eSports

Esports Betting – Overview Of The Esports Gambling Vertical

Published

6 years ago

May 11, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Gambling on – and around – esports is a much bigger market than many assume.

The market can basically be divided by product and then by currency. Let’s start by talking a bit about the currencies that underpin gambling on esports.

Esports gambling: Popular currencies

For esports gamblers, the currency choice comes down to a decision between cash and skins (virtual items from video games).

Cash requires little explanation. The market for cash gambling on esports works identically to the cash-based market for traditional online wagering, such as sports betting or online casino games, visit Esportsbetting.gg for more information

Skin betting on esports

Skins require a bit more explanation. Skins are virtual items that can be used in games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The term “skin” is derived from the typical function of these virtual items: changing the appearance of a player’s in-game avatar, weapons, or equipment.

While a number of games employ some sort of skin system, CS:GO skins are the dominant currency in the skin betting market, accounting for over 80 percent of total wagering activity.

For example: Below is an image of the “stock” knife used as a weapon in CS:GO. Players can opt to replace that stock knife with unique skins of the knife that change the appearance of the knife, as shown in the images to the right of the stock knife.

Note that the skins do not improve the functionality or power of the knife. The skin only changes the appearance of the knife. Skins play a purely cosmetic role.

CS:GO skins can be easily transferred between players (the same is not true for all games). That condition allows skins to act as a quasi-currency – something like a casino chip. Given that ability to move skins between players, layering a gambling site on top of that ability is a relatively easy task.

Here’s how it works:

Players “deposit” a skin at a skin betting site (popular types of sites include sportsbooks, lotteries, roulette, and coin flips) by transferring the skin to the skin betting site.
They gamble using their deposited skins (or in some sort of internal currency that the player receives in exchange for their skin).
If they win, they’re paid in additional skins, which they “cash out” by requesting that the skin betting site transfer skins back to the player.

Once players have skins in their Steam account, they can:

Leave the skins dormant in their inventory.
Use the skins to change the appearance of their weapons.
Trade skins with other players.
Sell skins on the Steam marketplace for Steam credit (not cash) that can be used to buy other skins and games via Steam.
Exchange skins for cash on third-party sites outside of Steam.

Right now, skin gambling is far more popular than cash betting, but a crackdown on skin gambling activity by CS:GO publisher Valve could fundamentally undermine the ability of skin gambling sites to operate.

Esports gambling: Popular games

A few basic types of gambling dominate the esports gambling market.

Sports betting

Sports betting represents the most popular product among esports fans. Betting on esports is more or less identical to betting on traditional sports, with the caveat that the esports betting product is far less developed than the traditional sports betting product.

Fantasy esports

While markedly smaller than sports betting on esports matches, there is nonetheless a demand for fantasy esports.

Most of the sites serving this space deal in cash betting. The major players are just who you’d expect when thinking about daily fantasy sports, visit Esportsbetting.gg to know more

The basics of daily fantasy eSports

Fantasy eSports sites offer some variant of the “salary cap” model, in which users select a roster of players for their fantasy team under the restrictions of a salary cap set by the site. After picking a team, the eSports competitors score fantasy points for users based on their performances in competition. The users that end a contest with the most fantasy points win cash prizes.

Casino-style games

A handful of casino-style games (including roulette, blackjack, and raffles) make up the majority of the remaining interest in gambling among esports fans.

Asia

UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Niji Narayan

unipin-accelerates-esports-growth-through-nationwide-campus-esports-championship-in-india,-expansion-to-50+-universities-in-2026

Reading Time: 2 minutes

UniPin, the leading digital entertainment and esports enabler across Asia, had launched the UniPin Campus Championship India, a large-scale interuniversity esports tournament designed to unite and empower student gamers through competition, collaboration and community building.

Running from October to December 2025, the championship will bring offline esports tournaments to eight major cities: Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Winners from each campus qualifier will advance to the Grand Finale in January 2026, where they will compete for national recognition and esports glory.

The championship officially kicked off in Pune (MIT Pune, Oct 30) and Mumbai (NMIMS Mumbai, Oct 31). Both campuses recorded overwhelming enthusiasm from students eager to represent their universities, demonstrating the growing momentum of esports within India’s student communities. Packed audiences, spirited support and competitive gameplay marked a strong opening for the multi-city series.

“The UniPin Campus Championship India underscores UniPin’s ongoing commitment to cultivating the next generation of esports talent while strengthening a culture of collaboration, discipline, and sportsmanship among young players. As India’s gaming ecosystem continues to grow, we are proud to provide a platform that empowers students to showcase their skills, connect with the community, and pursue their passion at a competitive level,” said Paras Gupta, Manager of Esports, Community & KOL at UniPin India.

Expansion Vision: 2026 and Beyond

Building on the momentum of this inaugural championship, UniPin India is preparing an even larger nationwide initiative for 2026, with plans to reach more than 50 universities across India. The expansion aims to elevate intercampus esports into a mainstream student activity by integrating workshops on esports careers, community networking and developer engagement — not only fostering competition, but also building pathways into the gaming and digital entertainment industry.

