The first debate in Italy on the eSports phenomenon is taking place at the Social media Week in Rome, involving gaming industry (too).
A field to bet on. In all senses. We are talking about eSports, that is competitions between video players, which now represent officially a sport. To the point that they has been included in the sports of the next 2024 Paris Olympics, thus becoming a Coni's area of responsibility in our country too. And, therefore, a new matter on which to bet on. It is no coincidence that in the September issue of the Gioco News magazine (available also online), a special deepening article has been dedicated to this increasingly expanding world.
But together with the real explosion of the phenomenon at the international level, what stage has been reached in Italy with this type of videogame activity? And which outcomes can concretely have it in betting industry? This is one of the questions we want to answer with the today's meeting - Friday, September, the 15th - organized within the Social Media Week in Rome. A debate where, besides more carefully analyzing this particular world in all its peculiarities, tries to explore the phenomenon also from the point of view of numbers, potentialities, integrity and security for consumers.
FOCUS ON ESPORTS PHENOMENON - Along with industry gaming experts, event organizers and service providers. And representatives of the academic world. Like Professor Rune Kristian Lundedal Nielsen of the Computer Games Research Center at the It University of Copenhagen, a videogame expert and observer of eSports phenomenon, saying that "there is no doubt that eSports will drive innovation". Even because, nowadays among young people, "the interest in traditional sports is declining, while the interest in eSports is becoming increasingly important". An aspect to be surely taken into account, even for bookmakers.
In fact, it is no coincidence that companies "Over the top invest, and a lot, on this eSports sector," as Laura D'angeli, online gaming and gambling consultant, Mag Consultants and Associates, among conference speakers, says: "Amazon bought Twitch for $970 million, the largest streaming platform dedicated to eSports," - the consultant explains. "And some football teams like Sampdoria, Roma, Empoli and Genoa went out too."
For a rising phenomenon in Italy as well. Luca Pagano knows that: the world-famous poker player, who knows gaming industry very well, has started a pioneering activity in our country related to eSports: "It's a really amazing world - he explains - for me coming from poker industry and I've always been a gamer is a somewhat close world: but I would never have expected such a move, both in terms of numbers and in economic terms. Perhaps recreational, healthy, social and competitive aspect of this industry is even more important". For the poker pro, which launched the Team Qlash in eSports during last months, the debut in the sector took place after a study of eSports market and industry for almost two years. "In October, last year I decided it would be my next adventure: I knew I would have to wait a couple of years before seeing the market booming. On the contrary, I realized to my great surprise that I was just entering the market just in time because the booming is around the corner: investors, sponsors, media are all accelerating towards eSports." So, it's time to talk about it, and the Social Media Week meeting in Rome comes at the right time.
CONNECTIONS WITH BETTING – Even Ferdinando Ferrero, sales manager in Italy of SportRadar, will talk: a company specialized in services and technologies dedicated to gaming and bookmakers, which also successfully works in eSports worldwide.
He has the task of illustrate the potential of this sector from the point of view of betting, reporting the experiences of other countries. In addition to illustrating the guarantees offered to the market and consumers in terms of safety and integrity: values needed to set up a quality and successful gaming offer.
More info about eSports debate: here.
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