eSports
Luxury Brands Louis Vuitton and Gucci provide further legitimacy for esports industry – states Abios Founder Oskar Fröberg
The Abios founder and CEO explains why esports is one of the most promising sectors for future growth within the iGaming market
What does the recently announced relationship with ICE365.com mean to the company and what do you hope to achieve?
We are naturally very excited about the partnership and to contribute to the new ICE365 platform. Abios aims to provide content and detailed insights for the industry to take part of through the platform, while presenting our team with a great communication platform to address important topics and potential issues. Among these are very important but often overlooked topics such as match integrity and regulatory compliance. Building the right foundation for esports is paramount for its continued growth.
Having been active in the industry for 8.5 years, we believe ourselves to have profound insights into what is important and want to bring them to light. Our intention is ultimately to protect the future of esports. Our team also seeks to provide value for the iGaming-community through timely esports content.
The partnership has a clear focus on education – do you think there’s a knowledge gap as far as esports and the broader igaming community is concerned and how do you hope to address it?
The iGaming community is well-aware of esports, as many have already identified the market as one of the most promising sectors for future growth. Most sportsbooks have also started experimenting by at least offering a couple of markets or tournaments in esports.
Esports can however be demanding to navigate since it is both dynamic and fast-moving, with changes introduced on a regular basis and new game titles still trying to establish themselves as part of the core offering. In addition to our data and odds products, we do our best to offer in-depth content around various esports-related topics to help the iGaming community identify opportunities within the sector and make educated decisions.
While there may sometimes be a slight gap in knowledge, it is more often the case that traditional companies lack properly customised tools to monetise esports. Alongside our data business, we are currently investing heavily in enabling sportsbooks to build completely custom and new experiences using our odds product.
You appear to have a strong commitment to protecting the integrity of esports – how important is this and is match-fixing a very real threat?
Match-fixing is a prevalent threat to esports, as it is to any traditional sport. Nobody wants to watch or place a bet on a match with suspicious or unfair behaviour. It removes the fun out of the competition and gambles (no pun intended) with the entire legitimacy of esports. If esports is perceived as an environment with lots of suspicious activity, its public perception and viewership will be adversely affected. This is not only a challenge for Abios but for the industry as a whole.
Today, game publishers are increasingly improving safeguards to deal with cheating, making it more and more difficult to cheat. Tournament organisers work closer with data partners and sportsbooks to identify suspicious betting behaviour. Generally, large tournaments are very safe, game publishers and tournament organisers alike take these issues very seriously. It’s important to continuously raise awareness of these subjects.
Does the involvement of big blue chip sponsors the final symbolic confirmation that esports is here to stay?
While some blue chip-sponsors such as Coca Cola have been in the industry for years, the real shift is seen when non-endemic luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci join the mix, designing skins for games as well as clothing lines with teams. These companies are incredibly quality and brand conscious. Seeing them engage in esports provides further legitimacy for the industry. We’ve come a long way from esports being perceived as a pastime for young boys sitting in their parents’ basements, but there is still a long way to go until esports has reached its full potential.
How important is it that regulators understand the nuances of esports?
We generally do not comment on the work of regulatory bodies in esports, as we respect the immense complexities of the subject. We do however feel that it is important for regulators to understand esports and its intricacies instead of simply copying the regulations of regular sports and pasting them for esports.
A great example of a relatively new regulation is that of player ages. Several countries have put regulations in place against offering matches where the players are minors. This is both to protect the players and to combat match-fixing, which is noble. However, it simultaneously imposes complications for sportsbooks looking to keep their markets open while staying compliant in different regions simultaneously.
Abios has always put a lot of emphasis on regulatory compliance, which encompasses the need for downstream partners, such as sportsbooks, to comply with these regulations without any friction. We therefore make regulatory compliance tools an integral and automatic part of our products.
During the pandemic has esports managed to fill a void while the traditional big sports such as football weren’t able to function properly?
When practically all traditional sports were delayed, postponed or outright cancelled more than a year ago, we experienced a strong influx in interest for esports. The esports betting market has proven to be very pandemic-resilient. The best part is that esports seems to remain popular, even as traditional sports have come back.
