Industry News

Examining the Relationship Between eSports and Online Gambling

Published

6 years ago

June 22, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The adoption of most sports within online gambling systems means travelling paths long since forged. Owing to the relatability of existing frameworks, creating new entries for the arrival of a traditional sport is usually a simple pursuit. ESports games buck this trend, with their digital nature creating the potential for unprecedented involvement and unique interconnectivity.

While these aspects of eSports are often fundamentally misunderstood or underestimated, a closer examination reveals how deep these relationships could run and how beneficial for the greater betting industry they could be. From bringing in newcomers to adopting new approaches in viewing, there is a lot of mapped and untapped potential in eSports for the iGaming world to cover.

Raw Numbers
One of the most immediately visible ways in which eSports aids the online betting industry comes from the vast inbuilt audience. According to an article at venturebeat.com, around 2.4 billion people played video games in 2019 alone. At the top of this spectrum are titles likes League of Legends and CS: GO, two popular eSports titles which boast around 115 million and 24 million monthly players respectively.

The Ease of Integration
These numbers are important not just for how they illustrate engagement potential, but also in how eSports engagement relates to digital forms of viewing and gambling. For traditional sports like football or tennis, there is a strong reliance on more established methods of viewing. Most often, punters are relegated to watch only a limited selection of physical sports matches on television or digitally, if they have access.

Esports is very different in this regard, allowing practically every game and tournament, even in minor leagues, to be viewed worldwide over the internet, usually for free. Such a level of integration and mass adoption is not something that can be matched by traditional means, giving eSports a comparative leg-up on physical sports.

Many sports bettors find enormous appeal through cheering through each step of the game and, given the better access which eSports games offer, this provides enthusiasts not just with a way to enjoy their sport of choice but with several opportunities to engage with different brands. Both for eSports fans newly introduced to betting via online infrastructure and established bettors looking for something new, these digital choices are opening doors.

Such advantages don’t only apply to live games either, as the ability to watch replays is another area aided significantly by the digital nature of eSports. For an example of this, readers could look at the Overwatch League Replay Viewer available at playoverwatch.com. This program gives punters the ability to download completed matches and watch them at every possible angle, as they wish. With additions like slow motion, overlays, and other tools, serious gamblers who wish to more closely examine players and teams’ performance are gifted a rare opportunity.

The final advantage for online betting which bears mentioning is the ease of fitting eSports games legally within existing gambling websites and systems. As Legalbetting.com explores, legal online sports betting has been a widely accepted component of the industry for years. In the United States, for example, this kicked off in 2018 and, since this point, considerable work has gone into ensuring all aspects are safe for both the bettors and the bookies.

Rather than requiring expensive and difficult to implement new laws, eSports have slotted into already developed sports betting services. Given just how important and strict the rules around legal online betting are, eSports games have begun their mainstream gambling life with advantages that many other sports took years to find.

As a spectator sport, eSports have accomplished astonishing success in the last two decades. From tournaments held in basements to finding showings on major international channels like ESPN, the world is now taking notice. As an industry with such a strong emphasis on sports and the digital both, online betting services are in a unique position to leverage eSports’ explosive growth. With both online casinos and eSports still far from reaching a plateau of popularity, this relationship is going to be one to watch.

21.com

21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton

Published

2 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

21.com-launches-online-casino-and-sportsbook-led-by-ex-betvictor-ceo-michael-carlton

21.com has launched as an online casino and sportsbook, naming industry veteran Michael Carlton as Founder & CEO, the company said on 16 June 2026.

The operator said it is targeting a range of global jurisdictions and plans to differentiate through a “modern technology stack” and “AI-centric operations.” It did not disclose target markets, licensing status, launch territories, or product partners.

Carlton previously served 13 years at EY as a Chartered Accountant before entering gaming in 1997, according to the company. He later spent 17 years as CEO of BetVictor and has since invested in betting and gaming companies.

Carlton said 21.com is being built without legacy platform constraints. “Having started in the gaming industry prior to the launch of the internet and then having the privilege of being involved as the industry evolved and adapted to the opportunities, there is now a further revolution occurring with the power created by embracing AI helping us to move faster and tailor personalised experience to the player.

“One of 21.com’s greatest strengths is that it is being developed for the current market, rather than an after-thought adaptation of an existing one. Many operators have been around for a long time and continue to be defined by legacy platforms and pre-crypto payment customer journeys that existed long before the modern technical tools that exist now became a reality. 21.com has embraced AI to deliver unparalleled customer experiences.

“With a team of industry leading experts with the motivation and ability to achieve our goals but without any legacy systems, 21.com is able to take advantage of new technologies to become a market leader in the gaming industry”.

The company also set aggressive commercial targets. “21.com will be one of the top three operators in every market it operates and in the world within two years,” Carlton said.

The post 21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alex Scott Chief Product Officer at Tequity

Tequity appoints Alex Scott as Chief Product Officer

Published

3 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

tequity-appoints-alex-scott-as-chief-product-officer

Former Microgaming poker MD and ex-WPT Global president joins as supplier pushes regulated-market expansion and new verticals.

Tequity has appointed Alex Scott as Chief Product Officer, adding a long-time iGaming executive to lead product vision and oversee the product lifecycle from conception to market launch.

Scott has more than 20 years of experience in the sector. He previously served as Managing Director of Poker at Microgaming and later led WPT Global as President.

The hire comes as Tequity expands its product structure, including the recent launch of Tequity Exclusives, a vertical for custom-built games that sits alongside its RGS, Originals and Publishing divisions. The company also said it has completed BMM Testlabs certification for its RNG and the first batch of Tequity Originals titles as it targets regulated markets.

Alex Scott, Chief Product Officer at Tequity, said: “Tequity is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in iGaming by harnessing the power of technology to streamline and elevate game development.

“It is an incredibly exciting time to join the team. I look forward to leading the product vision across our expanding divisions to deliver next-generation casino content to operators worldwide.”

Krzysztof Opałka, CEO at Tequity, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Alex to the team as we continue to move the business forward at pace. His two decades of industry leadership and pioneering, hands-on experience with AI-driven casino games make him the perfect fit to lead our product strategy.

“With our rapid recent progress across all of our divisions, his expertise will be invaluable in maximising the impact of our portfolio.” Scott will attend iGB Live in London next month as part of Tequity’s team.

The post Tequity appoints Alex Scott as Chief Product Officer appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

adtech

Media Troopers adds AI automation tool to Media Cruiser DSP

Published

3 weeks ago

May 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

media-troopers-adds-ai-automation-tool-to-media-cruiser-dsp

Media Troopers has added a new artificial intelligence feature to its proprietary media buying platform, Media Cruiser DSP, introducing an automation layer called Automation Rules.

The company said Automation Rules is a rules-based automation engine designed to optimise campaigns using real-time data. Media Troopers said the tool can support actions including setting price ranges, highlighting and pausing underperforming metrics, creating exclusion filters, and adjusting bids without prior manual intervention.

Media Troopers positioned the release as a way to increase output while reducing operational costs, describing the workflow as “a single click” to apply automation.

Shmulik Segal, Chief Executive of Media Troopers, said, “Media Troopers is always looking to improve its systems to ensure that clients have the best technology available to help enhance their campaigns while also saving them time. This new AI feature is sure to be a game-changer among customers when it comes to increasing marketing output by taking on board and managing client data around the clock.”

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