Betting on Streamers in 2020: A Trend or a Fad?
January 15, 2020Bookmakers contemplate a new form of eSports wagering and provide punters with the opportunity to bet on streamers.
Esports tournaments are the highlight of the month for the most enthusiastic players with a keen eye for gambling. In between these highly anticipated events, it is the streamers who keep players at the edge of their seats and hungry for more. They broadcast their games 24/7, providing people with plenty of worthy options, based on their preference. Bookmakers seem ready to capitalize on their surging popularity and some have announced their intention to make betting on streamers a reality in 2020.
How does Betting on Streamers Work?
Unlike traditional esports, where punters are expected to bet on the outright winners or individual teams, betting on streamers is a different beast. Bookies provide the odds on various markets based on what the streamer is doing, so the focus shifts from teams to individuals. Everything happens quickly and each action weighs heavily in the balance, so betting on streamers is not going to be easy. The upside for savvy punters is that bookmakers have a harder time assessing the events, so the house edge is greatly decreased.
Betting on Streamers Unique Challenges
League of Legends, Dota 2 and Fortnite are the videogames played more often by Twitch streamers. Punters watching their performance on the popular streaming platform can now place a bet on their actions and their results. The betting markets are obviously different than what regular eSports offer, and so are the challenges. Casual players can spice things up, but they can easily be overwhelmed by the random nature of these bets. Random players can tag along, join the streamers or play against them, which highlights the risks of collusion, match-fixing and other potential dangers. Time will tell if betting on streamers will take off in 2020, or if this new craze will slowly fade into near irrelevance.
