What is esports under UK law?

eSports, also known as electronic sports or competitive and professional video gaming or pro- gaming most commonly take the form of organised, multi-player video game competitions, particularly between professional players.

How is esports defined in UK law?

In the UK, esports is classified as a game, like chess and bridge, not a sport. In some other countries around the world, where 'mind' games are classified differently, esports is recognised as a sport.

Is esports classified as a sport in the UK?

In the UK esports is currently classified as a game rather than a sport, however, this doesn't stop it from having proper organization and structure like in traditional sports. Currently, esports in the UK is split into leagues and regular tournaments.

Who regulates esports in the UK?

For example, the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) has as its mission “to be the recognised guardian of the integrity of esports and to take responsibility for disruption, prevention, investigation and prosecution of all forms of cheating, including, but not limited to, match manipulation and doping.” ESIC has an ...

How is esports structured in the UK?

Committee Structure. The UKeSA structure is made up of three key committees and a players union. Each committee plays a vital role in the operations of the eSports Association.

What exactly is esports?

Why is the UK behind in esports?

Speaking of the government, a lack of government support is considered another major reason why esports in the UK has been unable to reach its full potential. To its credit, the British government has made some efforts to support esports in an official capacity.

What qualifies as esports?

Any game in which players virtually compete in an organized competition qualifies as an esport. As long as a metric for performance exists, virtually any game can be used. Esports athletes compete in activities either as individuals or as part of a team.

What is the biggest ESports team in the UK?

Fnatic. Widely considered the most well-recognised UK-based esports team, Fnatic has maintained a legacy in the UK esports scene since its birth in 2004. In 2011, the organisation was one of the first to sign a professional League of Legends team and won the first-ever World Championship.

Who governs ESports?

The International Esports Federation (IESF) is a global organisation based in South Korea whose mission it is to have esports recognized as a legitimate sport.

Is esports legally a sport?

What's that you ask? Well, teamwork, strategy, skill and of course competition – everything we also love about, say football. There are more parallels in the esports vs sports debate – teams, drafts, betting, fantasy leagues and more. The esports industry is quite clear on this point: esports is a sport.

Does the US recognize esports as a sport?

Government Recognition

The United States officially recognised esports as a sport in 2013. It brought with it the official qualification of professional esports competitors as athletes entitled to apply for the country's temporary worker P1A visa.

How many countries recognize esports as a sport?

On the international front, the IeSF was formed in 2008 with the mission of recognizing esports as a sport. As of today, it has helped 22 countries, including China, Finland, Italy, and Russia, recognize esports as a sport.

Who classifies video games in the UK?

In the UK, PEGI 12, 16 and 18 rated games supplied in physical form, such as on discs and cartridges, are legally enforceable and cannot be sold or rented to anyone under those ages. The VSC is appointed by government as the body that issues these age ratings.

Is esports considered gambling?

And among the states that have contemplated esports, some have used their sports gambling laws to exclude esports from definitions of “sporting events” or to simply note that wagering on esports remains illegal. However, it is expected that many more states will legalize esports betting in the coming years.

Which country owns esports?

Contemporary esports has roots in competitive face-to-face arcade video game competitions. A forerunner of esports was held by Sega in 1974, the All Japan TV Game Championships, a nationwide arcade video game tournament in Japan.

Does esports need regulation?

Regulation is not required,” he says. The industry itself is setting best practice and that's really important because in this instance, a hands-off approach is working in terms of regulation. The industry is self-regulating and doing what's best for eSports and what's best for the players.”

Who is the highest paid eSports player UK?

United Kingdom: leading eSports players in 2022, by earnings

In 2022, Harry Pearson, going by the nickname of Veno, was the highest-earning eSports player from the United Kingdom with annual earnings of over 344 thousand U.S. dollars.

How big is eSports in the UK?

In the eSports market, the number of users is expected to amount to 17.11m users by 2027. User penetration will be 19.5% in 2023 and is expected to hit 24.5% by 2027. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$3.74.

Who is the most famous gamer in the UK?

Dan Middleton, a.k.a. DanTDM, is one of the most well-known British gaming YouTubers. Currently, he has 23.7 million subscribers. He covers a broad variety of games, including Fortnite, Pokemon, Robox, and Minecraft.

What are the three categories of esports?

While many games have competitive scenes around them, some of the most popular and enduring esports titles tend to fall within 3 genres: MOBAs, Shooters and Fighting Games.

Do people get paid for esports?

eSports salaries vary by team and players. Teams must pay each player a minimum of $12,500 for the 28-match season. However, players in winning and well-sponsored teams often receive considerably more than this.

What country is esports most popular?

South Korea

We've mentioned Dota and Fortnite – League of Legends is next. Accordingly, it's impossible to separate League of Legends and South Korea. Fielding the most talented players in, arguably, the most popular esport in the world, South Korea proves that size doesn't matter.

Is esports big in the US?

As competitive video games continue to integrate into popular culture, global investors, brands, and media outlets are all paying attention. Consumers are as well. In fact, Insider Intelligence estimates esports viewers in the US will total 29.8 million in 2022—eventually climbing to 34.8 million in 2026.