eSports is just gaining momentum in the UK. Of course, this is not the USA, Sweden, China, South Korea or Russia, where eSports has already been raised to the level of a cult, but, nevertheless, championships are held in this country. This is a relatively new tendency and it has rapidly managed to establish itself in betting as well. Nowadays a lot of bookmakers in the United Kingdom offer betting on these events. Let’s have a look at the most popular eSports disciplines in the country.
Dota 2
The undisputed leader of the list. 1,500 tournaments were held in Dota (the calendar of current Dota 2 tournaments is here), and the total prize money amounted to almost $232 million. It’s all about the huge prize money at The International series. In its genre, Dota 2 can definitely be called as one of the best ones compared to other eSports.
CS: GO
Another game from Valve, but which is developing in a completely different way. Majors here do not give players the opportunity to earn $20 million in one go. Instead, the game hosts many leagues and tournaments from third-party organizers, and the prize pools are serious, but not crazy.
League of Legends
Dota’s main rival in the eSports MOBA genre is LoL. At tournaments from Riot Games, three times less prize money was drawn – $ 83.6 million, but the tournaments themselves were held for a whole thousand more. In general, LoL is developing in a different way: the publisher invests not so much in the prize money as in supporting the scene through the players’ salaries, including at a lower level.
LoL is also one of the most popular eSports in Great Britain when it comes to betting. Tournaments as well as interest from students and gamers, has led numerous bookmakers to integrate League of Legends in the sportsbook. What makes the fact even more exciting is that the majority of eSports betting bonuses on British bookmakers’ websites are now oriented towards LoL.
Overwatch
Blizzard’s foray into the eSports shooter glade and the creation of an esports scene that resembles a serious sport with the sale of slots in the Overwatch League, where $ 3M per season is raffled off. In total, over 5 years since the release of Overwatch, $26.7 million have been drawn.
Fortnite
There were less than 700 tournaments in the game, but Epic Games managed to play an impressive 102 million dollars. Fortnite’s esports focus was particularly strong in the 2019 season, with a $30 million draw for the 2019 Fortnite World Cup. But after that, Epic’s interest in eSports Fortnite cooled.
Fifa 21
Fifa is a game that is pretty popular among players in Great Britain. This is a game that you can play not only with friends but at the professional level. However Fifa 2021 requires a lot of practice, skills and necessary attributes to become one of the best in the world. In addition, Fifa 21 has some of the most valuable tournaments across the industry.
How Will Brexit Affect the eSports Industry?
When Brexit happened in 2016, it affected a lot of industries. The reputation of a European country with low taxes, especially when it comes to sports, culture and internet business, together with the liberation from the economic and political restrictions of the European Union, will allow the UK to become one of the leading countries in the industry. Esports in England could become more attractive both financially and structurally.
At the same time players will have more problems obtaining visas and work permits. Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that citizens from EU member states can not only stay in another member state and work there without a work permit but also apply for all benefits that their chosen country can help. If Britain leaves the European Union, then EU citizens will lose this opportunity. For example, UK players will need to obtain a work permit to participate in the EU LCS. The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union could also negatively affect the chances of gaining recognition for esports. The European Union, for example, recently expanded the possibilities for commercializing esports for its members. A digital single market strategy, while in its infancy, could have a positive impact on the future of European esports.
