ISFE Esports developed this paper with the support of the Entertainment Software Association (USA), the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (Australia and New Zealand), and the Interactive Software Federation of Europe, to help the understanding of the phenomenon of video game competitions, also known as ‘competitive gaming’ or ‘esports’. For the first time, associations representing the video games industry, video game creators (publishers and developers), and stakeholders of the esports sector have analysed the scale of this growing economic activity to inform policymakers, regulators, institutions, and the public about what esports are, ensuring decision-makers are informed and facilitating a dialogue with the industry.