esports - featured image

eSports in Finland: A New Way to Make a Fortune

Featured photo by Jonathan Petersson on Unsplash

Since the gambling industry opened up online, poker and other online eSports have grown in popularity. Plus, players have learned to earn money at virtual casinos. Also, the choice of slot games online is often wider than in land-based casinos, and the graphics are more advanced and entertaining.

RELATED CONTENT: HOW TO MAKE A LIVING PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AT HOME

People can earn more money online than at real-world poker tables, thanks to the lucrative bonuses digital casinos offer. They can also sharpen their skills more productively than when competing against real players. This is because there are online games for players of all skill levels.

Running 24 hours a day, digital poker rooms give novice players an endless supply of chances to bring their poker skills to perfection. People have also discovered that betting on sports is more comfortable from their homes than from bookies in town. As the industry of online sports betting was booming, it presented players with more opportune moments to strike it big.  

eSports Are Popular in Finland

In Finland, more than 80 percent of citizens gamble. Moreover, players capitalize on every opportunity online casinos give them. They try their luck playing online poker, themed slots, and other games offered by new online casinos. Finns call these “uudet nettikasinot 2020.”

There is also another new enterprise in the digital world that is taking Finland by storm. Finnish people, especially Finland’s younger population, have lately been devoting their attention to eSports. That is, they wager on outcomes of eSports competitions. This also helps to train young people to become professional eSports players.

Finland’s enthusiasm for electronic sports, a form of sport competition using video games, is not shared by every country. In other words, eSports are not officially recognized as a sport by all nations. However, more and more governments begin to look more kindly upon them, giving them support and official recognition.

For example, popular with its citizens, eSports are among other official sports in China and the United States. The Asian Olympic Committee (OCA) has recognized eSports as the official discipline of the 2022 Asian Games in China. South Korea even honored eSports players to be the bearers of the Olympic torch at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Seoul.

Also, the Philippine’s Games and Amusement Board gave the green light to electronic sports in 2017, approving them as an official sport. France protects eSports players by forming eSports associations, and so do the Netherlands and Sweden.

The Finnish Olympic Committee Weighs In

In 2019, Finland followed in the footsteps of its Nordic neighbors when the Finnish Olympic Committee declared eSports to be a part of the Finnish sports community. Immediately afterward, the Finnish Assembly organized the biannual eSport events in the Helsinki Expo and Convention Center, Messukeskus.

In this center, lovers of eSports competitions flock together twice a year to watch their favorite teams fight for first prize. As the eSports industry boasts billions in revenue, prizes the best eSports teams earn are lucrative.

For instance, the highest earning Finnish eSports teams are Team Gigantti. So far, they have made more than $223,849. IGame.com has $86,225 to its credit.

There are also Team Finland and a team called 69°N-28°E. These two teams have earned $458,000 and $45,721, respectively. The top fifth Finnish team is Ninjas in Pyjamas, with earnings of $40,359.     

Finnish Poker Players Are Among the World’s Best

Finland is proud to have not only the greatest number of professional poker players in the world, but also the strongest eSports players. For example, Patrik Antonius, is among the world’s best poker players.

For another, Jesse Vainika, whose sport nickname is JerAx, ranks first among 1089 Dota 2 players worldwide. He is also the first among the top fifteen Finnish players, having earned $6,469,215 during his eSports professional career.

Another Finn, Lasse Aukusti Urpalainen, nicknamed Matumbaman follows JerAx. Matumbaman’s total earnings are $3,541,536. The third Finnish player on this list is Topson, or Topias Taavitsainen, who has so far made $2,290,122.

The fourth player goes by the name Serral, whose birth name is Joona Sotala. Serral is currently playing for Ence eSports team. Throughout his entire StarCraft II professional career, he has earned $716,900. The fifth on the list of the top Finnish eSports players is Allu or Aleksi Jalli, who has raised $220,920 during his Counter-Strike professional career.

eSports Players Become Successful and Wealthy

So it’s no wonder that, when they see how successful and rich young Finnish eSports players become, other young Finnish people want to make a career for themselves in eSports.

Encouraged by their families, young Finns practice many hours a day and join various eSports programs. In fact, the Finnish government organizes these programs to help young people become professional players.

Moreoer, the government not only sponsors eSports tournaments and summer boot camps for high school students but it also invests money in promoting awareness of electronic sports among Finnish people.

Last year for example, Telia Company, together with the Finnish Assembly, launched Telia eSports Series. The purpose of the series was to educate people unfamiliar with this sport about its rules and procedures. The organizers of the eSports project hope that, with more support from Finnish people, Finland will soon become the world leader in this sport discipline.