Almost a year ago, Skyesports partnered with 1XBET, an online betting website . Right after the announcement, Skyesports, one of the major esports tournament organisers in the country, received backlash from the Indian gaming community. This was obvious with growing concerns about the diminishing distinction between video games and other entities involved in Real Money Games (RMG), betting, or gambling.
Fast-forward to the present, and the community has again highlighted the continued partnership between Skyesports and 1XBET. This time, the focus is on Skyesports Championship 2024, the upcoming C esports tournament for Counter-Strike 2. And this my friends, is why people confuse gaming with gambling in India.
— 0xSkeptic | Cringe Connoisseur (@RishiAlwani) Short-Term Gains Could Harm the Hard Work of the Video Games Industry Representatives The video games industry has continuously tried to differentiate itself, including to clearly define a distinction between video games and other aspects, including RMG, betting, and gambling. This partnership between a major Indian esports tournament organiser and an illegal betting website risks damaging the movement for extremely short-term gains. Esports is an extension of the video games industry, as it allows gamers to showcase their skills in a video game at the highest, competitive level.
India has seen a surge in the popularity of esports, with many top teams, organisations, and content creators finding the public spotlight. Not .