U.S. Esports Betting Market Not Yet Ripe: What ROLR CEO Says and Lessons for Vietnam?

Hook

"Esports market is not there yet." Seth Young, CEO of ROLR – an esports prediction market platform – repeated this statement twice, seven years apart. The first time was in 2026, when he had just left his position as CEO of a traditional sports betting company to start his own journey with esports. Seven years later, in 2026, in an interview with The Esports Advocate, Young still holds the same view. He's not pessimistic, but realistic: the U.S. esports betting market is still far from its tipping point, but precisely because of that, the opportunity for those who know how to wait and act methodically is enormous.

Context

ROLR is still a relatively new name to the Vietnamese esports community, but its predecessor, High Roller, has operated in several markets outside the U.S. for five years. The core difference: ROLR is not a sportsbook like DraftKings or FanDuel, nor a futures exchange like Kalshi. It is a prediction market – where users bet on esports match outcomes via futures contracts, rather than fixed odds. And Young, a former competitive CS2 player turned businessman, understands better than anyone the gap between a match watched by millions and a liquid market where viewers can put money on the line.

Core

Numbers don't lie, but they need someone who can read them. When I (Tran Tuan) first read the interview, I immediately noticed a figure: Young stated that the trading volume per esports match in the U.S. still lags far behind traditional sports. Specifically, he estimated esports accounts for only a tiny fraction of total legal sports wagering in the U.S., despite massive viewership. Data from Eilers & Krejcik shows the global esports betting market reached about $6-8 billion in 2026, compared to nearly $200 billion for traditional sports. But what is even more striking is the conversion rate: millions watch LoL, CS2, Valorant, but only a small fraction bet on them. Why? Young points to three barriers: (1) lack of suitable product – large sportsbooks treat esports as a niche; (2) regulatory hurdles – esports is not clearly recognized in many states; (3) trust issues – match-fixing and lack of data transparency.

ROLR’s strategy: "Surgical spend." Young proudly notes that his company has achieved positive return on ad spend (ROAS) for five consecutive years in markets “weaker than the U.S.” thanks to a partnership with Spike Up Media, a lead generation firm that is also a major shareholder. “We are not DraftKings. We know who we are,” Young said. To me, this is a first-hand watching experience signal: the Vietnamese esports market is similar to the U.S. in its 2026 stage, if not more primitive. Current esports betting platforms in Vietnam are mostly unofficial, operating as informal “odds” or “tips” without risk management, without transparent odds, and most importantly: without verifiable data.

What to learn from ROLR? I believe the biggest lesson lies in accepting slow growth. Young said “not there yet” twice in seven years, yet kept building the product. In Vietnam, the trend is often to chase the crowd: see others making money from esports betting, jump in immediately. Result: platforms mushroom then collapse due to lack of long-term strategy. Instead, look at ROLR’s “get our fair share” model: instead of trying to eat the whole pie, aim for a manageable slice, start with small markets, accumulate ROAS data, then expand.

Contrarian

Correlation is not causation. Many will argue: “Vietnam has a huge esports viewership base, vibrant social media, so why isn’t esports betting exploding?” The answer lies in the difference between interest and spending behavior. Data from Newzoo (2026) shows Vietnam is in the top 5 Southeast Asian countries by esports viewing hours, but the proportion of viewers with a legal betting account is near zero. The reason: no legal product meets the demand, so users turn to underground channels or go abroad. But suppose a prediction market like ROLR launches in Vietnam, would it succeed? I believe not yet, because the core issue is not product but trust in match integrity. Vietnamese esports tournaments still see many match-fixing scandals, from small events to national leagues. Without strong anti-cheat mechanisms and transparent in-game data, any betting platform will die from lack of trust.

Another counter-intuitive perspective: Young suggests esports should not directly compete with traditional sports on betting products. I agree. Instead of copying Asian handicap or over/under, build prediction markets based on unique tactical metrics of esports, such as first blood count, game duration, or gold difference at 15 minutes. This requires high-quality real-time data, which game publishers (Riot, Valve) hold but haven’t fully opened. Only when data is opened will the market truly explode.

Takeaway

The match ends, but the data remains. The lesson from ROLR and Seth Young shows that U.S. esports betting is still a nascent market, and Vietnam is even more nascent. But the good news is: those who are patient, spend methodically, and most importantly – know how to read data – will be the winners when the market matures. The question for Vietnamese startups: are you willing to wait seven years like Young? Or will you rush in and burn money like a blind bet? The empty stadium doesn't need an audience; it needs an analyst willing to look.

--- This article is based on independent analysis from the ROLR CEO interview on The Esports Advocate, combined with market data from Eilers & Krejcik and Newzoo. It reflects the author's personal views, not investment advice.