The closure of casinos across the globe has become the norm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sportsbooks are no less affected than casinos, with most major sporting leagues either postponing or outright canceling their seasons.

Online bookies in the search for a way to keep their customers have begun exploring the relatively unexplored option of Esports, a rapidly growing sector with untapped potential.

Demystifying Esports

Esports is a term used to describe competitive video gaming where an audience is allowed to view different players competing across various game titles, often on online platforms. Esports events can take place between individuals, but team vs. team events have proven to be vastly more popular with fans.

Estimates of the size of the Esports fan-base are staggering. Research conducted in 2017 concluded that Esports drew 258 million unique viewers. These figures far surpass the highly popular NFL which achieved 204 million unique viewers for their 2016 regular-season games.

Online streaming services such as Twitch provide the majority of fans with competitive gaming content; however, several Esports arenas have cropped up over recent years, providing a live experience where fans can cheer on their favorite teams and players. Professional E-gamers can have large followings, with many achieving millionaire statuses through competition prizes, merchandise, sponsorships, and monetization from their online channels.

There are many international professional leagues, and a blend of investors and fans has skyrocketed the potential to earn serious money from gaming. Many tournaments have multimillion-dollar prize pools, and the overall industry is poised to turn $2 billion annually by 2021.

Esports betting

COVID-19 has changed the lifestyles of many people, with a significant percentage of the global population spending a lot more time indoors thanks to governmental safety measures.  With most sports tournaments on hold, Esports has become a refuge for sports fans looking for their competitive fix, with sports wagering enthusiasts and real-money casino players making up a significant part of that number.

Betting on Esports works more or less the same as placing a regular team sports wager. One would most commonly to bet on who the winning team will be. There is a wide range of betting options available and punters new to this sector would do well to shop around.

Cash or Skins

Aside from the standard cash betting option where you win money, based on your wager, players have taken to a practice known as “skin betting” where players bet an item from their stock of custom in-game gear. A win means a new piece of gear that they can use, sell, or trade.

Top Esports games

The most popular Esports games are multiplayer masterpieces and a few have risen to the top, drawing millions of players and fans. Here are some examples of the most iconic titles in Esports history.

• Overwatch – This is a first-person shooter where two teams of six compete against each other in various game modes. This can entail escorting a payload across a map or defending strategic locations. Players can select from a roster of over 30 characters.
• Fortnite –  Fortnite Battle Royale is the most popular iteration of this shooter title. Up to 100 players fight it out to be the last player standing. Players can fight alone, or form teams of up to four participants.
• League of Legends – In this online battle arena game, teams of champions compete against each other. The player characters available come from a wide range of fantasy sub-genres and dozens are available for selection, all with individual abilities and powers. League of Legends is currently the most-watched Esports game on the planet.
• Dota 2 – This multiplayer arena title is a five-on-five team battle game. Each team features powerful fantasy characters. The aim of the game is to take down other players and eliminate your opponent’s base. This is currently the most profitable game in all of esports.
• Starcraft II – This wildly successful title is a real-time strategy game where you build bases, train troops, and construct defenses and vehicles. The game features humans and two alien races as class selections and features 3 expansion titles, telling the story of each race fight for dominance.
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – This realism-based first-person shooter allows you to choose a team of terrorists or counter-terrorists as you fight across various game modes. This 2012 release is still grabbing attention with around 11 million players per month.

Other betting options

Aside from the more fantastical side of gaming genres, if you’re eager to wager on something a bit more traditional if you’re looking for something to wager on, some bookmakers are allowing bets on the sports simulators, NBA2K20 and Madden NFL 20.  ESPN is currently airing an NBA2K20 tournament with real basketball stars swapping out their sneakers for game controllers and competing against each other.​

Problem Gambling Awareness Month was created 18 years ago in America and has since spread to territories like Australia, where the need for interventions to curb problem gambling is particularly urgent.

Tim Costello, the spokesperson of the Alliance for Gambling Reform stated: “Gambling in Australia is the equivalent of guns in America.”

