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Video games can be widely adored or vehemently loathed, depending on who you ask. But the truth is, esports-or competitive gaming-is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and creating an impressive presence on college campuses and K-12 schools alike. Esports share many of the same benefits of traditional athletics, like sportsmanship, leadership, communication, and teamwork, without the drawbacks of travel for practices, games, and tournaments or risk of injury, particularly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Are Esports?

Esports-not to be confused with video games-employ organized, competitive gameplay between two teams and are governed by their own strict set of rules and guidelines. Students can choose from a variety of teams to join based on their interests, and teams compete in a multitude of games from Minecraft and Super Smash Brothers to Rocket League, Valorant, chess, and more. As a parent, teacher, and esports team coach at University School of Milwaukee, I've seen the numerous benefits of esports firsthand in my child and students, and I've become one of the sport's biggest fans.

The benefits of esports are numerous and varied, and include:

Building Community

Esports is an ideal opportunity for students who are not necessarily interested in traditional athletics, but who want to be a part of a team and learn new skills. They also offer a unique opportunity to build connections across diverse populations; esoprts openness to everyone encourages inclusion. Playing together in a shared space-whether a shared virtual space or a physical space like an esports arena-is the goal of esports, and doing so establishes community, friendship, school spirit, and a sense of belonging. Official esports teams, like the one at USM, operate under the supervision of an advisor or coach.

Fostering Social-emotional Learning Skills

Regardless of one's skill in gaming, esports players gain social and emotional learning skills as they establish teams, develop mentorships, collaborate, and compete amongst students who may not otherwise interact with one another. Coming together to play, teach, discover, and enjoy time together builds relationships, opens means of socialization, and improves school spirit. Like any team, players must work together to overcome obstacles and failure, which helps to develop grit and perseverance. They also must be willing to adapt to changes quickly, try new tactics, and encourage teamwork.

Connecting Students to STEM Education

Esports provide a bridge to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, and not just because students play the games on a computer. In order to improve, teams must analyze data and statistics, review strategies, and become proficient in using both computer hardware and software.

Convenience for Busy Families

Ultimately, the goal of USM's esports program is to have a dedicated space on campus where students can game together and become just as strong a team as they would on any other playing field. When the team plays in tournaments or matches, or even for practices, students would only need to travel to school. Members of USM's team have been playing from home.

Meeting Kids Where They Are

From laptops, to gaming consoles, to their omnipresent phones, many kids have rich online lives, part of which includes games. Esports encourage kids to seek and build community where they already are. The widely popular games that are part of esports already appeal to kids, so students jump at the chance to play with classmates, kids they don't usually hang out with, and even alumni.

About Dr. Laurie Walczak:

Dr. Laurie Walczak has worked at University School of Milwaukee since 2007, holding various teaching positions including English, American Studies, Tower Project, and English department chair in the Middle School, and, currently, Upper School English teacher. She serves as USM's esports coach and is a co-creator of USM's Tower Project program. Her son Xavier Barth is a member of USM's Class of 2022.

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Video games can be widely adored or vehemently loathed, depending on who you ask. But the truth is, esports-or competitive gaming-is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and creating an impressive presence on college campuses and K-12 schools alike.

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Esports: 15 Real Disadvantages And Risks (Competitive Gaming…)

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Although Esports and video games have moved past the moral panic of the 1980s and 1990s, there are still some studies that suggest that Esports may pose some disadvantages and risks to fans and players.

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Competitive gaming has experienced remarkable growth recently and has grown to be more than a billion-dollar industry. With this growth, esports has significantly impacted the traditional sports industry, transforming how people consume and engage with sports. Esports has opened up new revenue streams and sponsorship opportunities while creating a new ecosystem of job opportunities.

Increased Viewership and Engagement

A rise in viewership and engagement is esports' most notable effect on the sports business. Younger sports fans are becoming increasingly interested in esports due to its fast-paced action and entertainment appeal. According to a report by Newzoo, the global esports audience reached 474 million in 2021 and is projected to reach 577 million by 2024. This growing audience presents a massive opportunity for the sports industry to tap into new markets and demographics.

Esports events have become a major attraction, drawing massive crowds and generating record-breaking viewership numbers. The League of Legends World Championship, for instance, attracted 5.15 million concurrent viewers in 2022, making it one of the most-watched events in the world. The growth of esports has also led to the creation of dedicated esports arenas and facilities, which have become popular destinations for players and fans alike.