The interest is definitely there among punters and the audience is huge. However, we still believe that there is a long way to go with building the best possible products for esports. We are conducting extensive research to find the most engaging markets and fast integration processes for our odds feed and will bring new and unique possibilities for customer differentiation given the data rich nature of esports.
Has the pandemic created a new esports audience and demographic?
With more people staying at home, more people have picked up on esports tournaments. However, the pandemic has also increased the pace of change in the esports industry. New games have grown in popularity, especially sports games which from a competitive esports perspective were very small two years ago. These games have helped bridge the gap to esports for regular sports fans and punters. The sports games have also proven to work tremendously well as filler products for when there are no matches in traditional sports.
Is this the most exciting time to be involved with the esports phenomenon and what does it mean to you personally and to Abios as a company?
With the risk of sounding clichéd, it has always been an exciting time to be involved within esports. The industry is fast-growing and nowhere near its peak.
While our odds product is currently on par with other products on the market, we have so much more in the pipeline. We have built a strong foundation with over eight years of esports data management and base our in house modelling on this unique dataset and platform. This allows us to drive down bet delays and increase uptime through automation while creating completely unique and engaging bet offers.
Clarion’s head of Esports, William Harding, described Abios as being ‘the perfect partner’ – would you concur?
We want to add value to Clarion Gaming’s high-quality content by bringing our expertise and leveraging our 8+ year history in esports to provide the iGaming audience with further insights. Given the past years growth in the esports iGaming-sector, this partnership is certainly a perfect fit.
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With the start of the year behind, the company reflects on the key milestones.
Business Development
In 2024, the company experienced significant expansion, reflecting the increasing demand for progressive esports betting solutions. The total volume of bets processed grew by 74.2%, aided by the efficiency and dynamic scalability of the company’s trading team, alongside new collaborations from partners and clients. Otto Bonning, Head of Sales, said: “Our new partnerships with companies such as Altenar, NuBet, Airhead Ventures, and TurboStars have significantly strengthened the portfolio. These collaborations demonstrate our expanding influence and commitment to delivering exceptional solutions in the esports betting industry”. Clients also experienced an improvement in GGR, demonstrating the impact of the solutions on profitability.
The company’s user engagement rates also reflected the sizable uplift seen in 2024, with active users rising by 97.3% and average bet size increasing by 7%. Meanwhile, DATA.BET continued to broaden its presence in key markets, including Canada, Brazil, Finland, and Poland, further strengthening its global reach.
Esports Trading and Content Coverage
DATA.BET focused on strategic growth, enhancing its esports content to offer prosperous and dynamic opportunities for clients and their users.
Making focused improvements in popular markets resulted in growth. “We’ve expanded our offerings by adding 38 new markets, creating more opportunities for bettors and driving engagement,” said Thomas Donson, Head of Trading. “Our event coverage has also grown by 11%, adding over 10,000 events to ensure a more diverse and comprehensive experience. Ensuring 24/7 trading process, DATA.BET offers the highest quality market availability.”
The trust earned through high-quality product features, including the new Scoreboard and Pitch Tracker widgets, as well as the Bet Builder based on official data, all launched in 2024, has been instrumental in enhancing the customers betting experience. Scoreboards deliver detailed statistics, interactive visualizations, and comprehensive insights, helping users make informed decisions while boosting engagement through features like live betting, analysis, and availability for LoL, CS2, Valorant, and Dota 2.
Pitch Tracker, supporting our top tier titles, offers a 2D map as a visual representation with advanced tools for data analysis and in-game tracking, delivering detailed insights that enhance user engagement and decision-making. Additionally, the Bet Builder enables personalized betting by allowing users to combine multiple selections into a single wager, meeting the demand for tailored and dynamic betting experiences.
DATA.BET also broadened the scope of disciplines, adding 6 new games, such as Deadlock, Street Fighter 6, GeoGuessr, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Apex Legends, complementing client content with distinctive choices that amplified diversity and engagement.
Customer Support & Risk Management
The company provides a seamless customer experience and robust Risk Management, continuing to deliver swift and practical assistance.
With an average response time of up to 5 minutes, the dedicated team remains extremely efficient, addressing client concerns promptly while maintaining the highest quality standards. Between Q2 and Q4, handled around 1,500 client requests and completed more than 150 technical tasks effectively and precisely, ensuring high-quality 24/7 support and maintaining consistent service standards.
