Esportsbetting.com opens for business in Malta and immediately joins ESIC

Esportsbetting.com opens for business in Malta and immediately joins ESIC

Esportsbetting.com has become the first Maltese-based esports betting service to operate on a Maltese Gaming Authority license and immediately joins the Esports Integrity Coalition in a positive statement of intent.

I went out for a family meal last night. Three generations were ignoring the lime pickle, and wondering why on earth anyone would want to colour coconut red.

There were two tables. One for the youngsters, and another for the old codgers. Sitting in the middle of the fogey’s table was my young nephew. He was the only one who kept his jacket on. He looked like a cross between the South Park character who keeps getting killed, and the kid who floated outside the window in Salem’s Lot whispering “let me in.”

It looked like he hadn’t seen the sun in years.Esportsbetting.com opens for business in Malta and immediately joins ESIC

Everyone ignored him. Some spoke about him as if he wasn’t there. I sat next to him.

“What have you been up to?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? You must do something?”

“Video games.”

“What video games?”

“Every heard of Overwatch?”

Is this the future of esports betting?

Vampiric looking kids who look like they’ve eaten a few unexpected olive seeds?

I told him that I’d heard about Overwatch and that there is a professional sports league. I’m glad I did. His mother says he wants to join the bomb disposal unit in the army (influenced by Call of Duty). Maybe, becoming a pro esports player will save his life?

The world of esports is big business, and nobody knows this better than Benjamin Bradtke, former Head of Marketing for the Berlin-based esports data hoarders, DOJO Madness.

Bradtke has started Esportsbetting.com, and this week they became the first esports betting platform built in Malta, and to operate under a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) license, gazumping Unikrn (who recently announced a part in the MGA’s sandbox environment).

The new platform kicks off in Germany, Austria and Sweden. I tried to access the site from the UK, and I received a reminder that I’m not allowed to gamble on esports in my country.

I believe a bid for a UK license is in the offing.

Esportsbetting.com will offer pre-match and in-play options. Straight off the bat, the outfit has shown the value of integrity and security. Bradtke and the team have joined the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC), vowing only to offer markets where the pair can provide security and integrity checks.

With Unikrn also following suit, the European esports marketplace is about to create a few more pasty-white vampires.

And who can blame them?

According to new data from Newzoo, global esports revenue is expected to grow 38% to $906 million by year end, reaching $1.65 billion by 2021.