eSports Gets National Attention as Covid-19 Shuts Down Most Sports

Submitted by Alistair Prescott on

Written by :

Alistair Prescott

Published on :

eSports Gets National Attention as Covid-19 Shuts Down Most Sports

"Covid-19 is showing us how resilient [esports] is, the fact that it can be operated from anywhere," said Ben Lenihan, the president of the New Zealand Esports Federation (NZESF).

When the video game Call of Duty released an update on 27 March, data passing through Vodafone's American service provider doubled, the telecommunications company said.

Players are also taking to the new travel restrictions.

David Gore, a competitor in the computer strategy title StarCraft II, said he was playing more while under lockdown at his parent's home in Upper Hutt than before. "Since I haven't left my house for two weeks, I've played every day, like probably four hours a day at least."

Still, esports is not without its challenges.

Lenihan said the lockdown was a double-edged sword, because although the industry was enjoying more activity, many of its major sponsors had shut down. "As with any sport, you are restricted in what you can do by your resources."

- Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com

Related Content

Dave & Busters

Suit Against Dave & Busters in South Carolina Court Claims Arcade Games Are Unlawful Gambling

A state advocacy group filed a suit in the District Court of South Carolina Florence Division late Wednesday April 15 arguing the chain’s games function as unlawful gambling rather than entertainment.
Fanatics Markets

Fanatics Markets Unveils Combos

Just in time for basketball’s postseason, Fanatics Markets is introducing a bigger way to trade with Combos.
Curacao

Curacao Is Still the Most Popular Gambling License. But the Rules Have Changed

If you have spent any time around the online gambling industry, you have heard the same pitch for Curacao a hundred times: cheap, fast, easy. For years that pitch was essentially accurate.
1Win airplane with man stepping out

Tyga Enters 1win VIP Program, as Platform Blends Crypto and Entertainment

1win continues to evolve its VIP ecosystem, bringing global rapper Tyga into its high-tier community while reinforcing its positioning as a crypto-first entertainment platform.