This is due to our proprietary trading platform that enables the generation and customization of content – specifically, markets – to align precisely with each partner’s distinctive requirements while accommodating their existing settlement rules. This approach ensures a seamless transition to the solution, eliminating the need for adjustments or reconfiguration after working with a previous data provider.
DATA.BET’s Risk Management team efficiently handled over 1,700 client requests. Over time, the number of requests from long-term clients noticeably decreased. The team’s familiarity with clients’ audiences and operations reduces risks through proactive measures. By identifying patterns early, the team prevents issues, ensures smooth operations, reduces reactive interventions, and builds client trust while improving system efficiency.
In 2024, DATA.BET strengthened its presence in the esports betting industry by showcasing its solutions and engaging with audiences at premier exhibitions, immersing attendees into the vibrant world of esports. Moving into 2025, DATA.BET remains focused on leveraging this momentum to drive further success and prospects for everyone involved in esports betting.
The post DATA.BET Reflects on 2024 Milestones, Growth, and Achievements appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The global esports organization GIANTX has launched its new jersey for 2025. This jersey will be worn by professional players from the different teams within the organization in their national and international competitions this year.
The color blue takes center stage in a design that evolves the wave pattern used in the previous collection. The jersey is already available on GIANTX’s official channels and will debut in competitive play this week with the first matches of League of Legends and Valorant.
As a novelty, the new GIANTX jersey pays homage to its history by including an ‘08’ on the front of the collar. 2008 marks the founding year of the Málaga-based club Giants, whose merger with the British Excel led to the creation of GIANTX, one of the longest-standing esports brands in Europe.
This jersey is part of a collection that also includes hoodies and other products available in both blue and black. It is not the only new offering from GIANTX for its fans and video game enthusiasts.
In esports, fan loyalty goes beyond the action on the server. It’s about building community, offering added value, and connecting with the audience authentically. For this reason, GIANTX has launched an exclusive membership for fans of the club or esports in general who purchase the giants’ skins in Valorant.
The GIANTX VCT Membership offers unique rewards such as access to giveaways, gifts, passes to learning platforms for professionals, meet-and-greets with players and creators, and even trips to Berlin to support the team kicking off the Valorant Champions Tour this Wednesday. The skin pack is already available in the game.
With the launch of this GIANTX package in Valorant—one of the most-played games in the world with over 20 million active users, developed by Riot Games—the club takes another step in one of the most solidified club-fan relationships on the continent.
These announcements set the stage for the return to competition, which kicks off in style this week with the start of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), and Spain’s Superliga by Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP).
The post GIANTX launches jersey and membership for 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Esports, the competitive side of video gaming, has evolved exponentially over the past few decades. From small gatherings of friends competing in local tournaments to massive international leagues and arenas filled with thousands of fans, the landscape of esports has dramatically shifted. With its growth, new trends continue to emerge, bringing about changes in both the games that dominate and the ways in which audiences experience these events. As we look ahead to 2025, several key trends will shape the future of esports, from technological advancements to shifts in fan engagement. In this article, we’ll explore the most significant trends in esports that will likely define the landscape of 2025 and beyond.
1. Rise of Mobile Esports
One of the most important trends in esports in 2025 will be the further rise of mobile gaming. Traditionally, esports has been dominated by PC and console games, but with the advent of powerful smartphones and mobile devices, mobile gaming is now on the rise as a competitive platform. Games like PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, and Brawl Stars have already carved a niche for themselves, attracting millions of players and viewers globally.
Mobile gaming has the distinct advantage of the fact that it’s played on what’s already in your pocket. The fact that 4.3 billion people own at least one smartphone (compared to 1.86 billion PC gamers and 1.6 billion console owners) means that the bar for entry has never been lower.
Historically, esports has been dominated by North American (NA) and European (EU) players, with EU players typically having the edge in skill and performance. However, as the mobile esports scene continues to grow, emerging regions will most likely play a much bigger part in the global esports scene. Indeed, mobile esports has already gained immense popularity in regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India, where smartphones are more prevalent than gaming PCs or consoles.
