Loto-Quebec Launches Online Betting On eSports

Loto-Quebec has been in the news lately for the wrong reasons. But last week it initiated a step that cannot be seen as anything but positive. It added a new online gambling vertical to its iGaming platform that can be accessed through EspaceJeux. This is eSports betting.

eSports is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems. The input of players and the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces. eSports betting is wagering on the outcomes of various organised eSports events and works in the same way as regular sports betting. Espacejeux is offering eSports betting through its Mise-o-jeu portal. It began with 13 different markets on the StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS) Summer Circuit Championship. WCS is a series of video game tournaments held by Blizzard Entertainment for their games StarCraft II.

Loto-Quebec has probably initiated this online gambling activity because the WCS event took place in Montreal for the first time as part of the DreamHack Open: Montreal Weekend. DreamHack Open is a premier eSports circuit launched in 2012. Loto-Quebec teamed up with DreamHack by sponsoring the Loto Quebec Indie Zone, which offered free space to a dozen local independent game studios to showcase their products. About 10,000 eSports fans have been reported to attend the DreamHack Montreal event. EspaceJeux also offered markets on the Dota 2 International 2016 contest.

Louis Beaudet, Loto-Quebec's director of sports and entertainment betting pointed out that the demand for eSports betting is growing and Loto-Quebec will fill the gap by offering a secure and honest environment for placing bets. He could not resist adding a snide remark against offshore online betting sites, stating that they are often illegal or poorly regulated channels. Nathalie Rajotte, Loto-Quebec's corporate director of strategy, innovation and branding also released a statement. He said, “At Loto-Quebec we are passionate about gaming in all its forms. There's a natural link between our teams and local creators, communities, studios and talented developers." He pointed out that video gaming was a major source of innovation and pushed the limits of creativity to new horizons. This activity is extremely popular in Quebec and therefore it makes sense to be associated with it.

There is of course another reason for Loto-Quebec to get involved in eSports betting. PlayNow the British Columbia online casino, already offers markets on StarCraft II, Dota 2 and League of Legends with great success. So it really is not surprising to see Espacejeux following suit.

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