Online sports betting firm boosts involvement in eSports

Australian online sportsbetting operator Sportsbet, a subsidiary of the Paddy Power land and online gambling group, has identified the burgeoning eSports vertical as a vehicle through which it can grow market share, launching a new eSports portal for Australia branded Respawn.

The company already accepts bets on eSport competitions, having entered a sector which can boast global audiences of 134 million.

Sportsbet claims that Respawn will include “the fastest ESL (Electric Sports League) stream in Oceania, live match statistics, odds and upcoming tournament information”.

The new enterprise will feature tournaments for games including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm and others, and give live odds on tournaments, allowing online and mobile punters to place their bets from the platform.

Users will be asked to create an account to log into the site, while Sportsbet customers can log in with their existing accounts, giving the company a larger marketing list.

The new eSports site is available on mobile web and desktop devices.