battle royale game. The 2020 Winter Royale paid out over $3 million in prizes.
- Clash Royale: A competitive card game with heavy developer support. The CR League 2020 World Finals paid out $380,000.
- Call of Duty Mobile: The popular first-person shooter franchise also has a thriving mobile esports scene.
- Garena’s Free Fire: Originally popular in Southeast Asia, this 50-man battle royale game is widespread in South America.
- PUBG Mobile: The predecessor to Fortnite, it has found great success on almost every continent, especially in South Asia.
- Hearthstone: Although past its prime, Blizzard’s card game paved the way for other mobile esports titles.
From a bookmaker’s perspective, mobile esports carry similar risks to PC or console esports. However, their logistical challenges are magnified due to being relatively new.
Mobile esports have the potential to attract a massive audience, especially in developing economies where smartphone gaming is highly popular.
However, mobile esports betting poses challenges for operators. The sector is still new, resulting in limited data analysis and record-keeping compared to more established titles like League of Legends or Counter-Strike.
While mobile esports have large player and fan bases, they are not yet the preferred choice for hardcore betting enthusiasts. The lack of extensive tournaments and secondary industries, such as coverage and sponsorship, are factors contributing to this.
Despite the hurdles, the speed at which the mobile gaming industry is scaling cannot be ignored. With the proliferation of handheld technologies and the growing mobile esports scene, it has the potential to dominate the betting world in the future.
