Boosting revenue streams in esports: Bayes Esports’ visualisation tools

Esports is a rapidly evolving market, with predicted growth of 17.5% CAGR between 2022 and 2027. Pair this with the esports valuation expecting to grow to $3bn by 2027 and you can see why it’s one of igaming’s biggest talking points.  

With this growth comes great opportunity and one that operators are starting to take notice of. For those looking to take the leap into esports, Dachselt believes that data has the potential to make or break just how lucrative this vertical can be.

“Esports betting is a highly competitive space. Operators need to differentiate themselves with unique, data-driven products and visualisations. This is where in-depth data and cutting-edge analytics become a powerful unique selling point.”

Impactful data tools to stand out from the competition

For Dachselt, there are several areas of contention facing operators who opt out of engaging in the potential of visualisation tools powered by live data, direct from the source. Intentional delays in live broadcasts to a lack of immersive visualisations and frustrating complexities of esports all stand to block engagement and ultimately stifle revenue streams. 

It’s not all bad news for esports operators, as Dachselt believes that Bayes Esports’ expertise outstrips these issues through its series of tools that provide accurate information at every point of the game.      

“While the betting industry can be secretive with data, we’ve seen very promising results with one of our major customers. This suggests that visualisation tools and fast audio-visual streams have significant potential to drive customer acquisition and retention within esports betting.”

Implementing visualisation tools into your sportsbook will have a positive impact at any stage of the customer journey. Whether they want to attract new bettors, encourage their first bets, encourage larger wagers, or nurture long term loyalty, real-time data can build engaging visual tools that can achieve any one of these goals. By working with a data provider, they can guide an operator on which tools to leverage to make the greatest impact.    

Visualisation tools for success

This secrecy doesn’t extend to Bayes Esports with Dachselt suggesting four of the most important data points for encouraging player engagement.

“Firstly, granular event tracking for detailed logs of kills, objectives, and ability usage. Secondly, player and team stats including historical performance data win rates and head-to-head records that inform strategic betting decisions.      

“I’d then suggest visualisations like heatmaps, player movement tracking and other visual overlaps of the game state to make the match instantly understandable and highly engaging.    

“Finally, probabilities and predictions. AI driven models analysing this data can offer real time probabilities and outcomes, guiding bettors and adding further excitement.”

Bayes Esports packages these data points into easy-to-integrate solutions that have a significant impact on acquiring, engaging, and retaining a bettor. Visualisation tools can help maximise potential esports revenue streams, boost engagement, and ultimately encourage growth. 

Through tools that offer flexibility, quick wins, and scalability to engage players accurately, Dachselt believes that Bayes approach to visualisation and player engagement is a powerful one.

“Offering a range from raw data over statistics and analytics to ready-made widgets allows Bayes Esports to serve betting operators at every stage of the bettors journey. This means our tools can support an operator as it grows its esports betting offering over time.    

“The combination of basic, easy-to-use tools alongside the option for deep customisation caters to both new entrants in the market and established operators with sophisticated needs.”

Encouraging acquisition and onboarding

“Creating eye-catching widgets, engaging video streams, and previews of exciting in-play markets can attract new bettors and differentiate an operator from competitors.”

When looking to attract bettors at the early stages of their customer journey, betting operators will benefit from key visualisation tools like live match widgets, tournament calendars, and video highlights. This builds trust and it alleviates any confusion around esports, ultimately knocking down any barriers to engagement.

Dachselt explains, “Visualisation tools during acquisition and onboarding are crucial. Appealing visuals and easy-to-understand explanations can be the difference between someone trying esports betting for the first time or abandoning it due to complexity.”

Esports attracts a much younger audience than traditional sports betting, with over 50% of esports fans aged between 18 and 34.  With this generation often feeling more confident with technology, operators may feel their audience doesn’t need introductory guidance even at the point of acquisition. 

However, Dachselt believes that it’s still vital to have an immersive experience from the very beginning. Using game tutorials, interactive maps and simplified player or team stats, new esports fans can gain the basic knowledge for an engaging and competitive experience.

“Breaking down complex game concepts with intuitive visualisations eases the learning curve for new bettors, encouraging them to place their first bets.    

“Interactive visualisations can break down complex game mechanics, player statistics, and team strategies. This empowers new bettors with easily digestible insights, lowering the barrier to entry.”

Engagement and conversion leading to retention

“Immersive visualisations, real-time data on in-play markets, and probabilities increase bet frequency and encourage larger wagers.”

Engagement remains at the heart of the bettor’s journey with interactions, gamification, challenges and leader boards helping to boost the much-loved social element of esports. It’s what retains interest and keeps a bettor onside, averting the potential for roving eyes that may be attracted by sign up offers on another site.

“Intentional delays in live broadcasts for integrity reasons can lead to a disjointed betting experience and frustration for users who want real-time betting options.”

