When sports leagues around the globe came to shuddering halt in the first half of 2020, sports betting operators were left with a major headache. But esports stepped up to the plate, filling the void left by the NBA, English Premier League and MLB. With the gaming industry still discovering the nuances of esports, our own Becky Liggero Fontana sat down with esports betting executive Lovell Walker to shed some light on the industry.

Walker believes that the gaming industry has an opportunity to attract a new audience with the onset of esports betting by creating new forms of entertainment for a younger audience. “As an operator start to build our property in a way that’s going to be inviting for a younger demographic,” he said.

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The development of esports across the U.S. has meant that regulators have been open to new processes for betting. “Regulators were very easy to deal with and they were very open to the process which is totally appreciated as an operator but the second is the existing market doesn’t quite get it yet, which isn’t a big deal today, that’s almost to be expected,” Walker added.