Esports bettors are a unique type of bettor, and as more operators look to add Esports entertainment betting to their online platforms, it’s important to understand their demographics, motivations, and what defines an Esports bettor.
Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, is exploring what shapes the Esports bettor by referencing the article “Defining the esports bettor: evidence from an online panel survey of emerging adults,” written by Heather Wardle, Elena Petrovskaya, and David Zendle. This research helps Altenar shed light on the characteristics and behaviors that define Esports bettors—and explains why adding Esports to your offering could boost player retention and overall revenue.
If you’d like to learn more about Altenar and its Esports solutions, contact the award-winning, tier-one sportsbook software provider today.
Varying Engagement & Diverse Content | Altenar
According to Wardle, Petrovskaya, and Zendle’s paper, “Esports bettors may also vary in terms of their engagement with specific video game practices.” This insight supports the rise of Esports betting, as many gamers naturally engage in gambling-like activities through gameplay—such as purchasing loot boxes, betting, and trading in-game skins.
Loot boxes and skin trading are hot topics in many discussions surrounding Esports bettors and their behaviors. However, “situating esports betting within broader gaming-related consumption is therefore important” in order to understand a somewhat misunderstood group of bettors that is quickly emerging as one of the largest participant segments.
This paper set out to conduct an “exploratory analysis that sought to examine the demographic, socio-economic, gaming, and gambling profiles of esports bettors.” As a result, Altenar found insights that would be valuable to operators considering Esports integration, but who haven’t yet made the move.
- Esports bettors were more likely to be male: 74% vs 49%
- Esports bettors tended to be older: 78% aged 20–24 vs 63% of non-gamers
- Esports bettors were more likely to be from non-white/white British ethnic groups: 26% vs 17%
- Esports bettors often came from more economically disadvantaged areas: 33% vs 20%
- Esports bettors were more frequently students: 59% vs 42%
- Esports bettors showed higher impulsivity scores: 3.1 vs 2.1
- Esports bettors were less likely to be economically inactive: 10% vs 15%
The findings continued …
- 61% of Esports bettors played digital games more than once a week
- Esports bettors were more likely to have purchased loot boxes
- 58% of Esports bettors purchased and traded skins
- Esports bettors are more engaged with gambling overall: 39% gamble more than once a week, and 50% have gambled on five or more different activities over the past year.
These numbers have likely increased since the paper was published in 2020, but the detailed insights into Esports bettors remain invaluable as the product gains popularity.
It appears that for an operator to offer Esports in order to meet the demands of a growing audience and base of emerging bettors would not only boost profitability but also increase player retention.
Defining an Esports bettor has to go beyond just the statistics—this emerging bettor could be the kind of player operators have long envisioned.
If you’d like to learn more about adding Esports to your online sportsbook or casino, contact Altenar today.
