Competitive Gaming 2021 ✔️ Games and Betting Sites

In the following competitive gaming blog post, we will first establish some key definitions, such as competitive gaming and eSports. Then, we will carry on by quickly listing the most popular multiplayer titles and professional teams. Following that, you will also find information on the tournaments and the best UK eSports betting sites. There is a lot to talk about, so let’s bounce!

What Exactly Is Competitive Gaming?

Let us begin our post by defining what is competitive gaming. For starters, the sole practising of playing esports is known as gaming. Henceforth, players that participate in the activity are known as gamers. Competitive gaming has a relatively broad meaning. For example, if you and your friends enjoy playing ranked games of League of Legends, that is competitive gaming.

You enter the Summoner’s Rift, where you test your skills and wits against other driven players. As each game’s outcome is embroiled in a mystery, one is certain; there will be a victor and a loser. In such competitive games, players strive to climb the leader boards and prove their skills against their opponents.

Leslie Wolfe Author

However, there is more to competitive gaming. For the last decade, many new eSports teams emerged. While some of them are focused on mainly one multiplayer title, other teams have designated rosters for multiple games. When you are playing at their level, the sense of competitiveness becomes something else. Each of these gamers becomes a professional player, meaning that he will be paid for his performance just like any F1 driver or football player.

Competitive Gaming – eSports

eSports is a form of competition that is mainly facilitated at video games. Unlike most other sports, the competitive gaming scene is relatively new. Even though it is less than two decades old, the industry has seen an enormous boom in popularity and fans’ interest. In fact, eSports viewers have increased from about 225 million in 2015 to over 660 million in 2020. There are even predictions that the viewership will exceed 900 million by 2024.

Nowadays, many eSports events and tournaments happen every year. As they are spread amongst numerous popular competitive multiplayer titles, there is virtually a match every week. Just like the traditional sports leagues like NBA and NFL, the eSports scene functions similarly. The popularity of virtual game sports has shown growth in the fans’ desire to place bets on these online clashes. Therefore, you can find odds on many of the top tournaments at some of the best online bookmaker sites.

Most Popular Competitive Games

But before we talk any further about eSports betting websites, let us take a look at some of the most popular competitive games. For that reason, we have included the top 10 most famous, played, and watched titles on the list below.

League of Legends – MOBA
Dota 2 – MOBA
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – FPS
Hearthstone – Card Game
Fifa – Football Sports Video Game
Overwatch – FPS
Fortnite – Battle Royale
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 – FPS
Starcraft II – RTS
Rocket League – Vehicular Soccer

We want to point out that all the listed competitive games have been subject to immense interest from the player base. Eventually, that has evolved into the establishment of vast fan groups for each title. Therefore, you can expect that each eSports event is being streamed by thousands of eager gamers. If you are looking to place a bet on such an event, you can visit some of UK’s best eSports betting sites, as they will present you with outstanding offers.

Competitive Gaming Teams

Many competitive gaming teams have sprung out during the last two decades. While some are mainly focused on one game, others have separate teams for multiple multiplayer titles. For example, Team Liquid, arguably the best eSports team, has dedicated divisions that compete at games such as League of Legends, Hearthstone, Starcraft 2, Counter-Strike: GO, and many others. Similarly, you can expect to find names like Virtus.pro, Fnatic, and Navi on various competitive gaming tournaments.

⚜️ Competitive Teams
💰 Overall eSports Winnings

Team Liquid
$35.3 million

Fnatic
$16 million

Cloud 9
$10 million

Evil Geniuses
$24 million

SK Telecom T1
$6 million

Natus Vincere
$12 million

Astralis
$8.95 million

OG
$34.3 million

Virtus.pro
$15 million

Ninjas in Pyjamas
$5.2 million

As you can see from the table above, this young industry is no longer to be underestimated. Many world brands have recognised the potential of this ever-growing sensation and have become vivid sponsors of teams and events. Perhaps, one of the biggest sponsors is Red Bull. The energy drink company had invested over 578 million USD in 2020 and predicted potential eSports revenue of 1.8 billion USD.

Ultimately, it can be said that the competitive gaming environment on a professional level has become very similar to its counterparts in other sports. Like with football, eSports teams collaborate with sponsorships, and even some individual pro-players become representatives of big labels and brands. For example, if you are a Fifa competitive gaming athlete, you might get sponsored by similar companies and products interested in popularising themselves amongst the football fans. Another similarity is that you can often find classic sports and eSports matches, followed by the best new gambling sites.

