The explosive growth of eSports and the potential for research opportunities

It is estimated that over 300 million people worldwide watch eSports events, both live and online. This viewership shows no sign of slowing down and is expected to grow by 12% each year. The growing popularity of eSports has thus transformed the industry into an excellent revenue-making opportunity. According to market research, the global revenue of eSports was over $1.5 billion in 2017 alone. Consequentially, the opportunity for such a growing industry has attracted a wide range of investment opportunities. For example, applications of eSports within traditional sporting contexts, such as modelling and betting, are leading such applications and are one of the most prolific areas. According to Pinnacle Sports, one of the eSports betting leaders, betting on eSports events have surged from 100 thousand to five million only a five-year period. Given that research in eSports betting and modelling is still in its infancy, it warrants a promising research potential. This paper will outline the relatively untapped eSports betting industry and discuss opportunities for researchers to apply statistical methods and to collaborate within this growing field.