Videogames are not seen as just recreational hobbies anymore, and there are limited-yet-potential career paths in the field of gaming, that did not exist in the same capacity at the turn of the millennium. Esports have become more technical and strategic over the past two decades, having entered the sports industry as competitions of mental and physical skill, just like other traditional sports (Kim et al., 2020).

Given the limited number of studies, there is a need for further research in this field to understand these populations, as well as the need for longitudinal research.Įlectronic sports, more popularly known as esports, can be defined as competitive video gaming (Hamari & Sjöblom, 2017). Esports gamblers are a unique type of gambling population, with rare characteristics and behaviors compared to other types of gamblers. Esports gamblers were found more likely to be young males, likely to score high on problematic gambling scales, and likely to belong to households speaking a non-English language at home in English speaking countries. A total of 30 studies from eight countries were included in the review. Only empirical studies were included and were also assessed for potential biases using the ROBUST guidelines. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was undertaken using PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The present study aimed to comprehensively review all empirical research conducted in the wider field of esports gambling.

While research has been increasing in the field of esports-related gambling, no study has yet reviewed the relevant literature on esports gambling. Esports gambling has steadily grown in popularity alongside esports itself.

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