In 2025, we can expect to see more titles being optimized for mobile platforms, leading to more inclusive and geographically diverse esports tournaments. Furthermore, the integration of 5G technology will significantly enhance mobile gaming experiences by heavily reducing latency and increasing connection speed, making it even more appealing for professional players and fans.
2. The Continued Convergence of Traditional Sports and Esports
Esports and traditional sports have already begun to overlap in several areas, and this convergence will only grow stronger by 2025. Traditional sports leagues, teams, and athletes are increasingly investing in esports teams and tournaments. For example, major soccer clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona have their own esports teams competing in popular games such as FIFA and Rocket League. Similarly, the NBA has its NBA 2K League, which draws in a new generation of fans while also engaging current basketball enthusiasts.
Notably, certain motorsports leagues have begun trying out notable “sim-racing” champions and giving them chances and tryouts in real race cars. This style of esports to real sports promotion could prove even more common as more real-life sports leagues more closely examine the talent found in esports champions.
The online betting scene has also begun to take notice of the rising popularity of esports and competitive gaming. Most notably, Stake offers both sports betting and eSports betting, which are easier to have fun with than ever.
The collaboration between traditional sports and esports will likely intensify in the coming years, with more partnerships, cross-promotion, and even possible hybrid events. These collaborations will provide new opportunities for esports to reach wider audiences and gain mainstream legitimacy. Fans of traditional sports who may not yet be engaged with esports will become more familiar with the esports scene as their favorite teams and athletes become involved.
In recent years, major TV networks have increasingly embraced esports, recognizing its immense popularity and potential to attract younger, tech-savvy audiences. Networks such as ESPN and TBS have begun broadcasting major esports tournaments, including events like the League of Legends World Championship and NBA 2K League. These partnerships have helped legitimize esports as a mainstream form of entertainment, drawing in millions of viewers and boosting sponsorships and advertising revenue. The inclusion of esports in traditional media platforms also reflects the growing popularity of esports as a whole.
3. The Growth of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Esports
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two of the most exciting technologies poised to revolutionize the gaming and esports industries. By 2025, VR and AR are expected to enhance the way fans and players experience esports, providing more immersive and interactive environments.
In esports, VR has the potential to offer a fully immersive competitive gaming experience. Players may be able to step into digital worlds with greater interactivity and presence than ever before. VR was in a bit of a slump before Facebook Inc. notoriously changed its company name to Meta Inc., while betting everything on VR and the “Metaverse” being the next big thing. While the Metaverse hasn’t quite yet gained popularity as Meta had hoped, the big push has definitely revived VR and VR gaming, and player numbers are at an all-time high. VR esports could be a lot more prominent in the near future, with some possible contenders for games being Beat Saber and Pavlov.
AR, on the other hand, could change the way fans watch live esports events by overlaying real-time stats, player profiles, and other dynamic content directly into the live broadcasts, as well as onto the smartphones of live attendees. Some traditional sports, (such as Formula 1) have already begun doing so, and esports could very well follow.
4. Increased Focus on Content Creators, Streaming Platforms, and Online Betting
Esports and streaming platforms like Kick, Twitch, and Youtube are deeply intertwined, with content creators and streamers playing a pivotal role in driving viewership, engagement, and revenue. By 2025, these figures will continue to be central to the esports ecosystem, bridging the gap between professional players and casual fans by offering entertainment, educational content, and community-building activities.
Notably, in the past few years, we’ve seen many different Content creators and streamers popularize the genre of speedrunning, the concept of competing in order to fully beat a single-player game in the shortest possible time. In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, hours-long video essays covering different games’ speedrunning scenes exploded in popularity and viewership, driving never-before-seen audiences to speedrunning events and tournaments.
Examples like these show that online personalities have a huge influence on the popularity of esports and gaming tournaments, both in offline single-player gaming and online hyper-competitive multiplayer tournaments.
Moreover, online betting platforms, particularly Stake.com, will see greater prominence within the esports landscape. As esports fans continue to engage with their favorite games, teams, and events, platforms like Stake will allow users to bet on outcomes, adding an exciting new dimension to the esports experience. This integration of online betting with streaming and content creation will provide fans with even more ways to interact with the esports world, further blurring the lines between gaming entertainment and real-world stakes.
