Esports Insights from GGBET UA Discussion Panel at SBC Summit Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine, May 21, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- On May 15, 2025, licensed bookmaker GGBET UA, opens new tab headed to Kyiv's UNIT.City, opens new tab to hold an exciting panel discussion with leading esports market experts to debunk persistent stereotypes about esports held by the broader public. This discussion was a key topic at the third SBC Summit Ukraine 2025, opens new tab All-Ukrainian sports marketing conference. GGBET UA also presented a museum exhibition to visitors, featuring unique trophies won by Ukrainian esports teams, as well as important facts about the history of esports' development within Ukraine.
SBC Summit Ukraine is the third all-Ukrainian sports marketing conference and brings together sports and business to create new projects. GGBET UA is once again a premium sponsor of the event. The Ukraine in esports: facts and fakes panel discussion was the first forum for professional dialog involving experts from this industry in the history of SBC Summit Ukraine. They discussed three common assumptions many people have about esports: that 'esports is not a serious industry,' 'esports in Ukraine can never be as popular as traditional sports,' and 'it's easier to succeed in esports than in traditional sports.'
During the discussion, the speakers shared interesting facts and insights about their niche. Yevhen Zolotarov, CEO of Ukraine's most successful club, NAVI, said that esports clubs currently have balanced business models and more formats for monetization than traditional sports (e.g., digital items), which creates additional possibilities for partners and sponsors. Vitalii "v1lat" Volachai, legendary commentator and co-founder of Maincast, shared his opinion that NAVI's match in the final of the CS2 World Championship in 2024 was one of the top three most-watched sports events, behind two football matches featuring Shakhtar and Dinamo. Viktor Proniakin, head of product at Esports Charts' analytics service highlighted the fact that when it comes to qualifier matches, esports is already beating traditional sports — an average event could draw in 30-50 thousand views from a Ukrainian-language audience.
Andriy Hryshchenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Esports Federation, spoke about an important topic: socializing and reintegrating soldiers through esports. The federation already dedicates time to working with veterans and soldiers in active service and is developing ideas offered by soldiers and finding great potential in them.
'We have collected assumptions about esports that are widely held, but controversial. This enabled us to facilitate a lively and open discussion. For a long time, esports has had its fans, its system of tournaments, its structure and partnerships, and disciplines such as CS2 and Dota 2, which are now included in the top 10 sports on GGBET UA. This industry unites generations, and we are delighted that we could demonstrate its true scale to SBC Summit Ukraine participants,' stated Sergii Mishchenko, CEO of GGBET UA.
GGBET UA also presented a museum of esports, at which visitors could check out original trophies won by Ukrainian teams from global tournaments, find out about the history of Ukraine's esports scene, and be persuaded that esports is an important component of modern sporting culture.
SBC Summit Ukraine 2025 also saw a raffle held of two CS:GO record books — an exclusive publication detailing world records in this cult game created by GGBET in collaboration with global publishers Dot Esports.
About GG.BET
GG.BET is an international betting brand with a presence in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and other countries across Europe and Asia. The company actively supports the development of sports and esports by sponsoring international tournaments, funding streams, and creating unique content with renowned experts, casters, and influencers. Its leading online platform, specializing in esports betting, traditional sports betting, and casino gaming, is designed to provide secure, engaging, and diverse opportunities for its users.GG.BET's achievements have been recognized by industry leaders. The brand was named Esports Operator of the Year at the EGR Global Operator Awards 2024, while GGBET UA was honored with the Operator of the Year for Central and Eastern Europe award at the EGR Global Europe Awards 2025. For more information, visit gg.bet.
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