Rohini Sardana, the Founder and CEO of WiseWager Consultancy, asserts that esports betting presents a unique landscape never encountered by the gambling sector before.

During an appearance on GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Show, hosted by Chief Sales Officer Yevhen Krazhan, Sardana elaborated on the necessity for a distinct approach to esports betting that diverges from conventional sports betting practices.

Having spent over twenty years immersed in esports, sports, media, and technology, Sardana has been at the forefront of advancements in iGaming.

She played a key role in the launch of Competitive Gaming at SIS and later led Pinnacle Solution’s EsportsEvolved initiative. Currently, at WiseWager, she provides strategic and commercial guidance to operators and suppliers aiming to develop esports betting offerings.

Rohini Sardana discusses the distinctions between esports and traditional sports betting

Sardana quickly highlighted that betting on esports is not simply an adaptation of sports wagering to a digital environment. She noted that traditional sports like football have remained largely static over the years, allowing for the creation of robust pricing models based on their established rules and structures.

In contrast, esports undergoes constant transformation. Game developers frequently release updates that alter gameplay or even retire entire titles.

Using the shift from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to CS2 in 2023 as an example, she illustrated the distinct challenges of esports betting, stating: «Overnight they deprecated that version of the game and introduced a new one that changed the format, rendering existing algorithms obsolete. It’s a whole different scenario when trying to approach it.»

Additionally, Sardana pointed out that the audience for esports differs significantly from that of traditional sports bettors, which complicates the landscape further. «They often do not engage with content in the same manner,» she remarked, emphasizing the necessity for customized engagement strategies.

For operators, these differences lead to increased complexity in developing esports betting products. «The number of elements involved in a video game is much greater compared to any traditional sport,» Sardana clarified.

She asserted that creating sustainable betting products demands more than just advanced trading models. It also necessitates educating executives and decision-makers who may not recognize the intricate dynamics of esports. «When developing products, it’s crucial to grasp these subtleties from a macro perspective, which is what stakeholders observe. They may overlook the details, and it’s about educating them in a way that resonates with their understanding of costs and revenues,» she added.

One of the distinctive challenges highlighted by Sardana is that many esports titles consolidate various elements of traditional sports into a single format. «Esports as a betting market is still being developed because it revolves around the game, strategy, and skill. Rocket League serves as an excellent example, merging aspects of ice hockey, football, and car racing within a single game,» she explained.

Sardana elaborated, «That’s three sports encompassed in one. How does one tailor trading models for that? It’s not just about the sport; it’s about the skills demonstrated in the game, and it gets very technical.»

Through WiseWager, Sardana aims to bridge the gap between how stakeholders view esports and the technical realities of establishing effective betting markets. With the swift evolution of game formats and consumer behavior, she believes ongoing education and innovation are essential for positioning esports as a developed and lucrative industry.