eSports
Unibet talks to Abios about the Future of Esports Betting
The esports market is the fastest growing sports vertical with the betting market following suit. The betting market for esports is expected to grow with a CAGR of 13.1% between 2020 and 2025 according to MarketWatch, showing a great potential for future opportunities. Unibet has offered markets on esports since 2014 and has used Abios widgets to deliver an enhanced customer experience for punters.
We decided to talk to the Esports Product Manager at Unibet, Filip Kristersson, to get his take on esports betting, how they’ve enhanced their betting offer and their predictions for the future.
What are your thoughts on the future of esports and betting?
Esports will continue to grow and become increasingly important for bookmakers. Within 3 years, it will be a top sport for most sportsbooks and continue to grow. Together with American sports, it will drive new innovations such as betting types, widgets, and ultra-live. The rise of eSoccer as a filler product paints an intriguing picture, are we seeing the beginning of a new paradigm? I foresee interesting times ahead.
What esports games are most popular among your customers?
The big three still rule supreme: CS:GO, LoL, and Dota 2. With the Nordics as some of our core markets, we see a lot of CS:GO activity. Hopefully, The International will be able to go forward as planned in Stockholm this summer, so we can see some proper Dota 2 action as well.
Do you see any growth in interest in other esports games? Are there any new-/upcomers we should keep track of?
While not really being traditional esports, we have seen an increase in eSoccer. The product currently has a filler-role, but can become a proper esports with the right infrastructure and fanbase. Other games of interest are Call of Duty, Valorant, and Rainbow 6, though it’s too early to say anything yet. I’m interested to see the Battle Royale genre getting cracked, as it’s slightly awkward to watch and place bets on now. The growing trend of mobile esports should also be followed, though it will take a while to grow big as an esports in Europe.
Have you seen any changes in the esports betting market related to Covid-19?
The rise of eSoccer was one thing we didn’t see coming, it was an unexpected surprise. In hindsight, it does make sense. Almost everyone has played the game, it’s recognisable, quick, and fun to bet on. The other esports saw an increase, even if the more prestigious LAN-tournaments were canceled. We have also seen an increase in activity from many of our competitors as well as suppliers. I believe the increased esports awareness benefits us as we have a strong esports product.
Thank you for bringing these great insights on the esports market. You have used our products to enhance and develop the customer experience across your platforms.
How do you use our widgets and value stats?
In short, we use the Abios widgets to enhance our customer experience. Whether you are a frequent bettor or it’s your first time, we want it to be easy, smooth, and understandable to bet at Unibet. The pre-match widgets give you an understanding of the teams’ latest performance, without having to leave Unibet.
The value stats have been a great way to help players try types of betting they aren’t used to, as well as showcasing how you can use data to improve your betting. It’s also nifty to use on external sites together with promotions.
What value has Abios products brought you?
The compliance checks made us one of the few bookmakers who could have most of our esports events available on site after the Swedish re-regulation. The mapping of streams makes sure it’s possible to view every esports event on our website. Abios continuous service helps us ensure we have all the content available for all markets, something becoming increasingly important with different regulations.
What value has Abios brought to your customers in terms of user experience?
As can be understood from the above answers, they have been a great addition to our customer experience, prolonging time on site and helping to drive both pre-match and in-play betting. At Unibet, we want our players to feel in control and feel good about their bets. By providing additional information in a well-packaged way, we promote the expert feeling.
North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.
Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.
North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
The post North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster
Today, GIANTX is excited to announce an update to its LEC competitive roster. Antonio”Th3Antonio” Espinosa Bejarano is recognised as one of the most successful LVP Superliga players in the history of GIANTX, and he has now reached a pivotal moment in his career to compete in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).
The LEC is the most important League of Legends competition in Europe and one of the most relevant in the international esports scene. The Barcelona-born ‘toplaner’ will be part of the lineup kicking off the LEC Summer split season in Berlin, which starts in June. As the community quotes; ‘Th3LEC’ is finally a reality.
Commenting on his new role, Th3Antonio said:
“This is the dream I’ve been working towards since I entered esports. I always wanted to compete at the highest level to face the best, and finally, I have this opportunity. I never stopped striving, and thanks to that and the work we’ve done together with all my teammates, we’ve achieved great things in Spain, but the LEC has always been my ultimate goal. Going to the LEC with my lifelong club, GIANTX, is a double dream. Everyone knows what GIANTX means to me”.
Sports Director at GIANTX, David Alonso, added:
“Th3Antonio deserves this opportunity, both in recognition of the level he’s at and all the work he has put in over the past few years. We are convinced of this decision and that he will give everything to succeed in the LEC. He has always been characterised by sacrificing himself for others, and lately, he has taken a step forward by leading in crucial moments, a clear sign of his maturity as a player”.
Having joined at a young age in 2017, Antonio ‘Th3Antonio’ Espinosa has become one of the most decorated players of the LVP Superliga and of GIANTX history. During his time with the team, he has won four Superliga titles, two Iberian Cups, one Copa, and has reached an EMEA Masters final, as well as other national competitions.
The decision to promote Th3Antonio reflects GIANTX’s need to implement changes following the results of the LEC Winter and Spring split seasons. In both splits, the team fell short in the first round of playoffs. The Summer split season is the main shot at Worlds for all teams, and the aim of the club was to make the necessary changes to achieve this goal. After a period of reflection and numerous trials, Th3Antonio has been chosen for the toplaner position.
The post GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
The post L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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