So, how precisely are e-sports defined? And what gives? Why are they suddenly all the rage? To help you navigate the thrilling realm of e-sports betting, we will be providing answers to these and other questions right here.

Tell me about esports.

To put it simply, an e-port is an online game where players compete against one another. Even though not all of them are officially acknowledged events, any video game that follows this framework can be referred to as an e-sport.

An esport could be defined as a multiplayer Mario Kart game. Competitors include real people, and their level of expertise is a major consideration. Conversely, esports do not encompass games where the computer stands in for human players, such as Assassin's Creed or even classic Super Mario.

An overview of the

Originally introduced in the 1950s as a kind of basic, screen-based entertainment that could hold players' attention for hours, video games have been around for quite some time.

The first commercially available video games were classic board games like draughts and draughts, which were traditionally played on a piece of paper or a canvas. Video games began to acquire popularity after the release of the classic Pong.

Moving forward The technology behind video games has come a long way in the last several decades, providing gamers with an unparalleled experience thanks to more realistic in-game physics and breathtaking visuals. As the capacity of the internet grew, gaming expanded well beyond the confines of the living room, allowing gamers hundreds of kilometres distant to engage in entirely virtual, real-time communication.

Even though it may seem surprising now, the first ever electronic sports event was held in 1972, long before the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One era. Assuming, however, that the event featured competition between at least two human players, it was undeniably an esports event.

Stamford University hosted the inaugural esports event, including the game Spacewar, among its student body. A year's worth of Rolling Stone magazine was the reward.

Two years down the road, in 1980, the inaugural public video game tournament was held. The legendary Space Invaders game served as inspiration for this one, which attracted an enormous audience. The Space Invaders Championship drew a crowd of around 10,000 spectators, and the event was also heavily covered in the media, drawing even more viewers.

Video game tournaments skyrocketed in popularity after that. Thanks to the proliferation of online platforms in the 1990s, contestants need not have been physically present to take part.

The awards started to get bigger as the competitions gained more publicity and popularity. A massive event was going to take place in Atlanta, Georgia's World Congress Centre in 1997, and sixteen finalists made it there.

Only sixteen players made it through the round of intense one-on-one matches in Quake's Red Annihilation, a first-person shooter, out of nearly two thousand who registered. John Carmack, chief developer of Quake, previously owned the Ferrari 328 GTS cabriolet, which was won by the winner after a fierce final.

The first Cyberathlete Professional League competition was held later that year, after a few weeks of formation. While some events offered prize money of up to $15,000, this sum would soon be surpassed as the number of tournaments increased. Nowadays, a competent professional can earn a respectable livelihood playing this sport.

Observing other people play video games has become just as common as playing the games themselves. A lot of people use Twitch to watch professional gamers play and hear their commentary while they play. The reach of esports competitions is increased since Twitch broadcasts live events straight to viewers' PCs, cellphones, and TVs.

Gaming the system for esports

Before you can place a wager, you must decide which electronic sport to wager on. Even though there is a plethora of games available, not everyone will enjoy them. Fans of one sport may find it boring to watch another, and vice versa.

To make an informed choice, familiarise yourself with the available games. Create a Twitch account and watch a few rounds of any game you are interested in (and even some you may not have heard of) so you can figure out what it is you enjoy watching.

A beginner could struggle to understand and play a game like League of Legends. It's possible that the relative ease of entry to first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike contributes to their immense popularity. If you have the opportunity to actually play any of these titles, you should do so – getting first-hand experience of what a game is like will help you understand what to expect.

Once you have decided what game you would like to bet on, it’s time to put some money down. You can get odds on esports events just like you would on regular sports. This numerical expression lays out the likelihood of a specific outcome i.e. a win or a loss.

If you have bet on sports before, odds will be familiar to you. Esports teams with low odds have a higher likelihood of winning, based on their past performance, individual player skills and all manner of other factors. A team or player with high odds of winning are less likely to do so but this also means a larger payout if a win occurs.

Sometimes referred to as moneylines, odds take different forms, though any format will represent the same odds. The betting platform you choose will let you view odds in whichever format you prefer, whether it’s American, decimal or fractional odds. It’s really just a matter of preference.

Odds tend to fluctuate, over time and between different platforms. It can be worth looking around for better odds, though keep in mind that they can shift in real-time so your meticulously researched odds may not be the best ones for long. Esports odds search engines can take the hassle out of doing all that research, so give these a look before you put make a bet.

So you have found a sports betting casino you like the look of, the odds are good and your favourite esport tournament is about to start. As always, we encourage players to gamble responsibly and we don’t half go on about it! But just as sports betting, poker or slots can set the stage for overindulgence, esports games can too. Always gamble in moderation and don’t be afraid to reach out for help and advice regarding responsible gambling.