eSports

While traditional sports are taking a break, eSports is taking a leap forward

Published

6 years ago

March 20, 2020

Although most of the sports events worldwide, including the biggest of the year – Euro 2020, were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, UltraPlay have other opportunities to offer, such as betting on eSports.

With the shutdown of all major sports leagues internationally, sportsbooks need markets to keep players interested and betting. Esports, as an already well-established gambling vertical, comes as the working alternative to all sports bettors around the globe. Most of the LAN tournaments were shortly reorganized to be held online, such as LCS, LEC, LCK, Overwatch League, ESL Pro League, Flashpoint and many more.

UltraPlay’s eSports multi-award-winning product ODDS.GG might be the solution by offering:

28 game titles, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch and many more.
370+ tournaments coverage
3000 pre-match events per month
2500+ live events per month
200+ markets

At the moment UltraPlay covers 251 eSports events, 90% of them with live odds.

Peter Ivanov, Head of Trading at UltraPlay has commented: “We experienced a 30% increased turnover only in the first 5 days after the traditional sports shutdown. This is growing on a day-to-day basis as more people get involved. We expect this to get in 100’s% once all eSports leagues restart playing online. Low tier matches are the ones to see turnover go through the roof because of lack of any other events.

Moreover, we record an increased interest in our eSports product ODDS.GG from the leading sportsbooks. They are willing and ready to integrate it as soon as possible.”

From March 20-26, UltraPlay will cover, both pre-match and live, the online charity marathon dedicated to fighting COVID-19, organized by WePlay Esports. Top teams and top talent from the Dota 2 scene are included, namely OG, Team Liquid, Virtus.Pro and more.

Tournaments that still haven’t announced the shift towards online, are expected to follow the example if the situation with COVID-19 health crisis continues in the following months.

With traditional sports matches postponed and teams self-isolated, football stars are joining the competitive games scene by playing FIFA and Fortnite, attracting an enormous audience towards eSports in general.

Let’s face it; 60m people watched the final of the highest-profile eSports tournament. Only the Champions League final, or World Cup final, can compare with that. And sportsbooks can attract the eSports audience to their websites with reliable and extensive odds coverage.

Related Topics:eSports Head of Trading at UltraPlay Peter Ivanov UltraPlay WePlay! Esports WeSave! Charity Play

Up Next

A Message from BMM’s CEO Martin Storm Regarding COVID-19

Don't Miss

Spinola Gaming offers immediate support to land-based and online operators amid COVID-19 pandemic

Belgium

Epic Games and BLAST bring 2026 Fortnite Global Championship to Antwerp

Published

13 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

epic-games-and-blast-bring-2026-fortnite-global-championship-to-antwerp

Epic Games and BLAST will host the 2026 Fortnite Global Championship in Antwerp, Belgium, on September 26-27, marking the FNCS season finale at Lotto Arena.

Epic and BLAST said the event brings the Fortnite competitive circuit and BLAST to Antwerp for the first time. The announcement was made at the Fortnite Major 1 Summit in Düsseldorf, Germany.

A $2,000,000 USD prize pool will be at stake, alongside the FNCS Global Championship trophy crafted by silverware artisan Thomas Lyte.

Epic and BLAST positioned Antwerp—located in the Benelux region—as a travel-friendly destination for fans coming from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Ticket information is available via the venue listing.

The post Epic Games and BLAST bring 2026 Fortnite Global Championship to Antwerp appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2’s-otis-lawrence-wins-2026-f1-sim-racing-world-championship

Welsh driver beats Ismael Fahssi by two points after a 12-round season running March 27 to May 28 with a $750,000 prize pool.

G2-backed Alpine Sim Racing driver Otis Lawrence has been crowned 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Champion after the season concluded on May 28.

The 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship ran from March 27 to May 28 and featured a $750,000 prize pool. Drivers representing Formula 1 teams competed across four events, starting with a live opener at DreamHack Birmingham.

The title was decided at the final event. Lawrence secured multiple race victories across 12 rounds and finished top of the standings.

Lawrence won the championship by two points ahead of Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports driver Ismael Fahssi. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer of Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing placed third overall.

The post G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esports Foundation books Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for Esports World Cup 2026

Published

6 days ago

May 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-books-paris-expo-porte-de-versailles-for-esports-world-cup-2026

The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled to run in Paris, France, from July 06 through August 23.

EF said tickets for all 25 competitions will go on sale from Friday, May 29, 2026, via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. The organiser said the venue will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, and fan activations across the seven-week programme.

According to EF, more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries will compete for a $75 million prize pool as part of the event’s cross-game Club Championship. The tournament lineup spans major competitive genres, including first-person shooters, strategy, sports, MOBAs, battle royales, fighting games, racing games, and Chess.

EF also outlined ticketing tiers, including Regular Tournament Passes, Premium Tournament Passes (with fast-track entry and a limited-edition goodie bag), Daily Regular Tournament Passes, and tiered Final Day seating zones (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) for select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2.

The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs (Apex Legends) (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), with Counter-Strike 2 closing out Week 7 from August 19–23 alongside Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship, Trackmania, and CROSSFIRE.

The post Esports Foundation books Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for Esports World Cup 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.