Esports Betting
Esports Betting
LeBron James will earn more from prediction markets than basketball this year
Michael Hassall
Superstar basketball player Lebron James will earn more from prediction markets this year than from playing ball thanks to his mind-blowing 15 million dollar Polymarket sponsorship. The deal has highlighted both the contentious issue of prediction markets and sport (and the true market value of a 41-year-old player) as one of the NBA’s biggest stars now clearly has more cultural cache off the court than the value of a teammate …
Esports Betting
Polymarket bank failure predictions could force UK intervention
Michael Hassall
Crypto-based prediction market Polymarket has drawn the ire of the United Kingdom’s (UK) establishment after several markets emerged predicting the downfall of British high street banks HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group. The prediction market, which also has markets tracking the downfall of the likes of JP Morgan, US Bank, and BNP Paribas, also included markets predicting the failure of several UK banking institutions. The markets, mainly “Which banks will fail …
Valorant
Valorant Champions 2026 Playoffs Preview: Schedule, Betting Picks, and Predictions
Hannan Mundia
After a tough year and an even tougher group stage, the 2026 Valorant Champions playoffs are finally here. Eight of the best Valorant teams will compete to determine which one deserves to be crowned this year’s champion. Multiple professional Valorant teams gave it their all in their respective domestic leagues to qualify for Champions, but not every team was successful. Out of the sixteen teams that made it to Valorant’s …
League of Legends
GAM Esports vs Shopify Rebellion: Best Odds and Predictions for the Demacia Cup Global Invitational
Ben Boland
In the third round of the Demacia Cup Global Invitational, the three teams with a record of 0-2 play a Round Robin among each other. Only the team winning both of their matches gets to advance to round four, so these are two back-to-back elimination series for the teams. GAM Esports will have already played one, while Shopify Rebellion is on their first. Here are our predictions for GAM vs …
Esports Betting
Cloud9 vs LYON: Best Betting Odds and Picks for LCS 2026 Lower Bracket Final
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LCS Summer playoffs are close to concluding, but Cloud9 and LYON will battle it out to decide the grand final matchup. Only one spot is left in the 2026 LCS grand final. Cloud9 and LYON have done well to make it this far, even if LYON is the favorite to win the match. Still, looking at the recent match histories of both teams, there’s a good chance that …
Valorant
VCT Champions 2026 Plagued With Tech Issues — Players Now Forced to Play on Wired Mice
Owen Harsono
The biggest Valorant tournament of the year is off to a pretty rough start, as numerous players have experienced technical issues across their very important group stage matches. Things really got out of hand in the recent series between 100 Thieves and FUT Esports, as one player couldn’t fire his weapon entirely. Now, Riot’s most recent announcement has erupted players and the community in anger. Technical issues were already apparent …
Counter-Strike
ENVY Returns to Counter-Strike After Five Years, Picking Up an “Unpaid” 3DMAX Roster
Owen Harsono
North American esports organization ENVY has officially made its return to Counter-Strike. After putting its CS:GO division on hold in 2021, the org returns by signing the full former 3DMAX roster, so they aren’t starting from scratch. ENVY is not only a massive esports organization, but also a legendary one in Counter-Strike. The org fielded one of the strongest French rosters in history, winning the DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca Major in …
Valorant
Global Esports vs EDward Gaming: Best Picks for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
Some top teams are already being sent home from VCT Champions 2026, as Global Esports and EDward Gaming will face off in an elimination match on October 2. Both teams are playing for their tournament lives, so we can expect them to pull out their pocket strats. Here are my Global Esports vs EDward Gaming predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage (Elimination) Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 …
T1 Esports Challengers vs Galions: WSCI Semifinals best bets and predictions
Wasif Ahmed
League of Legends
T1 Esports Challengers faces Galions in the World Star Challengers Invitational semifinals. Honoring their organisation, T1.EA is one of the two favorites to win the event, easily defeating every opponent they’ve faced so far. Against them, Galions also made quick work of their Korean quarterfinal opponent. Here are our predictions and the best bets for T1.EA vs GL. The org of LoL champions is also a stronghold in tier 2. …
Vitality vs LOUD: Best predictions and picks for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
Valorant
Our recommended VCT Champions 2026 match to watch for September 30 has to be the clash between Team Vitality and LOUD for a spot in the playoffs. This is the first time the two orgs are set to face off, and both are going to give it their all. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 Team Vitality vs LOUD predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: …
Solary vs DN Soopers Challengers WSCI Semi-Finals: Bets and Predictions
Ben Boland
League of Legends
