eSports
Odds on: Unlocking the potential of AI for esports betting
Jordan Peltier, Chief Data Officer at PandaScore, says that humans and machines must work together if businesses are to maximise the potential of AI when it comes to esports betting odds.
Artificial intelligence has been one of the most discussed industry topics over the past 12 months and it’s easy to see why. AI can be transformative for operators, suppliers and bettors, and while there are concerns around adversarial AI, when used in the right way, it’s a game-changer.
At PandaScore, AI plays a crucial role in the odds we deliver esports betting operators. This is because it is incredibly effective at handling complex, high-dimensional and unstructured data and finding patterns within it – these patterns are needed to predict the outcome of events.
This, of course, is the foundation needed for determining the odds for each market that we offer. But the power of AI goes beyond this.
It can adapt dynamically to new data which is just not possible with old statistical models like parametric distributions as they struggle to capture the non-linear relationship between variables so require additional manual engineering which takes time and resource.
But does this mean the AI machine is taking over from human trading teams? Absolutely not.
Leveraging the capabilities of AI and combining it with specialist human traders is the optimal approach because you have models that can capture the complexity of esports supported by human traders with a deep understanding of each discipline.
Odds should always be based on true probabilities and while there have been significant breakthroughs in AI – I’m talking about transformer-based models such as Large Language Models – it is still prone to making errors, especially when it comes to forecasting.
Let me explain by way of percentages. AI alone can get you 90% of the way to determining the true probability of an outcome but you need the human specialist trader to get you the final 10% of the way to perfection. And perfection is a must when it comes to odds.
Ultimately, this is what allows operators to offer high-value odds to their customers while ensuring a strong and stable margin from their esportsbook. What’s more, it only takes one small error for sharp, savvy bettors to exploit a mistake and that’s not what operators expect from their data partners.
It must be remembered that AI models are only as good as the data they feed from and still require training. Human traders help in this regard, providing a layer of security for core actions like settlement and odds checking when the model goes off market.
In some instances, the trader will have access to data the model doesn’t see of wasn’t trained on – things like a last-minute change to the player roster.
This is why our human traders are responsible for picking the tournament and market coverage that will most appeal to our operator partners, and our traders are on hand 24/7/365 to support operators in their efforts to offer a top esports betting experience to their players.
The training of AI models is crucial and again sees our trading and data science teams work together during the entire lifecycle of each AI model we build from designing the model to testing and interacting with models in production to ensure they are performing.
This is a virtuous cycle with our data scientists training the most optimal models that prove to be the easiest for our traders to manipulate. Traders also give a ton of deep and detailed feedback which our data scientists can use to improve the models.
The idea here is that the trading team has little input once the model is rolled out and often only make one input per match with the AI model then calculating all of the odds and markets. This ultimate is what powers our BetBuilder and PropBet products.
Having specialist traders for each esports discipline is also important. Each video game is like its own sport and while there are some similarities between some titles, the differences have an impact on the markets and odds offered and that’s exactly why specialist traders are a must.
Take shooter-round based game like CS2 and Valorant and MOBA games like Dota2 and LoL. With the former, there’s a lot of repetition in the gameplay which takes place round after round. This means betting markets are focus on rounds and kills for teams and players.
With MOBA games, there are objectives within the game that have a direct influence on who wins the match – things like kills, towers, nashors, inhibitors and dragons. This is complex – and doesn’t exist in traditional sports betting – and is why pricing teams must master in-game dynamics.
Again, this is something that AI can’t do on its own right now.
AI is a key pillar of our business, and we are incredibly proud of how we have used it in collaboration with our data scientists and traders to create models that deliver top odds for our operator partners and their players.
But working with AI is all about staying ahead of the game and our work is never done. This is why we continue to test, iterate, innovate and do all we can top perfect our models. This would not be possible without our incredible team which stands as a testament as to how machines and humans can work together in harmony.
The post Odds on: Unlocking the potential of AI for esports betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026
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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.
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
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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.
The post Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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