New Revenue Streams and Sponsorship Opportunities

Esports has opened up new revenue streams and sponsorship opportunities for the sports industry. As the audience for esports continues to grow, traditional sports teams and organisations recognize the potential for collaboration and cross-promotion. Many professional sports teams and organisations have already entered the esports market by creating their esports teams or sponsoring existing ones.

The esports industry has also attracted significant investment from non-endemic brands, such as Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Nike. These brands recognize the potential of esports to reach a younger and highly engaged audience, presenting new sponsorship opportunities for sports organisations.

Esports Betting

Esports betting is one of the fastest-growing segments of the sports betting industry and has significantly impacted it. With the rise of esports, many traditional sportsbooks have started offering odds on major esports tournaments, allowing fans to bet on their favourite players and teams just as they would with conventional sports. This has brought excitement and engagement to the esports community while presenting a new revenue stream for sportsbooks and esports organisations. As a result, it is possible to get the best betting offers in UK as various markets and competitive odds are now made accessible.

The emergence of New Job Opportunities

Esports has created a new ecosystem of job opportunities, from professional players and coaches to broadcast talent and production crews. The growth of esports has also led to the creation of new job roles. In addition to professional gaming roles, esports has created new job opportunities in broadcasting and production. Broadcasters and commentators are critical in providing viewers with an engaging and immersive experience, while production crews are responsible for creating high-quality content that appeals to audiences. As the industry continues to grow, there will be an increasing demand for skilled professionals to support the infrastructure and growth of esports.

In recent times, we have witnessed a growing synergy between both industries. Major sports teams and organisations have recognized the potential of esports and invested in esports teams. The integration of esports in traditional sports events has also become increasingly common. With the rise of online gaming, esports has brought a new dimension to the sports industry, allowing for greater accessibility and inclusivity. This convergence of esports and traditional sports is transforming the industry and opening up new opportunities for athletes, fans, and organisations.

Furthermore, the popularity of online streaming services like Twitch and YouTube has made it easier for people to follow their favourite teams and players, resulting in a more engaged and passionate fan base. This increase in accessibility has brought more people into the sports industry, and the potential for growth in the industry is enormous.

Final Thoughts

The impact of esports on the sports industry has been significant, from increased viewership and engagement to new revenue streams and sponsorship opportunities. The growth of esports has also created new job opportunities, presenting a unique opportunity for individuals interested in gaming and sports to explore exciting career paths. As esports continues to evolve and grow, it will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the sports industry in the years to come.

Now at best betting sites in Kenya you can bet on many sports from the comfort of your home.

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How has eSports changed the sports industry?

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Competitive gaming has experienced remarkable growth recently and has grown to be more than a billion-dollar industry. With this growth, esports has significantly impacted the traditional sports in...

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The new problem gambling? Parilov

Most large sports events came to an abrupt halt during the pandemic, but one category was not only unaffected but enjoyed accelerated growth: esports. Esports is the competitive playing of video games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and Fifa Football.

The audiences for the biggest titles are now enormous. Fortnite alone has around 78 million monthly players and professional tournaments draw in many millions of online spectators. League of Legends World Championship attracted over 100 million viewers in 2019 with a peak of 44 million. In comparison, the Wimbledon men's final 2019 peaked at around 9 million viewers.

It's not just the size of the audience that's different, it's also their age. The average tennis spectator is 61, whereas esports spectators are on average 26.

Major bookmakers such as PaddyPower, Bet365 and Betway, along with many niche operators, are now offering bets on esports tournaments. Monthly esports betting revenues for UK operators rose 30-fold between March 2019 and March 2020, and by June they had more than doubled again.

The global esports betting market is expected to be worth up to $15 billion (£12 billion) this year, compared with less than US$6 billion in 2016. This explosive growth has been fuelled by online advertising, which almost tripled during lockdown.

Roman Kosolapov

The danger is that younger people are being drawn to gamble on esports. In 2019, 17% of esports gamblers were aged 18-24. In general, more and more UK 16-34-year-olds are gambling, and the average age of gamblers is decreasing. The number of problem gamblers aged 11-16 has also quadrupled to more than 50,000 in just two years. This comes at a time when 93% of UK children play video games, averaging three hours a day and a growing number also follow professional esports teams.

Read more: Virtual Tour de France shows how esports has come of age during lockdown

There is scant research into whether esports gaming leads to gambling, but our study in 2019 found children heavily engaged with tweets from esports bookmakers and their affiliates. And regulators can't keep up. During the recent House of Lords inquiry into gambling, Guy Parker, chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), admitted he finds it almost impossible to track and regulate online gambling advertising.