About the Competitive Gaming Tournaments

Speaking of competitive gaming tournaments, there are a lot of them. Just as we mentioned earlier, competitions are happening all the time. For example, all the ten popular multiplayer games that we included earlier in our blog have more than one annual tournament. In fact, League of Legends has over 25 active championships. Keep in mind that this number includes only the Tier 1 and Tier 2 events, meaning that there are dozens more.

Competitive gaming can be traced back to Oct 19th, 1972. That is the date when the world’s first eSports contest was held at Stanford University. The contestants had to play SpaceWar and battle for the grand prize of a one-year subscription to the Roling Stone magazine. Anyhow, the new dawn for the gaming world came with the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, which took place across the USA. With the arrival of the new century, the gamer gods’ phoenix rose from the ashes, as great times were coming for the fandom.

Competitive Gaming Post DOTA Tournament

In the year 2000, the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA) was founded in Seoul. During the same year, the first Korean TV channel, dedicated to eSports matches, was launched. From then onwards, slowly but steadily, the gaming reality that we know today was born. Later in 2013, the League of Legends world championship sold out all 16,000 seats in the Staples Center, Los Angeles. But if you think that is impressive, the 2019 edition reached a peak of 44 million viewers.

Reviewing the Competitive Gaming Websites

This chapter can be a whole new blog post of its own, but we will do our best to include all the essentials here. To begin with, Gosu Gamers is perhaps one of the first eSports news sites that fans will go to. The platform offers articles on the latest news from the gaming industry and following events, tournaments, and matches.

Gosu Gamers has a free-to-play betting system to many fans’ delight on online betting websites. The so-called GosuBets allows players to place their guess on a particular match. Fans don’t win or lose anything when playing the betting game, but it makes the whole spectator experience even more exciting.

Another honourable mention is ESPN. The competitive gaming news platform has successfully been keeping track of the heat surrounding the eSports industry. The website mainly follows stories about “the big three”: Dota 2, CS: GO, and League of Legends. In case you are looking for more traditional competitive gaming sites, then Dot Esports might be the right choice. The news website focuses on a broader range of games but still keeps up with the major eSports events.

Of course, we cannot carry on without mentioning a newsletter by the competitive organisation Team Liquid, namely Liquipedia. The platform is much like Wikipedia, but it holds information about the current matches while also keeping a record of previous events.

How to Bet on Competitive Gaming – Best Websites

All fans of the competitive gaming scene looking to place bets will be delighted to learn that there are multiple places where you can do so. We have listed some of the best eSports betting bookmakers that feature competitive gaming matches for your convenience.

ESport Betting Site
Welcome Bonus
Competitive Games
ESports Betting Types
Mobile Compatibility
Site Rating
Secure Link:
Terms:

1. Grosvenor Sport
100% Odds Boost On All Sports
3+
4+
Yes

4.90 ★ out of 5

www.grosvenor.com
Full T&Cs apply. 100% buy-in up to £400 buy-in bonus. Min £20 cash buy-in to be eligible. Offer only available on classic slot games. Max bonus £400. Max stake £2. 20x wagering requirements on total of buy-in and bonus amount. Bonus is valid for 7 days. Keep it fun – set your deposit limit.

2. Unibet Sport
Up to £40 In Free Bets
6+
4+
Yes

4.80 ★ out of 5

www.unibet.com
Full T&Cs apply. New customers only. 18+, Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus. Wagering requirements: Sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), Casino 35x. Only one bonus can be used at a time, Sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the Casino, unless the bonus has been forfeited. Bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in. BeGambleAware.org.

3. Karamba
Up to £10 Free Bet
5+
4+
Yes

4.80 ★ out of 5

www.karamba.com
Full T&Cs apply. 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only. Min Deposit: £10. Max bonus £50. 100 spins require 3 deposits. WR 35x, spins valid for 24hrs, on selected games.

4. Bet365
Up to £100 in Bet Credits
7+
4+
Yes

4.75 ★ out of 5

www.bet365.com
Full T&Cs apply. New Casino customers only. Deposit min. £10. Applies to first deposit to Casino only. Max. bonus £100. 15x wagering (game weighting applies) on deposit and bonus to make the bonus balance withdrawable. Time limits apply.

5. 888sport
Up to £30 +£10 Casino
7+
4+
Yes

4.70 ★ out of 5

www.888sport.com
Full T&Cs apply. 18+ Min deposit of £10 using code 30F• A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market • Min odds of 1/2 (1.5) • Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager bonus amount x40 within 14 days • Casino bonus wins are capped at £500, exc. JP wins • Valid for selected games only, when playing Casino • Withdrawal restrictions apply

The differences between the five operators are not gigantic. When you are ready to choose the bookmaker you want to bet at, we would like to stress a couple of factors. First, double-check all terms and conditions of the welcome bonus you are interested in. Also, make sure that the match or the game that you are looking to bet on is available on the competitive gaming website for betting. Ultimately, we can assure you that all operators shown on our list are licensed and legit online bookmakers.

