Could Real-Time Social Communities Be the Future of eSports Betting?
Passionate PC gamers and lovers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are being urged to get involved in a new betting platform designed to create an online community based around eSports betting. If you think you know a thing or two about the best eSports teams and individuals in eSports titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or League of Legends, there are several emerging platforms that allow punters to place wagers on the outcome of eSports tournaments and one-off events.
Thunderpick is the latest eSports betting community to bring its offering to the table and is said to have a user base of 275,000 eSports fanatics that are already discussing eSports betting angles with like-minded people. There are only a handful of licensed betting platforms that focus specifically on eSports; but the growing audiences of eSports events will almost certainly see more platforms like Thunderpick designed to meet the needs of eSports enthusiasts that traditional online sportsbooks can’t provide.
The Thunderpick platform focuses on real-time social interaction between users. Given the success of platforms such as Twitch for live streaming desktop gaming content, it’s clear there are people out there wanting to discuss the latest eSports action and teach others how to improve their skills.
In terms of the gamification of eSports betting, Thunderpick allows eSports fanatics to place bets on ‘in-play’ eSports events, allowing them to be adaptable to what they see with their own eyes. Users will be able to interact in real-time with players, discuss how live events are unfolding and learn new ways of playing their favourite MMORPGs from the professionals.
If eSports fans prefer to keep better track of live tournament action on the move, they will soon be able to watch in-play action unfold on the new Thunderpick mobile app. It also looks like being the first of many to tap into the growing US eSports industry, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors for eSports on the planet. An improved legislative environment for online betting across various US states means that legalised eSports online betting could not be too far away.
The global eSports industry is forecast to be worth more than $1 billion by the turn of the next decade, according to Newzoo. Global brands are increasingly taking advantage of the burgeoning industry with advertising and sponsorship deals cropping up all over the place and this is only serving to ramp up the professionalism of the eSports gaming scene.
