Need a Change? Try Betting These Markets
The world of betting has come a long way in the internet age, and it now spans way beyond picking the winner in a traditional sports game.
As a way to attract more people to a gambling market that has ballooned to a value of $59.6 billion globally in 2020, online betting sites have diversified their offerings to appeal to a variety of interests. These include markets on computerised sporting events, celebrities and reality television and even obscure competitions such as marble racing.
Celebrities
Ever since the Dutch original Big Brother kickstarted a reality television revolution in 1997, there have been countless programmes following everyday people as they go about mundane tasks. The competition element and the elimination of players in a lot of them sparked the concept of betting on these types of events.
Even certain celebrities like Kylie Jenner, who became famous in Keeping Up With the Kardashians in the late 2000s, offer up various markets that bettors try to pounce on. For instance, the 22-year-old media personality is only 12 million Instagram followers behind Ariana Grande, with odds being given for her to overtakes her rival and become the most followed woman on the platform. Seeing as Jenner has already overtaken Kim Kardashian, a number of bettors are predicting that she will smash the 7 Rings singer’s record.
eSports
One industry that is quickly catching up with traditional sports when it comes to betting is eSports. Competitive gaming has gone from being virtually unheard of in 2010 to having a total audience size of 380 million in 2018. That number is still growing, and betting companies have been unable to ignore it.
There are so many different games and events to stake on, along with a multitude of markets within those. For example, League of Legends is by far the most popular game for bettors with 38 percent of betting volume. Counterstrike: Global Offensive is close behind with 29 percent. In LoL, bettors will stake on things like which teams they think will win, who will get the first baron or dragon kill, and who kills the first inhibitor or tower (though some of these markets may mean little to you without understanding game…).
Marble Racing
Marble racing has become a YouTube sensation in recent times, and one viewing of the strange miniature sport can leave viewers hooked. A group of marble participants are released down a track and left to the mercy of gravity. Some of the tracks are ingeniously created, and there are sometimes even marble audience members in the stands.
The best-known marble racing channel on YouTube is Jelle’s Marble Runs, a Netherlands-based brand which now has over one million subscribers. It is responsible for creating the Marble League, Marbula One, and Marble Rally. This intense sport could be huge in the future.
In the modern age, there is the opportunity to bet on almost anything. A quick search online will reveal odds for whatever you feel like staking your money on, and mixing things up from traditional betting can be extremely exciting.