200,000 Australians are estimated to have a high-level problem, with twice that number classified as low-level addicts.  Aussies spend an average of $1,300 annually on gambling, well ahead of the next highest nation which is Singapore ($600 per capita).

The science of addiction

Winning at any form of gambling triggers the release of dopamine in your body, feeding the reward center of your brain. The effect is a natural ‘high’ and to some individuals, it is as intense as the feeling brought about by drugs or alcohol.

Warning signs

Several symptoms may indicate that you are a problem gambler. These include but are not limited to:

• Constant thoughts about gambling.
• Gambling has negatively impacted your relationships and/or employment.
• Borrowing money from others to keep gambling after you’ve used up all of yours.
• Resorting to fraud or theft to fuel your gambling habit.
• Stopping or cutting back on gambling makes you irate and anxious.
• To re-experience the original thrill, you have to constantly increase the size of your bets.
• Gambling is your escape from depression and/or anxiety.
• You are dishonest with friends and family about how much and how often you gamble.
• You don’t quit after a losing session, you keep playing in an attempt to turn the tables on your bad luck.
• You have attempted to stop gambling, but you have always failed at staying away.
• In isolation, some of the above may only indicate that you are in the “at-risk” category. However, if two or more apply to you, then you are likely at the stage where you should seek help.

Gateways to problem gambling

Most people who gamble do so as a recreational activity and can walk away quite easily. There is a small segment of the population that becomes dependent on gambling due to factors such as biological, environmental, and genetic issues. Here are some of the more common causes:

• Depression or anxiety.
• Personality traits such as impulsiveness, competitiveness, or having a short attention span.
• Those with friends or family who are problem gamblers.
• Young or middle-aged individuals. Older players are also susceptible to addiction however; the previous two age groups are more at risk.
• Some medications, particularly “dopamine agonist” can aggravate compulsive behavior.
• Individuals with substance abuse issues.
• Mental health disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

If any of the criteria listed apply to you, it would be best to either limit your gambling or avoid it completely.  If not, you could be at enhanced risk for addiction.

The way out

Quitting cold turkey is an option for a percentage of problem gamblers; however, this is a highly difficult method with variable success.

A combination of therapy and a support group is recommended for most people. There are also some medications that may also dampen your impulsive tendencies, but these aren’t an applicable solution for everyone.

Helping hands

The Gambling Help Online site is a vital starting point for problem gamblers or those attempting to assist them. The website offers confidential access to information, advice, live chat, and email support 24/7.

The National Gambling Helpline is also available 24/7 for Aussie residents. Professional, confidential assistance is available at any time if you dial 1800 858 858.

Click here for more information on how to be a responsible gambler and get the help you need.

The public hearing that was set to examine the licensing issues involving Crown Resorts and Hong Kong-based casino group Melco was supposed to recommence on Wednesday. This has subsequently been postponed due to Coronavirus concerns.

The NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority announced on Monday that the hearings would eventually resume, adding that the commissioner was being guided by announcements and health advice from the Commonwealth and state governments regarding COVID-19.

In a further statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the authority elaborated on their position, stating “As a result of the recent reports and impacts of COVID-19 and in alignment with the changes that have been advised by the Commonwealth and state governments, it is with regret that the public hearings of the inquiry will be deferred to a date to be fixed,”

The regulator’s concerns for the health and welfare of legal members and the community at large were central to this decision.

The inquiry was set up last year to investigate billionaire casino mogul James Packer’s sale of a 20 percent stake in Crown to Melco and media revelations that Crown was knowingly associated with individuals with alleged ties to organized crime and money laundering.

Peter Cohen, the Victorian Gambling Authority’s former executive commissioner was set to appear before the hearing on Wednesday, along with Crown’s chief legal officer Joshua Preston.

The gaming authority is at an advantage after winning a noteworthy legal challenge last week. The NSW government won an appeal to the Supreme Court for access to Melco documents regarding its acquisition of Crown Resorts’ shares.

There has been no word from Melco as to whether they intend to appeal the judgment.