Solary goes up against DN Soopers Challengers in the semi-finals of the World Star Challengers Invitational 2026, the inaugural edition of the tier 2 World Championship. Europe and Korea have been dominating the tournament, and only those two regions remain in the semi-finals. This is the first time that secondary leagues face off internationally, making this the first true test of those regions’ strengths. Is the LFL the best tier …
Yandex to repeat?: BLAST SLAM VIII preview, predictions, and more
Michael Hassall
Dota 2
If you can believe it, we’re already on the eighth edition of BLAST SLAM, as BLAST SLAM VIII kicks off tomorrow (Sep. 29) pitting 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams against each other in what promises to be the first big challenge of this young season. Let’s face it: At PGL Wallachia, we were missing a lot of the heavy hitters. No TI15 champs, no PARIVISION, not BetBoom, …
Unstoppable Yandex crush NAVI in one-sided PGL Wallachia finals
Michael Hassall
Dota 2
Team Yandex has swept the grand finals of the PGL Wallachia Season 9 Dota 2 tournament, defeating Natus Vincere (NAVI) in a 3-0 drubbing this past weekend (Sep. 27). As predicted, the revitalized Yandex, hot off the signing of former Team Falcons star Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, crushed their youthful opponents in a three-game sweep in the best-of-five finals. Here’s how it happened: After upsetting the star-studded LGD Gaming roster (albeit …
100 Thieves vs T1: Best predictions for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
Valorant
Two massive esports organizations are set to clash in VCT Champions 2026, as 100 Thieves will take on T1 in the Group A opening match. One of these teams is widely considered the current favorite to win the entire tournament, so here are out 100 Thieves vs T1 predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: 100 Thieves are currently considered the …
Team Yandex to win it all? PGL Wallachia Season 9 Finals preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
Dota 2
The first big event after TI15, PGL Wallachia Season 9, wraps up this Sunday, Sep. 27, and it’s set to be a hell of a show. After a solid week of action, with some surprise eliminations along the way, we’re down to just three teams from the original 16. Team Yandex, LGD Gaming, and Natus Vincere (NAVI) remain, having battled through some big upsets to get there. Yandex are hot …
LYON vs Shopify Rebellion LCS playoffs lower bracket: Best bets and predictions
Ben Boland
League of Legends
LYON faces Shopify Rebellion in the lower bracket of the LCS Summer Playoffs 2026. The winner of this match claims North America’s final spot at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, while the loser ends their season in fourth place. Neither team should have been in this spot. LYON entered the playoffs as the favorite and they’re now in the loser’s bracket, and SR was expected to lose much …
Global Esports vs Team Vitality: Best predictions for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
Valorant
The Valorant action doesn’t stop, as we’re getting a spicy matchup between Global Esports and Team Vitality in the group stage. This is the first time these lineups are going to play against each other, so it’ll be exciting to see which one comes out on top. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 Global Esports vs Team Vitality predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best …
MidOne to Play for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam 8, Replacing Nisha: Permanent or Stand-in?
Owen Harsono
Dota 2
Like most other Dota 2 teams, Team Liquid have also undergone roster changes after The International 2026, replacing Ace for Wisper. However, a swap in offlaners wasn’t the end, as veteran mid-laner MidOne has been registered under the team ahead of BLAST Slam 8, taking Nisha’s spot. Is MidOne only acting as a stand-in, or is this going to be a permanent move? Here’s what we know. On September 25, …
Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know
Khizar Mundia
Valorant
Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting …
Team Liquid vs Cloud9 LCS Playoffs Upper Bracket Finals: Bets and Predictions
Ben Boland
League of Legends
The LCS Upper Bracket finals are one many would not have predicted. Team Liquid takes on Cloud9 to see which team will lock in their spot in the Worlds 2026 Swiss stage and the LCS Summer Grand Finals. League of Legends bettors are in for a treat in this best-of-five, with many good bets available. Let’s take a look at some of the best bets for the Cloud9 vs. Team …
Over the last few years, esports betting has exploded in popularity due to the huge growth of the esports industry and the wider coverage tournaments and events are getting, plus the money involved.
While it doesn’t yet rival traditional sports betting, it’s not difficult to see a world where this could happen. If you’re a gamer, or an esports fan, and have wondered about esports betting, read on. We’ve created a comprehensive guide that details what it is, how it works, the popular video games you can bet on, and other useful information.
Esports Betting Explained
You’ve most likely heard of sports betting well, esports betting is exactly the same. Instead of betting on physical sports, you are placing wagers on video games like Call of Duty, League of Legends, StarCraft II, and VALORANT.
This was a logical progression for the esports industry and over the last years, betting on esports has exploded in popularity. You now have a range of dedicated websites that only provide esports betting. Also, many traditional sportsbooks have added esports betting sections to their already huge offerings.
