Why eSports betting is banned in New Zealand

eSports – also called Electronical Sports-is the playing of computer games in competition. This can be done both individually and in a team. Call Of Duty, Fortnite and FIFA are some examples of spell which are often played. eSports have experienced considerable growth, especially in the last 10 years. Partly due to streaming platform Twitch, eSports has become known to the general public. Today, World Championships are held and some major news websites such as ESPN and Yahoo have set up a news section on eSports.

Previously, players could bet on the winner or the loser, among other things, but also on how many points difference the teams finished in the ranking. Important when betting on eSports is to be aware of the latest developments of a player or a team. Players can look at any substitute players for when someone is sick or doesn't show up and they can keep an eye on all other stats. Where there is betting on football matches if there are hundreds of options, that is when betting on eSports a lot less. The reason for this is to prevent fraud.

Prohibited

Why is eSports betting banned when it's so popular? This mainly has to do with the target group. eSports are especially popular among young people. The Gaming Authority sees the youth group as a vulnerable group, where addiction can occur in the long term. This is also one of the reasons why they ban on loot boxes have investigated. These loot boxes add a chance element to a game which can also be seen as ‘online gambling’. These games are mainly played by young people. The Gaming Authority hopes – with the ban on betting on eSports-to dissuade young people from a potential gambling addiction.

In addition, the Gaming Authority also believes that eSports is too easy to influence when it comes to bribing the participants.

The future of eSports betting

That eSports is big is actually no secret anymore. Ads in the games, a real E-Division: nothing seems too crazy in the game world. But whether it will ever be possible to gamble on eSports, no one knows for sure. Given that the Gaming Authority does not want online casinos to target young people under 25, we do not think it will be found legal in the near future. But we do not exclude anything, time will tell.