The vertical has gained an accelerated popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, with statistics from OddsMatrix showing a x40 growth in the esports betting market in the two months when live sport was suspended in mid-March. 

The rise in esports betting surprised Ebbe Groes, but the EveryMatrix CEO is adamant the vertical is here to stay, despite the return of live sport. 

Groes told Gambling Insider: “Before the pandemic, esports was extremely niche. What was a big surprise to us was the interest it had and that it was completely different than we thought.  

"By the end of March, we had as many FIFA games live in a week than we had football games in a week pre-COVID, around 3,000 live events per week.  

“Esports can stand alone as an offering. Players have shown willingness to bet on things that are entertaining, easy to understand and fast paced. Esports has all of these qualities but it was just not utilised before. 

“It took COVID-19 for sportsbook operators and suppliers to realise this and now we have. What has been learned cannot be unlearned so this will be a steady part of the offering going forward, and we have only seen the start of it. 

“I am pretty confident that new players will stay with esports.” 

The full feature on esports will be published in the July/August edition of Gambling Insider magazine.