5. Increased Professionalization of Esports Leagues
As esports continues to mature, the structure of its leagues and competitions will become more professionalized. By 2025, we can expect a more established framework for esports leagues, akin to the way traditional sports leagues such as the NFL or NBA are organized. This shift will include increased focus on player welfare, standardized rules, and higher production value for events.
We could very possibly see esports organizations implementing stricter player contracts, better health and wellness programs, and improved support systems for players transitioning into new stages of their careers. Additionally, esports leagues will likely aim for better governance to ensure fairness and transparency in player management, league operations, and tournament outcomes.
Large corporations such as Valve Corporation and Riot Games have already been funding entire leagues on their own, but we could expect to see these leagues become more self-sufficient, as well as potentially new grassroots esports leagues popping up.
6. Expansion into New Games and Genres
While League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2 dominate the esports scene today, new games and genres will continue to emerge and challenge the status quo. We are poised to see new competitive games in genres never before heard of appear in the future.
The current mainstream of 5v5 first-person shooters and top-down MOBAs is definitely popular for now, but the future is, as always, unpredictable. As the esports audience diversifies and seeks new experiences, the demand for new games that offer different styles of gameplay will grow. One game that’s earned a lot of recent attention is Valve’s Deadlock, a fresh take that attempts to wrap a MOBA and a third-person shooter into one game. It borrows all kinds of mechanics from both genres and is currently available for beta testing.
Additionally, one historical genre of gaming that’s been somewhat neglected in the mainstream esports scene is fighting. Popular fighting franchises such as Tekken and Street Fighter are ultra-competitive 1 on 1 experiences that would fit into the modern esports scene incredibly well. They would also fit incredibly well into a traditional tournament bracket, which most modern esports leagues use in their events. It could be a matter of time until we see these games truly explode into the mainstream esports scene.
7. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning on Esports
AI and machine learning are increasingly being integrated into esports, both in-game and behind the scenes. In-game AI can be used to enhance the gameplay experience, provide better matchmaking, and even develop more intelligent NPCs (non-playable characters) for single-player games. Additionally, AI and machine learning are already being used in order to develop more sophisticated anti-cheat software. More advanced and sophisticated anti-cheat will ensure that anyone from regular run-of-the-mill players to battle-hardened esports competitors is all on a completely level playing field.
Behind the scenes, AI can help analyze player performance, predict outcomes, and optimize tournament structures. As these technologies advance, their role in esports will grow, providing more personalized and efficient experiences for players and fans alike.
8. Gender equality in Esports
The future of esports holds immense promise in terms of gender equality, offering the opportunity for both men and women to compete together at the highest levels. Unlike traditional physical sports, where physical strength can be a determining factor, esports provides a level playing field where skill, strategy, and teamwork take precedence. This opens up a world of untapped potential, where an equal participation of men and women could elevate the entire industry, driving innovation and diversity.
By 2025, as barriers to entry continue to diminish, the growing recognition of female players, content creators, and professionals will help shape a more inclusive esports scene. Once we overcome societal hurdles and biases, the industry will see a more unified, competitive, and dynamic environment.
9. Esports as a Career Path
In 2025, esports looks sure to continue to be a legitimate career path for players, coaches, analysts, and content creators. As the industry matures, more individuals will pursue esports as a viable career option.
In addition to competitive gaming, roles such as event organizers, team managers, game developers, and data analysts will become more prominent within the esports ecosystem. The increasing number of job opportunities within esports will help professionalize the industry and ensure its growth in the future.
Educational institutions will most likely offer more dedicated programs and degrees in esports management, broadcasting, and game design, offering professional pathways for future talents. Some high schools and universities have even been starting up their own amateur esports clubs and leagues, as a way for students to socialize and find common interests with each other.
Conclusion
As we head into 2025, esports will continue to evolve, with major transformations driven by mobile gaming, VR/AR integration, and the growing influence of content creators and streaming platforms. The professionalization of leagues and the expansion into new genres will ensure esports remains dynamic, offering exciting opportunities for players, fans, and industry professionals alike.
The post Esports Highlights: Trends to Watch in 2025 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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