Toronto-based sports betting and media company Rivalry published a report on esports betting for 2022 highlighting the most popular games among bettors but also laying out the trends and making forecasts for the development of the esports sector in 2023.
Rivalry’s key finding in its 2022 Rivarly Wrapped report was that the most important leverage factor and a sign of success for esports and sports, in general, is engagement. The report highlighted that when viewers have placed a bet on a certain event or tournament this increases their watch time and the extent to which they are paying attention to the game.
The report draws the conclusion that regulated esports betting is in perfect alignment with the KPIs the various publishers, tournament organizers, and esports organizations are striving for and further advancement of the regulation of the sector can help with driving the engagement of fans and eventually monetization.
Most Popular Еsports Titles Among Bettors
The Counter-Strike esports betting culture that the title has been developing for about two decades was evident in 2022 as well as without surprise Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ended up in the top three titles that accumulated the most wagers.
The other two were of course League of Legends and Dota 2. The wagers placed on these three titles accounted for 90% of Rivalry’s esports handle.
However, a new contender for the top three appeared, which is likely to take one of the top three spots next year – Riot Games’ Valorant. The game is a first-person shooter very similar to CS:GO so it is somewhat familiar to bettors who are already used to placing wagers on CS:GO. Valorant enjoyed a 264% yearly increase in betting volume compared to 2021.
Rivalry, which was started in 2018, reports that Valorant’s significant growth in terms of esports wagering is a precedent in the company’s operating history. No other title has come out so strong in such a short time.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Another Successful Newcomer
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the first mobile game that has landed in the top 5 most wagered on esports. It removed Starcraft 2 from the fifth place it held last year. The game was most popular in Southeast Asia with the major part of bets on it coming from that region. The game also became the most-watched esports tournament this November.
Mobile games are becoming more and more popular and they are turning into the latest trend in esports betting. Rivalry expects mobile games wagering to grow even further in 2023 with new names coming out on the betting market. Rivalry only added mobile games to its product offering in March 2022.
Rivalry is a worldwide leader in esports betting with over 90% of its handle coming from esports wagering. The company’s main target is the young audience so 82% of its customers are under 30 with an average age of 25.
