ICE 2017 will be the largest igaming and gaming sector conference globally this year. Taking place at the ExCeL Centre from February 7th to 9th, it will occupy 40,925 sqm this year making it the biggest ever, and meaning that its Pitch ICE start up competition is even more intense.
Pitch ICE, an annual competition for start-ups involved in the gambling industry in some form to attract investors and compete for the prize. Of the eleven shortlisted companies in 2017, four of these are esports firms.
PVP.me, DoubleRQuits, Yamzu and BettersRift are the four to have made the grade. DoubleRQuits is an Irish firm with a platform which allows players of all levels to wager against one another, whilst Yamzu is also a platform which allows for esports contests and welcomes both individuals and businesses.
BettersRift meanwhile is a free to play esports betting site which is of the view that gamers are not yet gamblers so it’s introducing esports fans to betting. Finally, PVP.Me, which also caught the eye at EiG last year, is a player to player esports betting exchange.
Chris North, Chief Executive at GamCrowd which runs Pitch ICE, commented: “It is clear that esports remains a huge area of interest for startups, and I don’t think this is surprising.
“Esports has excited a lot of interest among the wider gambling sector and there is clearly the potential for that market to be huge in the years to come. Generally, the spread of companies involved in this year’s competition is fascinating and the I’m looking forward to getting to grips with the wide spread of ideas that will be on display.”
Esports Insider says: Pitch ICE is always a fun part of the ICE extravaganza and it offers start-ups a strong opportunity at making a name for themselves and putting their product or service in front of potential investors.