Either way, the premise is simple – you sign up to one of the sites, deposit some real money in your local currency, and place wagers on your favorite esports teams and players. You then have the chance to get real money payouts in return.
Where to bet esports today
Most Popular Esports for Betting
The number of esports titles has grown significantly. New games emerge every year and with them an esports scene that acts as a way to promote the game, either directly by the publisher or through third party tournament organizers or both. The success of an esports largely depends on the sustainability of the scene and opportunities for players to go pro. Today, there are competitive gaming events for many different genres including FPS, MOBA, RTS, sports sims, battle royales mobile games, and trading card games.
With all these pro gaming events it’s no surprise that esports is now a popular betting option for many fans of the respective games. In the betting menus of possibly all sports betting sites you’ll now find everything from Counter-Strike 2 and
LoL betting. To give you an introduction, we’ve listed the most popular esports games that you can bet on in the below table:
| Esport | Overview |
| CS2 | Released in 2023 by Valve, and is currently the fifth entry in the iconic Counter-Strike series. Players or teams of players engage in tactical first-person shooter action using a range of military weapons. |
| LoL | Immensely popular MOBA created by Riot Games where players control units and try to control maps and defeat the opposing players. |
| Dota 2 | Legendary MOBA developed by Valve where players control a hero and units, and battle against opponents using special abilities, and strategies. |
| Valorant | Tactical Hero Shooter developed by Riot Games where players fight in intense battles using an array of weapons, perks, and abilities |
| Fortnite | Third-person Battle Royale game where players parachute down into the map and fight against 99 other opponents to try and be the last person or team standing. |
| Overwatch | First-person shooter game created by Blizzard in 2016 and still remains one of the most popular esports betting games due to its awesome action and strategical gameplay. |
| StarCraft II | The successor to one of the original esports games, StarCraft. This is a real time strategy game where players have a base, build units and structures, and must control their army to defeat their opponents. |
| NBA2K | Hugely popular NBA basketball video game where players control an NBA team and play full-length matches against their opponents. |
Types of Esports Bets You Can Make
You now know which games are popular for esports betting, like
Valorant betting, but what about the types of bets you can make? Generally, there are three core types of bets available at the best esports betting websites:
- Single selections:
Where you bet on one market.
- Multiple selections/accas/parlays:
Where you bet on multiple events.
- Bet builders/Same-game parlays:
Where you bet on multiple single markets from one match.
Within this broad spectrum of betting categories, you also have a range of common individual bet types which we’ve listed in the below table:
| Esports bet type | What it means |
| Outright winner | The most common type of bet. You are betting on the overall outcome of a game and who will win it. |
| Correct score | Where you pick what the final score of a game will be, such as the number of rounds, games, or maps, for example. |
| Team score | Where you predict the score of one team or player. |
| First frag/kill | More commonly used in FPS games like CS2 where you bet on which player or team gets the first kill. |
| Over/Under bets | Pick if you think the team/player will get more or less than the specified stat for a range of different categories. |
| First objective | Similar to first kill bets, but more aimed at MOBA or RTS games. |
How to Choose a Good Site for Betting on Esports
Some sites are better than others for betting on esports. We know how difficult it can be to find a suitable site due to the huge amount of choice, and promotions they bombard you with to make you bet with them. To help make your decision easier, we’ve used our knowledge to list seven key features you should look for when choosing which betting website to use.
Licensing
Whether you’re looking for site with
CS2 betting
options or any other esport, we will only ever recommend licensed online sports betting sites. Without a gambling license, a betting site is not bound by any rules, laws, or regulations, and you could potentially open yourself to scams. You can be assured that the sites featured on this page are all licensed, and they should be available for the region you are accessing this site from. You should check for licensing information in the website footer of a betting site.
Usability
A site could have all the features in the world, but if its usability is poor, you won’t have an enjoyable betting experience. Therefore, we suggest looking at the desktop website design and layout to make sure it works smoothly and allows you to easily browse the esports categories and betting markets. You can also check to see if the operator has a downloadable mobile app for whichever type of smartphone you use.
Supported games
This is down to personal preference, but you’ll most likely only want to make bets on a select few games – probably the games you play yourself. With that in mind, you can use the links and banners on this page to browse through the
best esports betting sites
and see what games they support. Go one step further and look at the tournaments, leagues, and events they support too.
Betting markets
It’s one thing for the esports online betting site to support the games you want to bet on, but does it have the types of bets you want to make? This is very important, particularly if you want to make prop bets such as destroying a tower or barracks in
Dota 2 betting. Think about what wagers you like making, and your potential betting strategies, and then browse the site’s betting setup before you register an account. It is also be worthwhile comparing the odds with other gambling sites.
