When the COVID-19 shutdown put a halt to March Madness, along with the NBA, NHL and MLB, it also crippled the billion-dollar sports betting industry that thrives from those leagues. In the interim, bookmakers scrambled to keep the interest of sports bettors despite no live sports to wager on. The sports gambling industry was forced to get creative, and thus, wagering on esports arrived.
Sportsbooks began offering lines on video games such as “Call of Duty,” sports games like NBA 2K20, and even virtual NASCAR races. Additionally, Esports gamblers will all be happy to learn that Electronic Arts’ recently agreed to “multi-year” renewals of its exclusive licensing agreements with the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for the continued production of its Madden NFL series.