Do people actually win money through esports betting?

Esports have gained popularity over recent years, with millions of followers watching competitive gaming matches and tournaments. Competitions are streamed live on Twitch and other social media platforms, with many bettors looking for action on the events. In some European countries, esports tournaments are broadcast on major sports channels. 

Esports encompasses a broad range of games as well. There are games with magic and fantasy elements like League of Legends, realistic games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and sports sims like NBA 2k.

The growth in the igaming numbers and esports betting have significantly increased over the years and has shown no signs of slowing. Many bettors, both amateur and experienced, find that checking expert betting tips can be useful for finding winning bets or taking part in in-game prediction games. 

How does it work

Esports betting is like traditional sports betting in structure. Punters study the odds and bet on which team you think will win or fulfill certain other conditions. Esports has an international audience, and the presentation of odds varies from site to site, but the most commonly used format is the decimal odds format.

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Esports betting options

Esports betting is very similar to sports betting; this is also evident in the way you can bet or the kind of bets you can place.

Outright winner – You are predicting who will win the whole tournament or the match.

Group winner – If teams are organised in groups, you can bet on who will be the winning group.

Draw – You bet the match’s outcome will be a draw, though this isn’t applicable in most prominent esports games.

Handicap bet –Here, you are effectively placing bets on one side or the other to win by a certain margin. For example, the favorite to win the match will need to win by a certain number of points or rounds in order to actually net a successful bet.

There are also bets that are specific to certain games, based on the in-game mechancs. These vary from game to game, with these being the most common:

First tower – League of Legends and Dota 2 have elements of tower defense games. With this bet, punters pick out which team will be the first one to knock down an enemy tower.

Pistol round – Here, you bet on the team that will win the “pistol round,” the first round of a half.

Betting strategies

All forms of gambling need a solid strategy to be successful. Even if you just want to play on slot machines, you should know which slots have the highest RTP and what the house odds are. It’s no different for esports betting. 

Successful punters in esports betting need to have a few things straight before getting into it. Below are a few strategies you can adopt to improve your chances of winning:

• Know the game

Knowledge is power, and knowing the ins and outs of the game you intend to bet on is imperative. The more you know about the game and the players, the better you are at making an informed bet rather than relying on chance. Don’t get caught up in social media hype. Make bets based on the odds. For some esports games like Dota 2 and CSGO, you should play these games to gain some knowledge of the proceedings and keep up with gameplay patches as they come. Also watch the actual competitions to get a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of each team and player.

• Understand the odds

Most sites use a decimal system to calculate the odds. Remember, the odds that are on offer at bookmakers reflect the implied probability of a win. The lower the odds, the higher the probability of a win, and the higher the odds, the lower the probability of a win. This is not an exact science, but understanding how the odds work makes it easier for you to calculate your potential winnings or losses so you can wager accordingly. Identifying discrepancies between the odds and the actual probability of the outcome is important as well.

• Be dynamic

This may seem counter-productive to your betting strategy. Still, being dynamic in this context means you must react quickly to changes and be able to adjust your strategy accordingly. You need to be able to react to changes in team rosters or metagame changes. 

Based on the information you would have accumulated by now, you should know what impact a change in teams will have on the odds and your potential winnings. This could mean changing your bet from an outright win to the first team to score to get the best value from your bet.

Betting on esports or anything else is risky, but it makes watching the competition more fun. Very few people can make a living from sports betting, but there’s still the possibility of making a bit of money from a fun hobby.

The esports industry has become a multi-million dollar industry over the last decade, allowing it to function like other professional sports leagues. Having a budget plan and applying strategy to esports betting can potentially net you some winnings. Just remember it’s all still a gamble, and nothing is guaranteed, so only bet with money you are willing to lose and try to have fun. Sports betting is fun because it’s interactive and social, so enjoy it and don’t get too hung up on the wins and losses.