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.
What is esports betting? A simple introduction
You’ve most likely heard of sports betting? Well, esports betting is exactly the same, but 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 five 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.
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What are the most popular esports betting games?
Over the past decade, the number of esports games has grown hugely, with games being able to join competitions and events for many different genres including first-person shooters, tactical-shooters, real time strategy games, sports games, and MOBA games (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena).
This has obviously translated to esports betting and you’ve got everything from
CS2 betting
and
LoL betting, to betting on sports games like NBA2K and even
Fortnite betting. To give you an introduction, we’ve listed the most popular esports games that you can bet on in the below table:
Esports Betting Game
Description
League of Legends
Immensely popular MOBA created by Riot Games where players control units and try to control maps and defeat the opposing players.
DoTA2
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
Counter-Strike 2
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.
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.
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.
NBA2K
Hugely popular NBA basketball video game where players control an NBA team and play full-length matches against their opponents.
What types of esports bets can you 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 matches.
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 pick the best esports betting site to try today
Some esports betting USA sites and operators from other regions are better than others. We know how difficult it can be to find a suitable site due to the huge amount of choice, and things they bombard you with. To help make your decision easier, we’ve used our knowledge to list 7 key features you should look for when choosing which esports betting site to use.
Licensing
We 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 can typically find licensing information in the website footer of an esports 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 gaming 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 have.
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? 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 could also be worthwhile comparing the odds with other top esports betting sites.
Promotions
Whether you’re
Call of Duty betting
or betting on other esports games, it’s worth looking at the promotions that the site offers. Start by checking out the welcome bonus, which is an exclusive bonus for 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 the esports betting site has a VIP program or loyalty scheme that rewards repeat customers.
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.
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 get started at the best esports betting sites
Once you’ve selected a
Dota2 betting
site, or whatever site you want to try from our recommended list, you need to register an account if you want to deposit real money and make your first 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 new esports betting site details.
With your account created, and any verification complete, you can make your first deposit. Depending on your geographical 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.
Esports online betting will only increase in popularity
We hope you’ve found this guide on esports betting useful, and you now have a better understanding of this industry and how the sites work. Whether your Fortnite betting, or placing wagers on other popular games like Valorant, CS2 and League of Legends, these online sites will facilitate the action and give you an enjoyable gaming experience.
Remember to think about the legality of betting on esports in your location, and the attributes that make the best esports betting sites. 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
❓ 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 esports betting sites for your region.
Of course. If you use the links and banners featured on this page and throughout our site, you can sign up to real money esports betting sites. You can then deposit real money in your local currency and place wagers on different events. If your bets win, your payout will be your initial stake, multiplied by the bet odds.
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.
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 esports betting sites.
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