Data good. Data + human touch = better

ALEX KOZACHENKO, Chief Product Officer at Data.Bet, delves into the secrets of success that bookmakers need to know to adapt to the rapidly growing esports market, and specifically, how they can use data to its maximum potential.

90

% of the profits from esports betting comes from four disciplines - CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant.

However, new games are constantly appearing, audience numbers are growing, and the industry is thriving and continuing to gain momentum. As esports continues to grow, so does esports betting.

The meteoric rise of esports betting began three years ago when the COVID pandemic first emerged and traditional sporting competitions were suspended. Esports began to grow. New leagues, tournament operators and teams started to appear, and even athletes from traditional sports moved away from the pitch to the monitor.

Bookmakers reacted to the changes immediately. Companies with an existing list of markets in esports expanded their operations straight away, and started putting more funding into marketing. Other bookmakers quickly followed suit.

However, the majority of them, unfortunately, did not understand the ins and outs of esports trading. As a result, by 2023, several large platforms had already announced an end to their esports operations.

But what’s the actual difference between the companies that made it and the companies that didn’t? What’s the secret to success when it comes to esports bookmaking?

The first thing needed to make profit from esports betting is highly detailed data that’s updated in real time. When it comes to traditional sport, it’s experts and referees that provide the vast majority of information, but that’s not the case for esports. There are myriad different gaming parameters, such as weapons and items purchased, HP, map position, experience earned, and more.

Most of this information can’t be seen on the screen during matches, and is usually provided by organisers directly from the game’s server. Data is accumulated and processed by providers, who then pass on ready-to-go odds to bookmakers. This means that compiling this data makes it possible to generate not only a standard set of win/loss outcomes, but also a wide range of markets with a variety of variations.

We’ve looked at how actively users react to expanded betting options based on our own experience. Data.Bet is the first provider to offer unique markets on the results of every individual CS:GO player. Our ongoing partner GG.BET saw these markets rising straight to the top after they were introduced. During Blast Paris Major 2023, the “total kills by player” market - one of more than 800 available live markets - soared to 7th place in popularity.

Why Speed Matters

Updating data quickly is no less important. First and foremost, it allows bookmakers to earn more money, as traders can react to changes in the game and update the odds quickly. This means that bookmakers won’t find themselves at a disadvantage against viewers who often see the moves teams make faster than the bookmakers do themselves.