This upcoming expansion signals UniPin’s long-term investment in India’s esports ecosystem and strengthens its commitment to making esports accessible, structured and sustainable at the grassroots level.

“This expansion is not just about growing the tournament footprint. By 2026, we aim to reach every major campus so they can have a thriving esports community supported by the right infrastructure, education, and exposure,” Paras added.

Through the UniPin Campus Championship, UniPin reinforces its mission to accelerate the growth of esports and digital entertainment in Asia by creating inclusive opportunities for young players to connect, compete and thrive.

The post UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Globant and Riot Games Announce Partnership

Published

2 days ago

November 11, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

globant-and-riot-games-announce-partnership

Globant and Riot Games announced a multi-year strategic partnership to support some of Riot’s most critical innovation initiatives and fan communities across League of Legends and VALORANT Esports. This collaboration brings together Riot’s world-class esports experiences with Globant’s global expertise in digital reinvention.

As its new digital transformation partner, Globant will support some of Riot Games’ most critical tech initiatives, including future explorations in artificial intelligence that augment esports viewing experiences and mobile integration capabilities. During the multi-year partnership, the two companies will push the boundaries of technology to unlock teams to deliver richer, more tailored experiences for millions of players and fans globally.

“Globant shares our commitment to deliver the most resonate and engaging experiences for players and fans around the world. Their deep expertise in technology will help us accelerate areas of the business so Rioters can focus on pushing creative boundaries of what’s possible in esports and live events,” said David Mulhall, Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development at Riot Games.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Riot Games to expand the future of gaming and esports. This partnership reflects our shared belief that technology and creativity can reshape how communities connect, play, and experience entertainment,” said Martin Migoya, Co-founder and CEO of Globant.

Globant brings extensive experience across media, entertainment, and gaming that reinforces its role as a transformative technology partner. Through its Media & Entertainment and Games Studios, the company supports global organizations in areas such as content creation and management, streaming platforms, game development, art services, quality assurance, product management, and ongoing live operations. Globant is also a trusted partner to leading sports and entertainment brands, including FIFA and Formula 1. By combining deep industry expertise with advanced technologies like AI, Globant has established itself as a key enabler of innovation and fan engagement for some of the world’s most influential organizations in sports, media, and gaming.

The post Globant and Riot Games Announce Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Association of National Olympic Committees

Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games

Published

2 days ago

November 11, 2025

Niji Narayan

spectatr.ai-partners-with-anoc,-issa-to-power-real-time-highlights-for-islamic-solidarity-games

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Spectatr.ai, a Sequoia-backed innovator in AI-powered sports technology, is partnering with the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) to deliver real-time highlight clips during the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This collaboration aligns with the wider digital content partnership between ANOC and ISSA and will transform how the Games are experienced globally — bringing high-quality, real-time match, moment and daily highlights from more than 20 sports over 15 days to fans worldwide. This announcement follows news of the strategic partnership between Spectatr.ai and Triple B Media to empower sports organisations around the globe to improve the sports fan experience through the power of artificial intelligence.

Earlier this year, ANOC and ISSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the global visibility of the Islamic Solidarity Games, which will bring together more than 3500 athletes from 57 National Olympic Committees. Under the MoU, ANOC will broadcast the Games live via ANOC.tv, produce digital content through the ANOC.tv studio, and distribute highlights worldwide through the ANOC Digital Content Hub. Spectatr.ai’s technology will serve as the AI backbone of this initiative, ensuring every defining moment from decisive goals to emotional victories is captured and shared within seconds.

“Our collaboration with ANOC brings AI-powered storytelling to one of the world’s most unifying sporting events. We are honored to support Riyadh 2025 by showcasing every story, emotion and achievement as it happens — reaching fans everywhere in real time,” said Richa Singh, Co-Founder of Spectatr.ai.

Spectatr.ai will deploy its proprietary PULSE engine, an on-cloud, low-latency highlights system that identifies key moments such as goals, finishes, podiums and record-breaking performances. These clips will be enriched with metadata and instantly distributed to ANOC, ISSA and global partners. The system will generate both broadcast-ready and social-media-optimized formats, including vertical 9:16 videos for platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

“This collaboration reflects ANOC’s ongoing commitment to innovation and the digital amplification of sport. By integrating real-time AI technology into the Islamic Solidarity Games, we are ensuring that every inspiring performance and emotional moment reaches fans around the world instantly,” said Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of ANOC.

Through this partnership, each of the 57 participating NOCs will receive customised daily highlight packages, enabling equitable visibility for athletes and federations of all sizes. The system’s automated tagging and search functionality will make all footage easily discoverable, reusable and ready for archival and storytelling use.

The Games will feature traditional and emerging disciplines, including camel racing, duathlon and esports. The collaboration between Spectatr.ai, ANOC and ISSA aims to serve as a model for future multi-sport events — demonstrating how AI can drive real-time global engagement, operational efficiency and commercial value.

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