Esports arena: The necessity of disruption

Whether you’re a fan, a hardcore gamer or a total-outsider to the world of competitive gaming, it should be perfectly clear: esports is here to stay. Esports betting has an intrinsic element to it and is growing year after year (or rather, day by day), although it’s still finding its own place and format in the ecosystem.

One of the most unfortunate things that I’ve experienced in the industry is adopting the same format used for sports betting and applying it to esports.  Whether this works in the short term or can give some positive results in the absence of other sporting events, attracting the traditional sports bettor to ‘try out’ and place a bet on some random League of Legends or CS:GO games is, in reality, missing the big picture.

By focusing on the current technology, the existing betting markets, data and the same players and behaviours we’ve been working with for the last ten years, we’re not yet focusing on the true potential of the market, as we’re not yet servicing esports enthusiasts.

Trial and error

We need businesses at all levels and of all kinds (operators, affiliates and B2B providers) to invest in technology; to test, experiment, fail and iterate, and finally create the innovative products that the esports betting industry really needs.

I believe that R&D departments in most companies today are mainly kept busy on sustaining technology, with the goal of optimising, improving or upgrading the existing products, and not enough space is given to disruptive technology.

There are, of course, some exceptions. I’m personally a big fan of Unikrn and when you see features like ‘betting on streamers’, or UMode to ‘bet on your own game’, it’s clear they’re heading in the right direction. Esportsbooks of small or medium size, which need to conquer their slice of the market, are visibly more inclined to listen to the minority and attract innovators and early-adopters, thriving for success in our new vertical.  And this can only be the beginning.

Just do it

As is common for larger organisations in all industries, structured procedures and difficulties in focusing on niche or emerging markets can mean that some are slow to adapt; but it’s a fundamental prerogative to start now, evolving with the industry, being willing to take some risks and implementing a test and learn approach.

Overcautiousness can be destructive. A leap of faith is necessary to develop the products for the next generations, while stagnating can make any business obsolete (think about the mobile industry, where are Nokia and Motorola today?).

Together with technology – which is the key – we need real passion as the fuel to see such innovation becoming a reality. Data analysts might be sceptical in giving their greenlight, but a market that still is in its infancy cannot be fully analysed. This is why passion for the market, together with talent and creativity, must be the structural pillars that take the industry to the next level.

Major operators, large affiliate companies and well-established data, odds and platform providers, all have the opportunity to succeed. All that is needed is a mindset open to disruptive innovation and embracing the changes and challenges brought by the esports revolution.

Gianfranco Capozzi, head of esports at Catena Media, is an esports & crypto enthusiast, with main experience in SEO, content marketing and growth hacking. He has launched and revamped over 15 esports betting websites, which include Esports.net and EsportsBets.com.