SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Marek Suchar, Co-founder and Managing Director of Oddin.gg, outlines why Esports betting can be the next frontier for engaging with younger generations of bettors.
Timing is everything. And in the case of esports, the clock isn’t just ticking—it’s already in extra time. Esports has evolved from niche to mainstream, and for Millennial and Gen Z bettors, it’s not just another market—it’s the one that makes sense. For operators still focused on traditional formats, the gap between expectation and experience is only getting wider.
At Oddin.gg, we’ve been watching this shift unfold since 2018—not just in market trends, but through real-time data from our global partners. In a recent year-over-year sample, betting volume grew by 70% across the same pool of 161,706 users. That kind of lift reflects deeper engagement—not new users, but existing ones placing more bets, more often, thanks to esports.
Sportsbooks that actively embrace esports are seeing more than just traffic spikes. They’re laying the foundation for long-term bettor engagement with Millennials, and beyond. That’s where the real opportunity lies.
Understanding Today’s Bettors
Millennials and Gen Z aren’t just dabbling in esports—it’s already baked into their everyday entertainment habits. This generation lives across Twitch streams, Reddit threads, YouTube channels, and Discord servers—often all at the same time. Traditional sports betting models, tied to fixed schedules and slower pacing, rarely sync with the way this audience consumes content.
Instead, they look for speed, interaction, and personalisation. In particular, Gen Z’s digital habits reflect this—studies consistently show they prioritise gaming and interactive entertainment over traditional TV. They aren’t passive viewers—they’re hands-on, always-on participants.
The same ingredients they get from competitive gaming are now shaping what they expect from a sportsbook. That’s why the old formats—waiting for kickoff, limited markets, and clumsy user experiences (UXs)—don’t resonate. If the experience doesn’t reflect how they already engage with content, they move on.
Operators often underestimate just how different this audience is. It’s not just about being younger—it’s about expecting a betting experience that mirrors the speed and interactivity they already get from online gaming and streaming.
Why Esports Hits the Mark
Unlike traditional sports, esports starts with access. Anyone can play League of Legends (LoL), Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), or Dota 2, and at any time of the day. That shared culture makes esports feel personal—familiar. For younger bettors, it’s not a stretch to go from playing to watching to placing a bet.
These titles are also always live, with tournaments and events running globally and constantly. That real-time rhythm fits perfectly with the way Gen Z and millennials consume entertainment.
The betting experience that works for them isn’t something bolted on top—it’s something that grows from the same culture they’re already part of. And for generations raised on on-demand entertainment, esports doesn’t just fit—it feels native.
The Growth Isn’t Hype. It’s Happening.
According to The Business Research Company, the global esports betting market is projected to grow from USD 11.22 billion in 2024 to USD 12.66 billion in 2025—a nearly 13% year-over-year increase.
Meanwhile, fan engagement reflects this. The 2024 League of Legends World Championship Grand Final drew 6.94 million peak viewers, and the Valorant Champions Final topped that with 9.1 million. But these aren’t outliers or one-off flukes—they’re signals.
Oddin.gg’s internal data tells the betting side of the same story. In our Esports Betting 2024 Review, we reported a 106% year-over-year growth in betting volume across CS2, LoL, Dota 2, and VALORANT, with an 83% increase in bet count. And the average stakes weren’t small: €70 for LPL Spring in LoL, €46 for CS2’s PGL Major Copenhagen.
We’re well past the tipping point. These numbers show esports is not just gaining traction—it’s scaling fast.
Esports: Built for Digital-Native Bettors
At Oddin.gg, we’ve developed an end-to-end esports betting ecosystem that matches how the new generation of bettors engage. Our 24/7 Fast Betting Content offering aligns with esports’ round-the-clock pace. BetBuilder—an industry-first for esports and eSims like eFootball—lets bettors shape bets around their own logic and insights with virtually unlimited betting options.
And it works. Across our operator network, partners saw a 70% YoY increase in esports betting volume. With 91% margin efficiency in 2023 and a +10% GGR uplift seen by operators using Oddin.gg’s odds feed and trading solutions, the numbers speak just as clearly as the market trends.
This isn’t about throwing esports on a bookmaker’s site and hoping for the best. It’s about Gen Z and millennials where they already are—with products that actually speak their language.
Lead Now—or Play Catch-Up Later
Esports isn’t a category to “keep an eye on.” The adoption curve is already flattening. And the sportsbooks that succeed in the next five years won’t be the ones reacting to it—they’ll be the ones who led early.
If your offering still looks like it did five years ago, it won’t matter how much traffic you get. Bettors will keep moving toward the products that feel built for them.
And right now? That means esports.
