eSports
Top 10 countries with the highest earning prizewinning esports players (Data)

Paxful has analyzed the highest-earning prizewinning esports players from around the world to see which countries have the most esports players per million and where the world’s top gamers are earning more than their country’s average monthly salary.
- China has the highest earning prizewinning esports players in the world compared to salary with gamers earning 1237% of the average wage in the country.
- UK gamers earn on average 225% of the average UK salary.
- Belarus has the most prizewinning esports players per million with 1011.4 esports players per million people in the country.
- The UK has 51.2 prizewinning esports players per million.
- Switzerland is the cheapest country to be a gamer when comparing popular console prices with the average national salary.
The 10 countries with the highest-earning prizewinning esports players
- Prizewinning esports players in China take the lead with the highest earnings compared to the country’s average salary (1237%).
- UK ranks 27 with gamers there earning 225% of the average UK salary.
Rank | Country | % of average salary |
1 | China | 1237% |
2 | Philippines | 1145% |
3 | Brazil | 1014% |
4 | Jordan | 879% |
5 | Argentina | 557% |
6 | Bulgaria | 534% |
7 | Pakistan | 528% |
8 | United States | 515% |
9 | Lebanon | 501% |
10 | Ukraine | 493% |
27 | United Kingdom | 225% |
The 10 countries with most prizewinning esports players per million
- We analyzed the number of prizewinning esports players per million against the population of 109 different countries.
- There are more prizewinning esports players in Belarus than anywhere else in the world.
- The UK comes in at number 24 with 51.2 prizewinning esports players per million.
Rank | Country | gamers per million |
1 | Belarus | 1011.4 |
2 | Malta | 565.8 |
3 | Iceland | 315.8 |
4 | Finland | 279.7 |
5 | Denmark | 274.7 |
6 | Sweden | 258.2 |
7 | Norway | 173.4 |
8 | Estonia | 156.6 |
9 | Latvia | 111.6 |
10 | Singapore | 110.7 |
24 | United Kingdom | 51.2 |
The 10 cheapest countries in the world to be a gamer
- To calculate how affordable a console is, we measured the retail price of each console against the average monthly salary in each country in this study.
- Switzerland takes the top spot in our affordability ranking.
- The UK comes in at number 20 when comparing the console prices to the national average salary.
Percentage of salary | |||||
Rank | Country | Nintendo Switch | iPhone SE | PC | Index |
1 | Switzerland | 6.5% | 7.6% | 16.3% | 3 |
2 | United States | 8.4% | 11.2% | 28.1% | 6 |
3 | Singapore | 9.0% | 13.3% | 30.7% | 9 |
4 | Australia | 10.0% | 14.4% | 33.7% | 13 |
5 | Japan | 10.7% | 16.2% | 34.7% | 18 |
6 | Denmark | 11.2% | 16.6% | 30.9% | 18 |
7 | Hong Kong | 10.2% | 15.0% | 44.7% | 25 |
8 | Canada | 12.4% | 18.6% | 35.8% | 26 |
9 | UAE | 12.7% | 17.7% | 40.8% | 31 |
10 | Germany | 13.9% | 20.4% | 37.0% | 35 |
20 | United Kingdom | 15.0% | 21.4% | 48.2% | 55 |
Methodology:
- The sample of esports players in our analysis consists of every prizewinning player from countries with $20,000 or more in historic tournament wins.
- Esports earnings are sourced from the top-earning players per country for 2019, with a maximum sample per country of 100 players’ earnings
- The retail prices of the products were gathered from various sources, including official brand websites and regional online stores.
- The cost of the gaming PC in our analysis is based on the cost of a Dell G5 Gaming Desktop with a GTX 1660 graphics card.
- Prices may reflect the retail price for a console that is shipped from an international retailer.
- Average monthly salary data was sourced from Numbeo.
- Index score – Countries ranked as a cumulative price ranking per gaming hardware; a lower score = more affordable country.
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eSports
PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces

