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Over the years, esports has continued to grow in popularity as both games and professional gamers received greater recognition in the industry.
Some of the top esports games of 2021 right now, which are popular with players, tournaments, and fans, are Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Fortnite, Dota 2 and League of Legends. Many tournaments around the world of course have professional teams playing these games, competing to win millions of dollars in prize money winnings.
Usually, audiences around the world would watch some of the biggest tournaments take place live in physical venues. Although many lockdown restrictions are now starting to lift, it’s unsure when live UK esports events will return. Although spectators have started to return to some live sports events, there is still a risk of events being cancelled at short notice. Many professionals in the industry reckon that the second half of 2021 will be more realistic for hosting physical events again.
When tournaments take place, whether virtually or live, audiences can bet on who they want to win matches. As esports has risen in popularity, it has also attracted the attention of the gambling industry. There are many operators around the world who now offer esports betting on a variety of esports tournaments focusing on games like Call of Duty, League of Legends and CS:GO.
Why is esports so popular?
For many years now, the gaming industry has taken off in popularity thanks to a variety of platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. Audiences around the world are able to watch their favourite gamers participate in live streams and play throughs of some of the top gaming titles. Aside from spectating some of the best players in the world, fans are also able to watch streamers and gamers for their own entertainment, to gain insight into other gamers’ techniques, and immerse themselves further into some of their favourite games.
Esports has become so popular now that many gamers have forged a professional gaming career through playing video games and have joined successful teams. According to Esports Charts, some of the most popular esports organisations in 2020 included G2 Esports, Natus Vincere and Team Liquid. In terms of how many hours were watched in 2020, G2 Esports topped the list with more than 92.8m hours watched, with their most watched disciplines being League of Legends and CS:GO.
How can adults bet safely on esports tournaments?
When adults tune into their favourite esports tournaments, there are also a range of betting providers that they can choose from should they wish to bet on their favourite team/player to win. Whether people are interested in Dota 2 or Rocket League tournaments, or whatever else, it’s essential that adults gamble on esports as safely and as responsibly as possible.
- Choose a reputable operator to play with
There are many casinos and sports betting operators around the world, but it’s important to remember that not all of them are reputable. It’s worth reading up on which operators are the best to go with. To find a reputable place for esports betting, online casino reviews site The POGG provides honest recommendations and reviews on some of the best sports betting sites to play at.
Today, many sports betting operators and online casinos include esports on their list of sports to bet on and feature many popular esports tournaments. New players should carefully research operators to see if they’re reputable and to find out how to sign up to them. The POGG also recently published a new beginner’s guide to joining an online casino that’s full of useful tips for new players.
- Set yourself hard limits to keep your esports gambling under control
When tuning in to watch your favourite streamers, it can be easy to lose track of time. The same goes when gambling too. It can be very easy for adults to ignore their limits and play for longer than they wanted to or bet more money than they originally planned to spend. Before players even log into their betting accounts, they should establish comfortable time and money limits that they’re able to follow.
Players can use their mobiles to set app limits or even set a timer to remind them when it’s time to come off the betting website or app. A quick five minutes to look up esports betting odds can easily lead to 10, 20 and so on. Players should therefore set themselves limits or seek advice and help online if they are unable to stick to them. An important part of responsible gambling is knowing when it’s time to stop.
- Consider controlling gambling activities with self-exclusion & time outs
When gambling takes over and starts to become a problem, stricter measures may need to be put in place. If esports betting gets out of hand, players can utilise a range of tools to help them limit their gambling activities. Highlighted by the Gambling Commission, some of the best ways to limit the amount of time and money you are spending on gambling can be through time outs and self-exclusions.
Online gambling companies offer time out periods that can help players remove themselves from gambling for a short period of time, from 24 hours to six weeks. Players who need to restrict their esports betting for longer can also self-exclude themselves with a self-exclusion agreement with the operator. Useful tools such as BetBlocker can also be used for self-exclusion and players can block themselves from gambling sites for a number of days, weeks, months, years, or even forever.
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