Taking into consideration the 65% of esports bettors who now prefer to bet on live events, it’s imperative operators take this on board to ensure a retention of player engagement. 

For Dachselt, this isn’t a cause for worry since Bayes Esports’ tools are powered by official live data directly from the in-game servers.

“While always important, visualisations likely have the potential for even greater impact as a bettor becomes more experienced. Tools that fuel in-depth analysis and strategic betting become essential.”

Moving on to the conversion stage of the bettors journey, Dachselt feels that offering more detailed match visualisations, live odds and custom alerts should be introduced to avoid complacency and fuel a more interactive and engaging experience.

Creating immersive esports experiences 

“Advanced visualisations can immerse bettors within the game world.  Consider overlays showing heatmaps, player positioning, objective status, and more. This delivers the engaging and in-depth view bettors crave.”

There’s been a spotlight on immersive experiences in igaming as operators battle to stand out against the competition with interactive displays, real time popups, projection maps, and motion tracking. For live esports betting, this can elevate the level of dynamism to suit players’ thirst for engagement.

“Esports fans crave immersion. Data enables operators to go beyond basic betting markets and offer engaging experiences that mirror the visual intensity of the games themselves.”

As Dachselt explains, the two elements of immersion and live betting very much marry together in the potential to increase engagement and operator revenue. “Live, in-play betting is the lifeblood of esports betting. Detailed, real-time data is the foundation for offering a diverse range of in-play betting markets, keeping players engaged throughout the match and boosting revenue potential.

“Traditional esports broadcast streams, while entertaining, may not fully support the informed decision-making required for in-game betting. Bettors desire a more immersive and data-driven experience.”

The power of live match data not only boosts an in-play betting experience but it provides bettors the opportunity to capitalise on momentum shifts and exciting moments of a game.

Smooth video streaming to boost the live betting experience

“While watching the main broadcast is vital, betting-focused streams with minimal delay are key for live betting. Bayes Esports’ video stream integration retains users on the betting platform, maximising the potential for continuous engagement and betting throughout the match.”

Improving live betting opportunities through the implementation of fast video streams is key for boosting engagement at this mid-stage of a player’s journey. Giving players that in-the-moment experience where they feel as close to the action as possible is paramount to the success of any esports operator. Any lag in a video stream will risk losing a player’s attention and also potentially force operators to close their markets early.

As Dachselt explains, “Esports bettors want to be in the thick of things and not miss out on exciting moments. Without the right tools alongside betting offerings, they may stick to pre-match bets and be less engaged throughout the game.

“The ability to quickly integrate video streams provides an immediate boost to engagement. This can be crucial for operators wanting to test the waters in esports betting.”

Retention is key: Using visualisation tools to retain players

“Unique data insights, personalised betting tools, and community-driven engagement around esports events help cultivate long-term loyalty.”

For Dachselt, this point of a player’s journey requires tools that have personalisation at the crux of them. Historical performance statistics, customisable dashboards, and social features that build the community feel are all key to keeping players active. Performance data such as player metrics, match insights, or live match reporting all guide bettors on their wagers and make for a more exciting experience. Tools that a newer bettor may not look out for but are a necessity for a more experienced player.       

He explains, “These data points provide bettors with valuable insights and reference points for their wagers. By displaying probabilities for various outcomes, Bayes Esports’ tools empower informed decision-making, leading to higher confidence and continued engagement on the platform.”

Adaptation and localisation

“The very nature of esports titles dictates the value of different visualisations. For MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arena) such as Dota 2, tools highlighting objective control, team fight dynamics, and economic disparities are invaluable. Whereas in First Person Shooter (FPS) games like Counter-Strike, heatmaps of player positioning, grenade usage visualisations, and economy tracking would be heavily emphasised.”

This concept of personalisation needs to reach players from a varying range of regions and markets and as such, visualisation tools must adapt to evolving demands and focus on localisation.

Dachselt believes that this adaptation can be segmented in various ways but primarily the focus should be on a market-to-market basis as well as by game and tournament.

“Visualisation tools need to adapt to cater to these nuances. For example, in markets with stricter pre-match betting rules, tools that offer in-depth analysis of past matches, team dynamics, and player statistics become even more crucial for engaging bettors.”

The future of visualisation tools

Going a step further from putting player journeys under the microscope, Bayes Esports is helping set the industry standards once again.

“Esports betting is trending towards faster markets and an increased demand for customisable experiences. Data visualisation tools must evolve to deliver real-time, near-instant updates to support in-play betting decisions and highly personalised visualisations catering to individual betting strategies.    

“This combined approach underscores Bayes Esports’ dedication to delivering visualisation tools that are not only technically sound but also genuinely enhance the betting experience. By fostering collaborative relationships, we ensure our products continually evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of the esports betting landscape.”