Movers and Shakers in the World of Egaming for Charity
Yuriy SheremetEgaming has taken the world by storm in recent years, but not only does it make compulsive viewing, exciting betting, and good value entertainment, recently egaming has been doing its part for charity too. Owing to its loyal fanbase and charitable top players, egaming was a natural vehicle to fundraise for some deserving charities. If you're interested in gaming for a charity, attending a charity egaming tournament, or even just want to get an idea of what all of the fuss is about, then you've come to the right place.
GAME
One of the original pioneers of egaming for charity was UK based retailer GAME. Together with their longstanding partner charity SpecialEffect, organizers come together from both teams in order to facilitate GameBlast. This annual event allows people to log on and play online in order to raise money for fellow gamers with physical disabilities. If people can't access the online events then they can even head into stores to donate money.
GameBlast is always attended by amateur gamers, but really rakes in the viewers thanks to famous streamers, as well as studios and even university gaming societies. Players can pick a challenge of their own, marathon live streams are always a popular choice, but so too are esports tournaments or inter-office competitions. Through each and every gamer's generosity and ingenuity, this event continues to be a success. Last year GameBlast took place from the 21st to the 23rd of February and raised a staggering £140,000, £40,000 more than their target.
Gamers for Giving
Gamers for Giving is a US-based charity that raises money in order to buy gaming equipment for children undergoing lengthy hospital stays. Being based in the US means that they have a large base of people who are already familiar with fantasy sports betting. This style of betting is one of the most widely accepted forms across all states, as many traditional sports betting options have only been allowed in the last few years. Legal Betting provides a detailed rundown of exactly what is legal state by state, so if you're considering a bet in the next charity event then you can do so worry-free. One successful way of raising money has been asking people who bet on esports to donate the winnings to the Gamers for Giving charity.
The Gamers for Giving flagship event is a weekend-long competitive gaming tournament. Most years they run a LAN party for participants and a paid-for streamathon. Unfortunately in 2020 the LAN party couldn't go ahead, but this didn't stop them from raising a staggering $675,425, all of which will go towards helping some 422,000 children access gaming devices, to make their hospital stays a little more fun. If you want to get involved this year then the weekend is planned for the weekend of the 20th of March. They're super active on social media, so follow #GFG2021 for all of the news. Be sure to pencil in those streams you don't want to miss!
Gamers Without Borders
The biggest name in charitable egaming is Gamers Without Borders. This brilliant company raise $10,000,000 - that's right, 10 million dollars which is awarded to the winning gamers. The gamers then get to choose from a selection of carefully picked charities, exactly where their winnings will go to. This tournament is a staggering seven weeks long, so there's no excuse to miss the action. Last year saw NaVi take the top prize, after a gripping final round, of $750,000 which they donated to UNICEF.
Gamers from everywhere in the world are encouraged to join in however they can. Whether you want to be part of a gaming team yourself, compete in the community tournaments, or watch the live stream, every minute of time counts. The 'Learn' tab on the website will be of great use to any budding professional egamer. Here they feature endless amounts of helpful tips from industry pros, expect to find gaming webinars, information on hackathons, and even training programs. Whatever you find useful, fun, or interesting on the Gamers Without Borders website it's worth remembering that contributing to the charitable organizations via the website is perhaps the best way to show your support.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.