The global market for eSports betting currently stands at $12.8 billion (£10.8 billion) and serves over 500 million players annually. It's projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 13.7% from 2023 to 2030, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in gambling.
Compared to many traditional sports, eSports betting offers higher returns, unencumbered by factors like total playing time. Consequently, numerous bookmaker companies are entering the eSports betting market to capitalize on its growth. However, few have managed to establish a strong eSports betting product.
GG.BET is actively working to carve out its niche in this burgeoning market. The British company is making strides in this new cyber market.
Curtis Roach, an iGF special correspondent, conducted an exclusive interview with Dmitry Voshkarin, CEO of GGBET UA, to delve deeper into the unfamiliar territory of cyber betting for many companies.
– GG.BET has achieved success in sustainable interaction with the esports community. Why do you think so many operators today are trying to become true esports brands? How can this be done, in your opinion?
– Being a true esports brand means thinking like an esports player. No amount of outside research will give you as much insight into the industry as if you had real gamers on your staff. Many of our team members play games and follow and bet on eSports, so when it comes to developing products and brands, we truly do it for ourselves, for our own enjoyment.
We organize many online and offline events for our clients. As a sponsor of a tournament operator, we don’t stop at placing a logo and video advertising on streams. We actively collaborate with our ambassadors, our partners NAVI and Team Vitality, as well as leading esports media to create a huge amount of creative content. For example, we partnered with HLTV during the first CS2 Major to create over 400 social media posts that received over 5 million views, even though we weren't actually officially sponsoring the tournament.
The eSports industry would grow faster if more industry players got creative with partnerships. It makes sense for bookmaker brands to develop cooperation with esports organizations and tournament operators. They need to find new ways to engage with audiences, not just relying on their media partners' presence, but actually using them so that the cyber community can truly benefit. At the same time, esports teams need to work on promoting themselves as athletes in more “traditional” sports who have long mastered the art of personal branding.
The audience craves media personalities, and there are numerous exceptional eSports players who could step into this role. Take, for instance, our partners NAVI, particularly Justinas Lekavicius, known as jL, who was recognized as the MVP at the inaugural CS2 Major. His emotional reaction following the tournament victory went viral across media and social networks, prompting fans to actively purchase merchandise featuring his words. When players attain such significant media presence, it creates opportunities for partnerships and attracts new investments into eSports.
– How important are brand partnerships when trying to attract an eSports audience? What media deals and projects has GG.BET been involved in and how have they helped you better reach your audience?
– Industry partners are essential for any bookmaker brand. They help increase brand awareness and maintain a connection with eSports. This is not only about product placement but also about finding professionals and like-minded people who will help take eSports to a new level, creating excellent content and projects for the audience.
For example, we are already looking forward to the upcoming BLAST Premier: Spring Final in London, where the GG.BET brand has a number of events planned. Every year our BLAST Premier partners take their tournaments to a new level. The show that these guys put on never ceases to amaze and amaze even the most demanding Counter-Strike fans.
The GG.BET brand cooperates with leading esports media. In 2023, Dot Esports helped us create 50 CS:GO World Records, an online project dedicated to the most significant achievements in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The project attracted the attention of the esports community, and record holders shared their achieved records on their social networks.
– Gamification is synonymous with the social gaming sector and has been very successful in retaining players without any financial incentive. How can the esports betting sector learn from this and use gamification tools to increase customer engagement?
– The gamification of GG.BET platforms is driven by a thorough understanding of the client’s betting journey and the features of the gameplay. Clients are automatically included in GG.Leagues, where they can customize their profile, choose an avatar, and compete with other clients for a place in the big league. For every bet on esports, traditional sports, and casino games, gamers receive fame points. These points accumulate to increase their level and unlock bonuses across five different GG.Leagues.
When implemented correctly, gamification can be a powerful tool for platform growth and success. However, it must strike a balance to be effective. If gamification is too complex or confusing, customers may lose interest. On the other hand, if it's too simple or not rewarding enough, customers are unlikely to return for more.
– Esports, by its very nature, has a very strong online audience. How can brands better engage with these audiences offline?
– Yes, you are absolutely right: eSports is primarily focused on the online format. Fans are accustomed to playing on cloud gaming services, chatting on Discord, watching Twitch streams, and interacting within games. However, even digital audiences appreciate offline events and gatherings. There's always something special about meeting your idols and like-minded people in person.
We strive to facilitate personal meetings between fans and their idols. As part of the NAVI and United 24 charity initiative “BORN TO BE BRAVE”, GG.BET organized a private trip to the CS:GO Major in Paris as a reward for the largest donation. This exclusive experience includes a VIP ticket to the arena, backstage access, a personal meeting with members of NAVI and Team Vitality, an autographed souvenir, first-class plane tickets, accommodation in a 5-star hotel, and a personal driver for the duration of the tournament. I'm sure many fans would cherish such an opportunity.
In March 2024, GG.BET hosted a Community Watch event for NAVI fans in their hometown, Kyiv. Fans gathered to watch NAVI's games at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 on a big screen right in their local office! Undoubtedly, the support of NAVI fans is crucial to our success in the cyber market.