Whether you’re
betting on Call of Duty
or any other esport, it’s worth looking at the betting bonuses that the site offers. Start by checking out the welcome bonus, which is an promotion directed at new customers only. This might include a deposit match bonus, free bets, or risk-free bets, for example.
You should then look at the promos for existing customers to make sure you can still get great value once you are registered. It’s also worth checking if betting sites’s VIP or loyalty program that can reward you, via a ranking system, with cashback and rakeback, weekly and monthly
esports betting bonuses, and even more exclusive perks depending on your VIP status.
Security
Site and mobile app security is also important and we want you to be safe when you are betting on esports. Top sites use industry-standard security features like SSL encryption and HTTPS connectivity. They will also allow advanced authentication for your account login such as 2FA. It’s also worth looking for the documentation they provide such as terms of service, privacy policies, and fairness documentation.
Responsible Gambling
Just because it’s esports and not traditional sports betting, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t gamble responsibly. We recommend checking the responsible gambling tools and support esports betting websites offer. Ideally, they should have some of the following features:
- Deposit limits
- Reality checks
- Timeouts
- Self-exclusion periods
- Betting limits
- Links to problem gambling support groups
Even if you don’t need to use these tools it’s still a great idea to understand how they work, and how you can access them if you feel like you are losing control.
How to Start Betting on Esports
Once you’ve selected a betting site you to join, you’ll need to register an account if you want to deposit real money and make your esports bets. The exact process can vary depending on the site, but it usually involves these steps:
-
Click the links or banners on this page to open the site.
-
Click the sign up or join button.
-
Enter the required personal details.
-
Enter a bonus promo code if needed.
-
Finish the registration form.
-
Verify your email or ID if required.
-
Log in using your credentials.
With your account created, and any verification complete, you can make your first deposit. Depending on your location, you’ll find a range of different payment methods such as Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal. Simply choose how much you want to deposit, enter your payment details, and hit the process button. Usually, deposits at esports betting websites are processed instantly.
After your account is loaded with some cash, you can start browsing the esports betting sections, find the games or events you want to bet on, and dive into the action.
Top sites for betting on esports
Online Esports Betting is Becoming Even More Popular
We hope you’ve found this guide on esports betting useful. You now have a better understanding of this industry and how the sites generally work. Whether you’re
betting on Mobile Legends, or placing wagers on FPS or MOBA esports games these online sites will facilitate the action and give you an seamless betting experience.
Remember to think about the legality of betting on esports in your location, and the attributes that make the an esports betting site the best. You can then check out the links, reviews, and banners featured here to find a site that suits your needs, get signed up, and make your first esports bet!
Esports Betting FAQs
🚀 What is esports betting?
Esports betting means putting money on competitive video game tournaments, matches or players. Here, you put money on which team is going to win a match, a tournament, what the correct score will be, player props such as total kills or other in-game events.
🤑 How to make money betting on esports?
The best way to make money from esports betting is by understanding the teams and how the game is played. You can make lots of money by analyzing drafts or finding opportunities in live betting.
❓ Which are the best esports betting websites?
This depends on what you want from your esports online betting experience. We recommend checking the banners featured on this page as they should show a host of popular betting sites for your region.
💰 Can you win real money betting on esports?
Of course. If you sign up and deposit funds to a real money betting site with esports markets then you can start to place wagers matches. If your bets win, your payout will be your initial stake, multiplied by the bet odds.
🥇 Which is the best esports game to bet on?
There is no “best” esports game for betting. Similar to traditional online sportsbooks, different people will enjoy betting on different games and they typically bet on games that they play themselves as they will have greater insight to how the game works and which teams or players are better.
📈 Which are the most popular esports for betting?
Globally, the most dominant games for esports betting are Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Valorant, and Dota 2. All of these esports feature huge multi-million dollar prize pool tournaments, and have enough strategy for bettors to do research on.
🌍 Where is esports betting available?
This depends on your location and the legality of online gambling for the country, region, or state you live in. Always check eligibility requirements before signing up to one of our recommended betting sites.
⛔ Is esports betting rigged?
No, esports betting is not rigged because you’re betting on actual players competing in real tournaments. There have been match-fixing scandals, though they are quite rare nowadays thanks to significant esports integrity efforts and data sharing between stakeholders like data providers and betting companies.
League of Legends
GAM Esports vs Team Vitality: Best Odds and Predictions for the Demacia Cup Global Invitational
By
Ben Boland
Esports Betting
Team Liquid vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for LCS 2026 grand final
By
Hannan Mundia
Esports Betting
WSCI Grand Finals: Solary vs T1 Esports Academy bets and predictions
By
Wasif Ahmed
