In case you did not get the memo or you have been living under a rock, esports and gaming is serious money.
Gaming is the fastest-growing form of entertainment in the world. By 2022, the global video game market is expected to surpass $190 billion in revenues.
According to a Newzoo report, esports revenues were $856 million in 2018 and are expected to grow to $1.79 billion (about R2.6 trillion) by 2022.
Esports teams make their money through sponsorships, selling merchandise, ticket sales, advertising, media rights and game publisher fees.
Take for instance CS:GO. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular eSports games in the gaming world.
Since its release in 2012, an estimated $114 million in prize money has been awarded through thousands of tournaments.
According to data presented by SafeBettingSites.com, the Top 5 CS:GO eSports players in total earnings are all from Denmark, with combined career earnings of almost $9m.
As of May 2021, the top CS:GO eSports player Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen earned $1.9m.
Notably, the next four players in the rankings, Xyp9x, dev1ce, gla1ve and Magisk, are also from Denmark. They have each earned at least $1.5m in prize money.
The prize money that was awarded in official and unofficial tournaments have also increased dramatically. As of May 2021, there have been an estimated 5 668 official CS:GO eSports tournaments and an estimated $113.8m in prize money paid since the game’s release.
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