Is Competitive Gaming a Career?

Like any other athlete, who is getting paid to play a specific sport, the competitive gamers receive a salary for playing video games. It might seem a bit absurd at first that someone can make a living from such an occupation. However, nowadays, competitive gaming is just another example of many current job positions.

To become a pro-gamer, you will need to put a lot of effort and practice into the game you want to exceed. Eventually, as you climb up the leadership ladder, you will be competing with even greater opponents. Sooner or later, you will start making a name for yourself, resulting in signing up a contract with a minor or major league team. Each player’s path is different, so if you believe that competitive gaming is your destiny, there is just one formula for success – play more!

How Much Do Competitive Gamers Make?

In case you hear somebody saying that gamers do not make any money and live in the sewers, we have something prepared! You will find the top 10 richest gamers in the world for 2021 with supportive figures of their earnings in the table below.

Johan “N0tail” Sundstein 🇩🇰
$6.9 million

Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka 🇫🇮
$6.5 million

Anathan “ana” Pham 🇦🇺
$6 million

Sébastien “Ceb” Debs 🇫🇷
$5.5 million

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen 🇫🇮
$5.4 million

Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi 🇩🇪
$5.1 million

Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi 🇵🇱
$4.7 million

Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov 🇧🇬
$4.5 million

Maroun “GH” Merhej 🇱🇧
$4.1 million

Sumail “Sumail” Hassan 🇵🇰
$3.6 million

Honestly, it comes as no surprise that there are so many video game pro-players who are millionaires by now. The interest in eSports has grown substantially during the last decade, and it continues to get even larger. Therefore, one is certain; there will be more games, more matches, and more competitive gamers.

Conclusion

To conclude, the world of competitive gaming is a relatively young one. Despite its two-decades-long history, it shows great potential, as interest and viewership have been rapidly increasing throughout the years. Nowadays, the gaming industry harbours thousands, if not millions, of players, artists, designers, managers, and many more professions. The state of eSports has never been better, and because of that, it is exciting where everything will go in the next ten years. One is certain, competitive tournaments and events will only get even bigger.

FAQ

Even though the competitive gaming scene is expected to grow even more, there are still many uncertainties. Therefore, we have decided to use our gathered data and address some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the topic.

🕹️ What is the competitive gaming about?

The modern term, competitive gaming, can mean multiple things. In a broader sense, when somebody is playing a multiplayer game, where one competes with other players, can be considered as competitive gaming. Anyhow, that match can be between regular fans of the title, or it can be on a professional tournament level.

👾 What is eSports?

Just like we explained the meaning of Esports earlier, it is a form of sport competition using video games. For example, Fifa competitive gaming is similar to real football. Even though two athletes control all virtual field players, the same strategy rules apply, and there are still actual tournaments and championships.

🌍 Where can I bet on competitive gaming?

Many online operators have recognised the potential of the ever-growing eSports scene. Therefore, more and more of the top bookmakers have begun to introduce betting on competitive gaming. Ultimately, placing a bet on an eSports game is as easy as betting on any other kind of sport.

🏎️ Which is the most successful competitive gaming team?

Relatively speaking, it is a bit difficult to objectively name one of the organisations as the most successful competitive gaming team. One reason is that the situation is constantly changing. However, we can easily say that Team Liquid has earned over $35 million, making it the highest earnings team of eSports.

📝 Are there any competitive gaming newsletters?

We are pleased to confirm that there are plenty of competitive gaming websites that follow what is happening in the eSports world. Platforms like Gosu Gamers present their followers with articles on the latest news from the industry and information about the latest games and events. Ultimately, there are hundreds of gaming-related pages that offer a variety of content.

🏆 Can you bet on eSports tournaments?

You can bet on virtually anything, including video-games tournaments and matches. To do so, you will need to go to eSports betting websites and complete your registration. However, keep in mind that your chosen operator might not have the leagues you are looking for. Always make sure if the bookmaker follows your favourite competitive gaming events.

🏎️ How to get into competitive gaming?

If getting into competitive gaming means to play the ranked system instead of quick matches, then there isn’t much stopping you. Simply, download the game, practice it a bit, and you are ready to go! However, if you want to participate in competitive gaming tournaments, you will still need to play the game and become good.

💰 How much do competitive gamers make?

As with any other sports athlete, it is difficult to determine an overall number that a competitive gamer would make. That is, because there are many factors in play. Competitive gamers earn money from various sources, such as tournaments, sponsorships, collaborations, and others. Anyhow, when you become famous for your gamer’s skills, you will earn a couple of millions.