Esports betting has officially transcended the label of ‘niche’ or ‘experimental,’ establishing itself as a vital and rapidly expanding vertical within the global sports betting industry.

This sentiment was confirmed in a recent conversation between Oddin.gg’s Managing Director and Co-Founder, Marek Suchar, and Head of Partnerships, and host, Juana Bischoff, on the new three-part mini-series titled ‘Expert to Expert’, who stressed that “Esports has gone global”.

For many sportsbooks, esports is already ranking among their top five sports offerings. The data supports this maturation: one operator saw esports transition from 1% of their portfolio six years ago to becoming the fifth biggest title, accounting for 7% of the handle, with the potential to reach fourth place this year. Operators who fail to participate now risk being left behind.

The discussion formed the basis of the debut episode, focusing on the changing mindset, the “why,” and the crucial numbers driving this growth. The expert series aims to educate the industry by sharing knowledge, experience, and transparent insights to help the ecosystem grow further. Successful implementation means esports can constitute 5% to 10% of an operator’s sports book volume.

Expert to Expert is Oddin.gg’s straight-talking three-part video series that cuts through the noise in esports betting. Designed for sportsbook decision-makers in product, trading, and strategy, it brings senior Oddin.gg experts together to unpack what actually matters.

Suchar highlights the critical strategic value of this audience, specifically the cross-selling potential: “If the bookmakers are looking at the value of the esports better from the perspective of esports betting this is quadruple to that because you are able to cross sell on the sportsbook side, on the casino side as well, but first thing to consider is you are getting them through the door because of your high quality esports offering and marketing”.

Crucially, the target demographic is often misunderstood; the speakers refuted the perception of underage players, noting that those who began playing longstanding titles like Dota 2 and Counter Strike in their 20s are now in their 30s and 40s.

The average age of a new esports bettor is around 24, much lower than the 33-year average for football/soccer bettors. The duo noted that this audience is highly digitally savvy, affluent, and possesses higher purchasing power, with many being native to crypto betting environments (where the average bet is often higher than in fiat sportsbooks).

Success relies on offering a high-quality product with strong uptime, ample live markets, and regional catering, as game preferences differ significantly, for instance, Peru is dominated by Dota 2, Brazil by Counter Strike, and Mexico by League of Legends. Without a high-quality offering, the bad experience will ensure the bettor places one bet and never returns.