Esports fans have won $250M+ backing pro players: inside the rise of staking

How large has esports staking become in 2026? The clearest measure currently available is the amount returned to participants. According to first-party figures supplied by 1v1Me, more than $250 million has been paid out to users through the platform.

That total is notable because staking remains a relatively unfamiliar category beside sportsbooks, daily fantasy sports and prediction markets. It also reflects a product built around repetition rather than a handful of marquee tournament fixtures. Matches run throughout the day, giving users an always-on slate with relatively quick outcomes.

1v1Me playoffs have some of the highest payouts for professional gamers in the esports world, second only to major tournaments like the CDL and Esports World Cup.

The timing fits a wider shift in esports viewing. Large events such as the Esports World Cup create global appointment viewing, while publisher circuits and games-as-services keep competitive play active between major events. As EGW has previously reported, new prediction formats are also expanding the ways audiences follow esports.

Staking occupies its own part of that landscape: smaller, frequent matches in which the player, prize pool and result are visible in one experience.

Why does the always-on match model matter?

Professional esports often revolves around major scheduled tournaments. 1v1Me fills the time between those events with live matches every day of the year, each offering a quick, self-contained matchup between two professional gamers.

This mobile-friendly format gives fans more esports to watch and allows lesser-known professionals to build an audience through consistent performances. It complements major events like the Call of Duty League and Esports World Cup by making head-to-head esports available throughout the day.

Sign up for 1v1Me using this link to get a $25 No Sweat Stake. Use code: EGW. If your stake loses, you’ll get up to $25 back!