With each passing month, the eSports industry continues to grow in popularity among gamblers all around the world. However, it is still in its early stages of development in Africa.
That’s because, in the eyes of the average African youth, eSports is simply a phenomenon that occurs in the basements of unemployed twenties or younger in age and is solely a form of entertainment with no potential for profit, despite the fact that the industry is real, growing globally, and highly investable, particularly in Asia, America, and Europe. Africa has always been a continent that is known for its vigor and enthusiasm when it comes to sports, but the emergence of eSports on the continent has been small in comparison to other regions. In reality, more than 380 million people across the globe follow eSports, both online and in person. NBA Finals Game 7 in 2016 had more viewers (43 million) than the global finals of popular eSports game League of Legends that year (also 43 million viewers) (31 million viwers).
The eSports industry, with its fragmented environment and digital platform, shows potential for a plethora of monetization options, such as the sport betting market in Africa. Esports, on the other hand, may be divided into two distinct categories: first, there is cash betting, and second, there is skin betting (which refers to virtual commodities that can be utilized in video games). Although, I will be given a brief explanation of the word eSports, as well as the obstacles and prospects of eSport in Africa.
What exactly is Esports?
Esports, an abbreviation for electronic sports, is a sort of online gaming that is watched like a spectator sport. In many ways, it’s comparable to watching a professional broadcast athletic event, with the exception that, instead of witnessing a real live event, fans watch video gamers play against each other in a virtual world. If it’s difficult to see why somebody would want to watch someone else play a video game, consider this: For example, consider how much you like watching a football match in which players such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Sadio Mane participate. Traditional football fans in Africa get a kick out of seeing their hometown heroes play at the pinnacle of their profession, and the same can be said for those who like seeing the world’s best video gamers battle.
Non-traditional sports-related games, such as NBA2K and FIFA, are included in the sector, as well as more recently developed games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Dota, which have become more popular on online sports betting platforms. Surebet247 and 1XBET, for example, are two betting platforms that provide similar games in Africa on their own betting platforms. Bettors may just broadcast themselves playing in order to make money, or they can join bigger groups in order to compete for a greater monetary reward. In addition to social media, live streaming, and in-person tournament participation, bettors may interact with their supporters via a number of other means. Fans, on the other hand, may watch and follow their favorite teams as they participate in regional or international competitions, depending on their location.
THE DIFFICULTIES IN AFRICA’S SPORTS INDUSTRY
However, Esports is not a new phenomenon in Africa; over the years, game players in the continent have been well-represented in the continent; however, Esports is quite common in households, shops, and kiosks, whenever gamers feel like having fun or entertainment in the region, according to the region. Furthermore, since the introduction of sports betting to the continent, the young population in Africa has embraced the practice, not only because it provides the opportunity to cheer on their hometown heroes in a televised football match, but also because it provides the opportunity to win real money. More recently, eSports has grown to become a worldwide large company in various regions of the globe, despite the fact that one of the most critical problems will be regulatory compliance in the future. A lack of defined guidelines to control the eSports gambling sector and the video game arena is a result of the fact that it is a developing industry that has evolved into a company where players may earn money from it in many countries.
Monetizing the user and spectator base in an eSports event in Africa would be a difficult job since investors are still wary of the business.
Media and broadcasting is one of the challenges that the industry will face, as media rights will be a key major growth driver as the worlds of media and gaming converge. Media, in particular, has a significant role to play in promoting and attracting other major stakeholders to invest in this industry in Africa, as well as in promoting the industry in general. For example, in Europe, the La Liga Santander is one of the arenas that host video gamers competitions on a yearly basis, which attracts a large number of viewers to watch their favorite game players and teams compete in a tournament competition and also have the opportunity to watch live streams on online platforms, video-on-demand content of esports or on esports TV, which attracts a large amount of sponsorship from major brands such as Intel, Samsung, and Coca-Cola in the Esport
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