So, betting has been around for ages and is going on in all sorts of sports. Before the internet we had to go to our nearby bookmaker, wether it being a local shop for the countries/states where it was legal, or a local black-market bookmaker. Today we are fortunate enough to be able to place our betting with just an internet connection. It is still a grey area and there is age restriction whether it being 16, 18 or 21 depends on the country or state you live in.
E-sports has been booming ahead the last decade and is still growing rapidly. With the esports scene still going strong there is no doubt bookmakers are seeing their chance to be a part of the lucrative market for years to come. Therefor e-sports betting is also growing.
There has been a lot of controversy in esports betting due to the amount of underage kids being able to gamble. Esports were, and still is, new and foreign for most people. Therefore, if we rewind just two to three years back, the restricting for gambling in esports were small to none. Young kids were able to gamble with “skins”, which were presumably bought by their parents’ money. Skins is a virtual item, often being a different color weapon with a certain look, that keeps it apart from the default in game This created a separated market for children to trade, gamble and in some cases make even make lots of money.
Counter Strike Global Offensive was the game who took the biggest backlash. A lot of internet entrepreneurs with a foot in the community door, saw their chance to make money by creating gambling platforms for people to gamble their skins on. The skins worked as a currency itself.
With the lack of age control this quickly caught the public’s attention. It didn’t take long for parents to realize there was a problem, and within 6 months VALVE, the creator of the game, as well as a lot of countries implemented restrictions for the market.
Today gambling is still present in esports, but under more responsible conditions in most countries.
There is a good reason for gambling to have the reputation it has. It can be toxic if you do not have the right mindset. For some people it can be as toxic as drugs. Therefor it is extremely important to gamble responsibly and only for fun and games.
With that being sad, it can be a good experience to place a bet on your favorite game. It will make the game more exciting for you to watch, and in good company the experience will only become even better. Just make sure that losing the money will not affect your mood or personal life. Therefor a rule of thumb is to only gamble with the amount that wouldn’t bother you to lose. Obviously, we all love winning!
Good luck and remember to always be responsible!