Malaysia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing eSports markets and the next regional eSports hub in the video gaming world. The progress that this country is making in competitive video gaming is so impressive that it has been turning heads all across the globe. Malaysia has been put into the spotlight lately with all the developments, advancements as well as fruitful efforts, and initiatives to position itself as one of the world’s leading eSports ecosystems.
eSports are now everywhere in Malaysia. The number of active gamers is growing at a phenomenal rate, while the number of eSports fans and bettors has exploded in the past few years. This is why eSports betting is no longer a niche segment of the gambling industry, but a premium market for all the best online betting sites Malaysia.
With worldwide attention and eyes set on the Malaysian video gaming sector, it is no wonder that the country is booming. But this boom is fueled by the required infrastructure in place, the support from the government and institutions, and the nurture of innovation and creativity.
The right “infrastructure” in place
Malaysia has always been a tech-savvy nation, with digital technologies and generally the technological industry being highly upfront in the governmental and political agendas. More to that, Malaysia is a country where internet penetration is huge, and the active internet users are close to the whole population. Added to this, digital literacy is very high, which is a basic prerequisite for the growth of eSports.
The right infrastructure involves having the necessary grounds upon which eSports can develop and flourish. From the organization of tournaments and competitions with worldwide appeal and class to the development of programs nurturing creativity and innovation for video game startups and businesses in the industry, everything points towards a favorable and fertile ground for eSports growth.
Active support from the government
Part of Malaysia’s impressive growth in eSports is attributed to the incredibly active support by the government and the relevant institutions. The fact that video gaming has been officially recognized as a competitive activity by the Ministry of Youth & Sports in Malaysia, which comes together with the development of a proper regulatory framework protecting players and organizers, makes the entire situation much better and fosters the growth of the industry. This has also been the fueling factor for the growth of eSports betting among bookmakers like iBet.
More to it, the MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) is committed to transforming the country into an absolute environment for digital creativity and along with the government’s support for organizing large-scale competitive video gaming events are further pushing the boundaries of Malaysia becoming an eSports regional hub.
Nurturing Talent
And besides having the right infrastructure and the proper governmental support in place, the initiatives that are directed toward nurturing eSports talent certainly lead the way in Malaysia’s sprint over video gaming growth.
The government’s decision to include eSports in official competitive sports adds to the prestige of competitive video gaming and makes its world far more appealing to younger people. Also, the development of eSports academies and the money poured into the support of eSports teams, to represent the country in global leagues and competitions, help the nurture of eSports talent.
We’ve seen so many success stories lately from teams, such as the 3 gold medals in the Commonwealth eSports Championship 2022 or the gold medal in the Dota 2 Women’s category in the 3rd Global eSports Games in Riyadh in 2023. And these are only a few and they are only the beginning of Malaysia’s bright future in eSports.
