ESPORTS SPECIAL
“We currently have about eight traders who handle our eSports
markets including ex-pro gamers like Jonathan ‘DarKFoRcE’
Belke, illustrating the kind of knowledge needed.”
Adam Gaskell, Pinnacle Sports
bookmakers have come and gone since we
started offering it in 2010, and inevitably
the more established players are showing
an interest. The odds-setting represents a
real challenge, and the audience tends to
be unique from a betting perspective. We
feel we have overcome those obstacles to
position ourselves as the market-maker for
eSports betting.
In response to this competition, we are
increasing the number of different eSports
we offer - Counter Strike being the most
recent addition in July 2014 – as well as a
developing a regular schedule of live eSports
betting, which as with other sports is hugely
popular, but very challenging from a trading
perspective.
We currently have about eight traders
who handle our eSports markets including
ex-pro gamers like Jonathan ‘DarKFoRcE’
Belke, illustrating the kind of knowledge
needed in this space. eSports bettors may
be a relatively new segment, but they are
very savvy.
We are also actively looking for more
sponsorship opportunities, following on
from the success of the Pinnacle Sports
Dota 2 Pro-Am in 2013.
One operator has reported that it is already
taking more bets on eSports than sports
such as rugby and cricket, but how great is
its potential for growth? Can it realistically
bridge the gap to the most popular sports
such as football, and if so, when you expect
this to happen?
Ali Atam: Whilst certainly a growth sport,
and with fans across the world, the potential
is there for eSports to boom, but how big
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iGB Affiliate Issue 51 JUNE/JULY 2015
and how far is another matter. This is a huge,
young and growing dynamic of customer,
but can it compete against the traditional
sports of football and tennis? My personal
view is that we are a few years away from this
possibility and how eSports conducts itself
will have a huge impact on how it grows.
We are noticing turnover volumes eclipsing
minority sports but it is no Champions
League competitor yet! 2017 and 2018 will be
the time to really look at how big eSports is.
James Hampleton: eSports is a rapidly
growing segment of our business, and its
potential is practically limitless. If you
look at the viewership numbers, it’s the
most rapidly growing segment of sport in
the world!
Adam Gaskell: That quote is actually one
of ours ;-) Measured by volume in 2014,
eSports was more popular than rugby,
golf and cricket with Pinnacle Sports’
customers. eSports isn’t a niche, or novelty;
it is considered a mainstay alongside the
other professional sports we offer, but its
potential arguably overshadows all of them.
The number of global eSports
enthusiasts was put at 89 million in 2014
(Source: Newzoo report The Global Growth
of eSports 2012-2017) and expected to
reach 145 million in 2017. Another 190
million will watch eSports competitions
occasionally, showing that competitive
gaming has evolved to a spectator sport
with a fan base comparable to that of
volleyball, American football or ice hockey.
But in contrast to those, eSports has a
worldwide audience giving it the potential
to join soccer as a truly global sport with a
betting audience to match.
ALI ATAM became the
new Head of Affiliates for
Betclic Group in January
2015. He has a proven track
record in the affiliate industry since
entering the space seven years ago,
fulfilling Head of Affiliate roles for
both networks and operators such as
Mr Green and Gambling Affiliation.
He is well known in the industry
for his hard work in securing and
maintaining long-term business
relationships, with all clients receiving
the same unparalleled treatment.
ADAM GASKELL joined
Pinnacle Sports as
Affiliate Account Manager
in 2015. He previously
working as an affiliate in
social media for more than four
years, gaining extensive experience in
affiliate marketing and social media.
As a former eSports player, Adam is
working on helping Pinnacle Sports
becoming the world’s leading eSports
affiliate destination.
Nitrogen Sports co-founder JAMES
HAMPLETON is passionate about
web development, and gambling.
As a bettor, it was clear to him
that sportsbooks were missing an
opportunity to revolutionize their
industry. With the goal of delivering a
unique, interactive interface for sports
betting, James launched Nitrogen
Sports in 2012.