Esports Gambling

Abstract

This chapter introduces the key issues and debates concerning esports gambling, which is becoming an increasingly substantial part of the esports industry. Various aspects of esports gambling are explored, including those that occur within games themselves and those supported by third-party platforms. Elements of esports gambling are situated within the wider ongoing convergence between digital gaming and gambling, as well as the growing interest of gambling companies in sponsoring and promoting esports events. The analysis is divided into three sections: forms, implications, and new developments in esports gambling. Concerns regarding loot boxes, skin and match betting, problem gambling, match-fixing, and the impact of new developments such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), fantasy esports, and live streaming are addressed. Through this overview, it is demonstrated that esports gambling is a key and growing aspect of the esports domain as more money, corporate actors, and sport-like practices increasingly pervade competitive gaming. Key highlights include: (1) an overview of the main forms of esports gambling; (2) a review of the major implications of esports gambling; and (3) an introduction to emerging technological developments in esports gambling.