New Mobile App Allows You to Bet on Your Skills in Fortnite

A new esports mobile betting app by the name of 1v1Me allows users to bet on their own chances of winning against another player. 

1v1Me Lets You Bet on Your CoD and Fortnite Skills 

Fortnite and Call of Duty players now have a new way to enjoy the games by placing heads-up wagers on their own prowess in the games through a private, invite-only mobile app known as 1v1Me.

Created by Anthony Geranio, the app was inspired by the pandemic and limited entertainment options, allowing gamers a way to “earn money” and bet on their own expertise in video games. 

1v1Me effectively allows community players to bet against each other with money on the side, effectively participating in mini-tournaments with the prize pools determined by how much each participant is willing to wager. 

In a way, this idea is not entirely new, as Unikrn already provides a similar solution that allows players to bet on their own in-game achievements.

The app got off to a terrific start endorsed by established content creators, such as NoisyButters, a Twitch and Twitter personality with a solid following. Geranio doesn’t expect to see too much action on the app at first, limiting the betting choices to just Fortnite and Call of Duty.

Get in on the Action: Invitation Only 

To participate, users need an invitation from an approved content creator with 12,000 people on the waitlist already queued up and clamoring for entry. Once a player has been invited, they need to go through identity verification to avoid underage gambling. Minors can still register for the app and be a part of the community, but they are not allowed to place wagers. 

1v1Me specifically sets the betting age at 18, but this may vary a lot depending on the jurisdiction you are currently in. Anthony and co-founder Alex Emmanuel, though, feel confident about the app’s success. Available in 48 states in the United States where skill-based gambling is legal, the pair feels quite confident in its success.  

After approval, players will then be asked to connect a payment method so that they can place wagers and match up with another player who is willing to bet against them. The platform moves all bets to an escrow so that there can be no refunds once a wager has been placed. 

The platform will then allow others to watch the game through a streaming service so as to ensure the fairness of the competition. Elaborating on what inspired them to create 1v1Me, the founders argued that they saw many people during lockdown spend money on sports betting or poker, and they thought to try a different approach.

Effectively, they wanted to help “gamers make more money from esports.” Geranio wants to take things even further and create a “new generation” of content creators on YouTube and Twitch. What type of content creators, though, he didn’t quite specify. 

Lingering Threat of Gambling in Video Gaming 

Gaming and betting have been two contrasting topics at heart. In key jurisdictions around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, legislators have argued that including gambling mechanics in video games could be potentially harmful to minors and exposed them to gambling practices.

Loot boxes have been a popular punching bag for legislators. Yet, the arguments put forth by lawmakers do make sense, specifically when raising concerns about the gambling-like nature of such digital containers. 1v1Me tries to buck the trend, but it may end up attracting more regulatory scrutiny.