18 Dec 2014
Pinnacle bookmaker accepts one-millionth eSports bet
December 13th was another huge milestone for Pinnacle; the leading online bookmaker accepted its one-millionth eSports bet.
Not heard of eSports? You obviously aren’t among the estimated 71million* fans who annually watch online streams of sports like League of Legends, StarCraft, Defence of the Ancients (Dota) or Counter Strike.
eSports is as credible as any other professional sport, in 2013 the US granted professional athlete visas for video game players. From what Pinnacle is seeing, eSports’ huge global fan base clearly likes the option to bet on events while they are watching.
Pinnacle recorded its first eSports bet in February 2010. Traders at the company never imagined that just four years later it would pass the one-millionth-bet milestone, and see eSports rank above traditional mainstays like golf or rugby in terms of popularity with its bettors.
During that time the eSports betting options at Pinnacle have expanded to include all the major eSports codes as well as live betting options. Part of the rapid rise may be because accurately gauging the odds for eSports is such a challenge to Traders, so bettors are on a much more even footing than with traditional sports.
Given Pinnacle's core USPs - offering the best odds, highest limits and welcoming winners for every market it posts – it has recruited ex-Pro gamers to its eSports’ Trading Team to ensure these standards are maintained in such a challenging market.
“We started offering eSports betting as an experiment, but it has expanded in popularity way beyond our expectations,” commented Pinnacle’s Head of Sportsbook, a huge LoL fan. “We are very proud of hitting the one-millionth-bet milestone, but from what we have seen, we think this really is only the tip of the iceberg”
Learn more about Pinnacle's road to one million eSports bets here.
*2013 data from superdata.com
About Pinnacle
Pinnacle (www.pinnacle.com) was established in 1998, and since that time has been offering bettors a unique alternative to other bookmakers. Their gimmick-free approach simply focuses on offering the best odds, and highest betting limits for every market they provide, so bettors win more compared to the competition.
Keep up to date with what is happening at the world’s biggest online bookmaker @PinnacleSports