By now, it’s old news that Aware Gaming sold their spot in the MLG Pro League Call of Duty to TCM Gaming. And there’s been dialogue about, amongst other how players can protect themselves from the uncertainty of playing for teams in the current era of eSports. While being put out of a job/spot with no notice is no fun and hardly polite. One topic that being overlooked is, how financial stability (or the lack thereof) is directly related to the notion of longevity in eSports.

“Most people have no clue just how much many of us spend out of our own pockets to support our teams,” the Aware owner said, “and it often results in players who force their way out, don’t put forth a proper effort in doing the things needed to properly grow our business, and many who are just flat-out unappreciative of what we do as owners for our teams. So it was my intention at that time to find a new home for our team that would be able to better support the team moving forward” (Daily Dot, 3/11).

The biggest distinction between professional and amateur activities in any domain is NOT just the level of play. Rather it is the business angle. This means more than just players being paid to play. It encompasses the teams and organizations behind those players, generating revenue. When the business doesn’t grow, players don’t get paid or spots get sold, etc. And when contracts are loosely drawn up or non-existent; the results are exacerbated.

In that light, it’s interesting to hear words like “betrayal” or “loyalty” tossed around to describe this situation. It’s almost as if fans, players and pundits alike expect team owners to endlessly foot the bill, regardless of the long term prospects. This isn’t the cliched case of a tight-fisted billionaire sports team owner refusing to pony up to keep players. Instead, this is, essentially, a start-up organization attempting to keep its head above water.

So while airtight contracts and legal advice are absolute musts. More focus must be paid to shoring up the business of eSports. And unless it becomes more profitable to run quality eSports organizations and teams we will continue to see a scene lacking stability and long term prospects for both players and teams.

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Alex Fletcher is founder & president at eSports Group, where he helps customers meet their eSports advisory & consulting needs. When Alex isn’t glued to a screen, he spends time with his wife, their two dogs, and pretends to learn Polish. Feel free to stalk him on Twitter – @FletchUnleashed