Betting on e-sports: interfaces between the worlds of gaming and gambling

The digital revolution has changed a lot of things. Mobility and networking are at the top of the list, but the world of entertainment has also been turned completely upside down. Gambling has shifted almost completely to the internet and now faces gaming. Both sectors have certain similarities, but still function very differently. And yet there is one specific interface where the two overlap: It is betting in e-sports.

How e-sports have asserted themselves in recent years

E-sports has developed into an industry worth billions in recent years. What used to be just a hobby for gaming enthusiasts is now a global phenomenon with professional teams, huge prize money and sell-out stadiums. Titles such as "League of Legends", "Counter-Strike" and "Dota 2" attract millions of viewers and have a huge fan base.

This growth has also been accompanied by professionalisation. Sponsors, media rights and merchandising are playing an increasingly important role, and betting on e-sports has established itself at the same time. Bookmakers now offer odds for tournaments, matches and even specific in-game events. This means that the betting market for e-sports is no longer just a small industry, but an integral part of the scene.

More than just a niche phenomenon

So the demand is there. As a result, more and more online casinos such as Posido Casino have established themselves in recent years, addressing precisely this market and offering bets on e-sports in addition to sports betting on conventional sports such as football, tennis and ice hockey. But what does this form of gambling have to do with gaming?

At first glance, gaming and gambling appear to be two completely different areas. While gaming requires skill, strategy and often a certain learning curve, gambling is based on chance and probability. But there are overlaps.

Many modern video games have integrated mechanics that are similar to gambling - such as loot boxes that contain randomised content and can often be purchased with real money. These parallels cannot be overlooked and have even brought regulators onto the scene. There are also virtual markets in many multiplayer games where skins or other digital items are traded - often with an increase in value that is reminiscent of speculative markets. So there are parallels, but how exactly does betting on e-sports actually work?

What exactly is being bet on

In traditional betting on conventional sports, you can't just bet on the team that is likely to win the game. Instead, you have almost endless opportunities to try your luck with very specific bets. For example, in football you can bet on a certain number of goals at the start of half-time or in mixed martial arts you can bet on how many times a fighter will be wrestled to the ground or when the fight will end.

There is also a wide range of possible bets that can be placed when betting on e-sports. Here is a rough overview:

• Match betting:This is the classic bet on the winner of a single game or match, which is also familiar from conventional sports.
• Tournament bets:These long-term bets determine the winner of an entire tournament or how a particular team is likely to perform.
• Handicap betting:A team is given a virtual advantage or disadvantage to even out the odds. This mainly happens when a team starts with a notional deficit.
• Over/under bets:These bets are placed on certain numerical values, such as the number of maps played or the total number of kills in a match.
• Special bets (prop bets):With these bets, you hope for specific events within a match. Examples include the following questions: Which team will get the first kill, who will win the first round and will a player reach a certain number of kills?
• Live bets: As with conventional sports, these are bets that are placed during an ongoing match and can change dynamically depending on the course of the game.
• Bets on in-game events:Depending on the game, there are specific bets, such as the destruction of the first tower in "League of Legends" or the first bomb site in "Counter-Strike".
• Skin betting and fantasy betting:In some communities, bets are placed not only with real money, but also with virtual items (skins) or in fantasy leagues.

The role of technology in combining gaming and gambling

Advancing technological development plays a decisive role in the convergence of gaming and gambling. Modern betting platforms use artificial intelligence to adjust odds in real time, while big data analyses continue to refine betting opportunities. At the same time, gaming developers are focussing on increasingly immersive experiences with virtual and augmented reality, which make both the gaming experience and betting on e-sports even more intense. In addition, blockchain technologies enable secure transactions and transparent betting mechanisms to make manipulation more difficult. The fusion of these technologies shows that the future of these interfaces will be characterised not only by economic developments, but also by innovations in the digital world.

The role of streaming platforms in linking gaming and gambling

Streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube have played a key role in increasingly blurring the boundaries between gaming and gambling. While gamers showcase their skills in real time, e-sports bets are advertised or even analysed live at the same time. Viewers can use betting functions integrated into the chat or interact directly with streamers who place bets on their own matches. Streams in which professional players explain their strategies or betting providers present real-time odds for ongoing matches are particularly popular. This direct access makes betting more tangible for gaming fans than ever before and strengthens the link between the two worlds. At the same time, the question arises as to how strongly this integration should be regulated in order to ensure responsible betting behaviour.