New ESports Betting Options in Peru with Intralot
Greece-based gaming solutions provider Intralot has partnered with Sportradar to launch the eSports option on Intralot de Peru, a Peru-based sportsbook. The launch comes shortly after Intralot has publicly acknowledged the practicality of building a robust eSports betting market for the foreseeable future, as IRL sporting matches continue to be canceled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This comes paired with some extremely promising projections about the future of eSports betting.
Live-streaming eSports events will now be another means through which players in Peru can place bets during coronavirus. ©Caspar Camille Rubin/Unsplash
Intralot de Peru
The latest from Athens-based Intralot has launched an eSports betting option for Intralot de Peru. In a press release issued by Intralot, eSports is currently among the fastest-growing sector in the world of iGaming, a market which many gaming companies are working to expand into as the coronavirus crisis rages on.
This new option, activated by a partnership between Intralot and Sportradar, means that online bettors in Peru can now place their bets on popular video games including Call of Duty, League of Legends, Counter Strike, Dota2, Star Craft II, and Overwatch. Traditional eSports games like Electronic Leagues of Fifa20 and NBA2K are also offered.
When launching the new eSports betting option, Intralot and Sportradar have hinted that more games are to come. Still, neither has announced which games this could include, or when they will be added to the portfolio. Avid gamers could likely be hoping for the addition of popular video games like Red Dead Redemption or World of Warcraft.
“We are excited to continue to innovate with our long-term partner Intralot de Peru, and create value that capitalizes on the transformative power of our technology. In a booming market like eSports betting, it’s all about gaining a first-mover advantage and Intralot de Peru has proven its forward-looking strategy by trusting Intralot’s proven solutions and world-class customer service that will drive the Lottery’s growth and ensure increased returns for the Peruvian community.”– Christos Dimitriadis, CEO, Intralot Group
During COVID, The Promise of eSports
This is just the latest in a series of deals throughout the gaming sector recalibrating to expand iGaming options, particularly in the realm of sports betting, since the onset of the novel coronavirus worldwide has forced people to stay home and businesses to close. This has ranged from moving conferences online to eSports and live-streamed card games.
With the recent announcements that casinos in Peru would be closed until August, the possibility now offered by Intralot de Peru will allow betting enthusiasts to continue to bet from home, now with entirely new options given to them by the constantly-refreshing content produced in the world of competitive eSports.
And this sector is likely to just continue reaping rewards for those in the industry savvy enough to follow this trend: according to a projection issued by H2 Gambling Capital, revenue from eSports betting is likely to swell close to an additional 40% this year. Should this upswing continue, the eSports betting market could double in size by 2024.
The Madrid Virtual Open and eSports
With sports betting providers and sports enthusiasts alike craving the adrenaline and excitement of an IRL sporting match, tennis fans were curious to see this year’s Madrid Virtual Open, a twist on the annual, highly competitive sporting event, which featured some of tennis’s most famous players facing off in virtual tennis.
The game brought together longtime fans of tennis, who enjoyed seeing the video livestream of some of their favorite players competing from their homes, with eSports fans, including the Virtual Open’s announcers, some of whom were entirely unfamiliar with some world-famous tennis players (and the way to pronounce their names).
The game offered a unique spin on what is traditionally an extremely competitive event. Humbled by the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Madrid Virtual Open offered none of the high stakes of a traditional tennis open. Additionally, the cash prize included a significant amount that would be donated to charity and to tennis players struggling financially.
In this way, this suggests that live-streamed, eSports versions of existing sports matches — featuring famous players, which is entertaining for sports fans to watch play out — is much less competitive than the IRL iterations of the same sports. However, it is quite likely that within the world of eSports players dueling each other, the familiar competition remains.
What Is Intralot?
Intralot is a gaming solutions provider and operator active since 1992. As of 2018, Intralot, spearheaded by CEO Christos K. Dimitriados and Chrysostomos D. Sfatos, employed more than 5,000 employees. Intralot offers its services in 44 different countries worldwide, now including Peru.
Since the coronavirus crisis has hit its apex, Intralot has continued to make international deals, particularly expanding into the world of sports betting — likely including robust eSports betting options. Most recently, Intralot partnered with the Montana Lottery to launch Sports Bet Montana, a first since Montana legalized sports betting in 2019.
