Esports has seen a surge in growth, thanks to the popularity of video games such as League of Legends and Fortnite. This has led to greater opportunities for players to compete in tournaments and pursue professional careers in the field. Canadians, known for their love of sports, have also become a notable contender in the esports scene, with top teams including Astralis, Rogue, Cloud9, and Team Liquid. The esports scene has also taken over the betting platform with bet99 sportsbook providing punters with many esports events on a daily basis.
In Canada, esports betting is legal and regulated under the same rules as other games of chance outlined in the Criminal Code. Since bet99 is fully licensed in Canada, you can enjoy all of the famous esports events on the platform. Also Canadians are allowed to bet on overseas esports sites, and many prefer offshore sites in the UK and Malta or those based in the Kahnawake Native Reserve, which has its own gambling laws.
Prepaid Visa or Mastercard credit, e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal, and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are popular payment methods among Canadian bettors.
Based on Esports Statistics by Global Web Index from 2018, the majority of Canadian esports enthusiasts are young, with 28% of Canadians between 16 and 24 years old saying that they had watched an esports tournament within the previous month of the survey being conducted.
Although esports gained popularity worldwide in the early 2000s, thanks to streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch, it took some time for them to gain traction in Canada. Even today, Canada lags behind major players like China and Korea.
In 2016, the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation built the only land-based esports lounge at a Canadian casino to help manage the growing esports scene. However, in the last two years, the Canadian esports betting industry has seen tremendous growth.
With an estimated 23 million gamers in Canada, companies such as Versus Systems Inc., Fandom Sports Media, and Enthusiastic Gaming Holding Inc are heavily involved in developing the Canadian esports scene.
Given that the gambling industry generates approximately $31 billion per year, with $4 billion of that from online gambling, it is crucial that Canada does not fall behind in esports.
Canadian celebrities like Drake and sports stars have invested an estimated $200 million in esports, demonstrating their confidence in the future of the market.
Esports players living in Canada enjoy several advantages, including job security, universal healthcare, and high salaries. Such benefits and endorsements are helping esports become more mainstream in Canada, which will likely have a ripple effect on esports betting.
Currently, the prize pool for Fortnite stands at an impressive $99 million, with 673 tournaments offering prizes. Epic Games developed the game, and it was released in 2017. Kyle Bugha Gearsdorf won the Fortnite World Cup in 2019, taking home $3 million for his incredible achievement, making him one of the world's ten richest esports athletes.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) has been a staple in the world of esports with its large international tournaments. However, the pandemic has caused a shift in the scene, with Valorant emerging as a serious competitor as many American and European cyber-athletes switch to playing the new game.
Despite ongoing scandals, CS:GO still attracts a significant audience, with the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 offering a $2 million prize pool for its most recent Major tournament.
The total prize money in CS:GO is $110.5 million, with 5481 tournaments offering prizes. Developed by Valve Corporation, the game is a first-person team shooter.
Dota 2 has the largest prize pool for its World Cup, but its community is not as large as some other popular esports games. The pandemic caused disruptions, with the cancellation of The International in spring 2020 and a reduction in watching hours by 11% (to 253.3 million).
Europe became a hub for popular esports events during the pandemic, with teams from the CIS region participating in large numbers. Valve restarted the Dota Pro Circuit system in 2021 with a condensed configuration, establishing regional leagues in place of majors and regional qualifiers, reducing the number of majors to two.
Esports has grown exponentially, with professional gamers having the opportunity to compete in tournaments worldwide for top cash prizes in front of large audiences. While some still consider esports a pastime for kids, many recognize its potential as an official sport.
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