Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood said that it is unlikely esports athletes would choose the Olympics over top events.GETTY IMAGES
The possibility of esports joining the Olympics program has "gained traction in recent years" but not everybody involved in the sport favors it, according to Jack Tarrant of REUTERS. Esports betting company Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood believes the benefits for the IOC "far outweigh those for stakeholders already invested in electronic sports gaming." Sood said, "Some of the esports community are pumped to see video games at the Olympics, but many don't see the point. I believe esports doesn't need the Olympics as much as the Olympics needs esports. They would have to make a really good case for this to happen, if I'm being honest." Sood added that many of the top esports competitions, such as Counter Strike's $1M ELeague Premier and Dota 2's The Int'l, take place during the summer months and "would clash with the Olympics." It could lead to players "suffering financial losses" and some of the world's top players could "choose to skip the Olympics and focus on long-standing esports competitions." Sood: "It's extremely unlikely top athletes would choose the Olympics over top esports events" (REUTERS, 10/11).