Pioneering esports odds, data and betting products provider now available to operators powered by leading platform supplier with the integration facilitated by Sporting Solutions
PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports odds, data and betting products, has integrated its suite of solutions with Playbook Engineering, the global sportsbook platform provider.
The partnership has been facilitated by Sporting Solutions, which has strategic partnerships with both PandaScore and Playbook Engineering.
Playbook Engineering has established itself as a leading sportsbook platform provider, supporting brands such as Star Sports, AK Bets, Priced Up, Bet Wright, Gentleman Jim, and Dragon Bet.
Following the integration, online sportsbooks powered by Playbook Engineering can access PandaScore’s Odds feed allowing them to offer comprehensive and competitive esports odds for some of the most popular disciplines.
The scope of markets and the value of odds are unrivalled with PandaScore using sophisticated models backed by a team of experienced traders including specialist traders for disciplines like CS2, Dota 2 and LoL.
A growing number of platform providers and operators are making a move into the lucrative esports betting space, with PandaScore recently surpassing €1bn of bets through its platform off the back of a sharp rise in demand among players and operators.
Joseph Noone, Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore, said: “Playbook Engineering powers some renowned sportsbooks as well as up and coming brands that are really making an impact.
“It’s great that these sportsbooks can access our esports odds, data and betting products, allowing them to engage new and existing player cohorts with a compelling esports offering that stands out when it comes to the range and value of odds.
“The integration wouldn’t have been possible without our shared partner Sporting Solutions, and stands as an example of what can be achieved when providers work together.”
Luke Cousins, Commercial Director at Playbook Engineering, added: “Sportsbook operators simply can’t ignore the demand for esports betting and in PandaScore, we have a premium odds, data and betting product provider that lives and breathes esports.
“This partnership, done through our mutual friends, Sporting Solutions, further positions Playbook Engineering as a tier-one platform provider to some of the most exciting sportsbook brands around the world. This makes it a win for us, our partners and their players.”
The post PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027

Phygital International (PI), the exclusive rights holders and custodians of The Games of the Future (GOTF), announced that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan are the shortlisted applicants to host GOTF 2027. The Games of the Future is the world’s leading phygital sports tournament, bringing together sports and esports athletes from around the world.
With the UAE set to host GOTF 2025 and Kazakhstan in 2026, the competition for the 2027 edition has drawn significant interest from nations eager to position themselves as leaders in the world of phygital sports.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “We received bids from right around the world which highlights the growing awareness and passion for phygital sports globally. We would like to thank all the nations who bid to host The Games of the Future 2027 and are pleased to announce that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan have been selected as the nations shortlisted as potential hosts.”
Following further evaluations and detailed assessments of each finalist’s proposal, the final decision on the host country for GOTF 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2025.
The post Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League

The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Hero Esports, has officially announced the addition of VALORANT to its inaugural lineup.
Previously, ACL unveiled six game titles: Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), Honor of Kings, Teamfight Tactics, Delta Force, and Crossfire. With VALORANT joining the roster, the total number of games now stands at seven, with more titles expected to be announced soon.
Through continued collaboration with the Esports World Cup, ACL has revealed that the champions of the ACL CS2 and Honor of Kings Tournaments will secure direct entry to the Esports World Cup. Further collaborations on the remaining titles of the ACL are anticipated.
The ACL VALORANT Tournament will be the only international-level VALORANT tournament held in China during the first half of 2025, attracting top teams from overseas. The Final of the event will take place offline in Shanghai. The event will use world-class production and cutting-edge live broadcasting technology to enhance audience experience.
The ACL is set to take place in the first half of 2025, with the Finals of the ACL CS2 Tournament and Honor of Kings Tournament scheduled for May. The ACL will have a total prize pool of $2 million.
Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of VALORANT to the ACL. Our ambition is to make ACL into a truly comprehensive tournament, providing a larger stage for players and teams across various competitions while delivering more exciting content for our audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, said: “We are pleased by the progress of the ACL and its ability to attract top teams and titles to compete across Asia. We look forward to the continued collaboration between Hero Esports, ACL and the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is testament to our shared ambition to shape and empower esports globally.”
The post Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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