Esports betting adverts and children

Our research, sponsored by GambleAware and in collaboration with Ipsos MORI, the thinktank Demos and the University of Sussex, analysed 880,000 tweets from 417 UK-based accounts related to gambling operators. We looked at data from their 621,000 UK-based followers, and the 166,969 UK-based individuals who engaged with these tweets by commenting, liking or sharing them. We analysed tweets related to both traditional sports and esports betting, with the latter making up about a tenth of the accounts studied.

We identified three particular concerns. First, people following esport gambling accounts are very young. We found that 17% of followers were under 16, and another 69% were aged 16-23. In other words, 85% of esports betting-account followers are under 24. The same is true for those commenting on, liking or sharing these tweets: 28% were under 16, and 66% were aged 16-23.

Second, the advertising techniques used by gambling operators are somewhat different from those used for traditional sports (with an older audience). Rather than getting people to sign up or make impulsive gambles by offering "free bets", "matched bets" or "sign-up bonuses", esports betting appears to concentrate much more on tweets that are funny, using gifs, memes and esports insider-knowledge.

This content doesn't look like a hard sell or an incitement to gamble. Children might not even realise it is commercial content designed to make them part with their money, and might do little to resist.

Funny stuff is also highly shareable. As these posts are circulated on social media, more children - who may have previously had no interest in gambling - are inadvertently looped in. So while gambling is illegal for many engaging with these adverts, with a minimum age of 18 in the UK, a positive image is slowly and implicitly building in the back of their minds.

Third, when our researchers analysed a sample of all the tweets in depth, many appeared to contravene the UK's CAP gambling advertising code. We found esports gambling tweets that used cartoons and animated characters, associated themselves with youth culture or featured esports stars under 25 years old. All of this activity breaches the code.

Other research has highlighted issues with gambling advertising potentially appealing to children, but our focus on esports highlights a worrying trend that has been under the radar of researchers and policymakers.

Next steps

With the pandemic unlikely to disappear soon, esports playing, following and betting will continue to grow. We need to act now to stop social-media advertising turning children's gaming into gambling.

After reading our research, the Gambling Commission and ASA sent all UK esports betting operators a reminder of the advertising rules, and published a response to the findings pointing out that many tweets were from non-UK operators and therefore beyond the remit of the CAP code.

However, we found that it is possible in many cases for children to click through to non-UK sites and open accounts by saying they are 18, highlighting a major effectiveness issue with a UK-focused code in a world of international social media. We also believe that the ASA needs to call more UK transgressors to account with sanctions for those who fail to comply.

In our view, the rules do not adequately address the peculiarities of social-media marketing, where funny content can quickly and effectively make esports betting more appealing to children and normalise the link between popular games and gambling. An awareness campaign for parents is also needed. Many parents might know that their children are playing esports in their bedrooms or following professional tournaments, but most are probably unaware of the strong link with betting. Last but not least, we also need a lot more research.

Asked to comment, a spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council, which represents most operators in the UK betting industry, said:

We are committed to driving up standards in the betting and gaming industry. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to bet with any of our members and we operate strict age and identification measures to prevent anyone underage accessing these products.

We have also taken further steps to prevent young people from seeing betting adverts. From October 1, the updated industry code for socially responsible advertising means that all sponsored or paid-for adverts on search engines must make clear the products are only for those aged over 18, while YouTube users will need to have age-verified accounts before they can view betting adverts. BGC members will also have to frequently post responsible betting messages on their Twitter accounts.

We look forward to the government's forthcoming gambling review, which we hope will lead to a crackdown on black market operators who have no interest in safer gambling or protecting their customers and do not work to the same responsible standards as BGC members.

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Esports could be quietly spawning a whole new generation of problem gamblers

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Most large sports events came to an abrupt halt during the pandemic, but one category was not only unaffected but enjoyed accelerated growth: esports. Esports is the competitive playing of video games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and Fifa Football. The audiences for the biggest titles are now enormous.

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[MLBB SEA GAMES 2023] Malaysian Esport Contingent  brought back Silver Medal 

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[MLBB SEA GAMES 2023] Malaysian Esport Contingent  brought back Silver Medal 

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[VALORANT] - FNATIC - VCT Tokyo 2023 Champions

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[VALORANT] - FNATIC - VCT Tokyo 2023 Champions

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White & Blue Simple 4 Symptoms Covid-19 Infographics