An In-Depth Guide on How To Bet on Esports

What was once an exotic and geek-specific betting area is now a burgeoning ecosystem offering lots of betting opportunities. The development of new technologies is propelling the industry, and esports gaming is gaining steam as we speak.

Although millions of bettors are already reaping the benefits of the esports ecosystem, many are not familiar with the intricacies of esports betting.

To help with this problem, we created an extensive guide describing how to bet on esports and what makes this market so appealing.

So, without further ado, it’s time to learn how to win money by betting on LoL, Dota2, or Call of Duty.

Six Quick Facts About Esports Betting

• Esports betting allows you to bet on professional esports teams and players.
• Esports betting offers lots of the same bet types as traditional sports betting.
• Many bookies provide game-specific markets for esports betting.
• The revenues created by the esports betting industry go into hundreds of millions of pounds.
• The largest prize pool on esports events was over $40 million in 2020.
• Betting on esports can offer equally favourable and competitive odds as traditional betting.

Sitting at the intersection between gaming and sports, the world of competitive video games is both exciting and full of profitable betting opportunities. As the number of high-profile gaming events rises, bookmakers also expand their offering and provide more betting options.

The esports realm is expanding rapidly, and it shows no signs of stopping soon. In case you are new to the gaming world, we should first revisit the basics. In other words, we should check what all the fuss is about with betting on video games.

What Is Esports Betting?

Of course, the phrase “betting on video games” is an oversimplification because the wagering focuses on professional esports teams and individuals. The best betting sites in the UK will bet on esports events in the same way you would bet on horse racing or football. The only difference is that the action you are betting on takes place in the virtual world.

So, what are esports games? As the name says, esports are electronic sports, combining video gaming with the competitiveness of sporting events. In essence, esports grew into a massive community of professional players who typically spend years perfecting skills in playing video games.

Naturally, high-quality players are a sought-out commodity, and they often join groups comprising dozens of professionals. The goal is to create a team capable of beating others, i.e., winning leagues and tournaments.

While the two teams compete and battle against each other in the virtual environment, the real-life audience has the pleasure of betting on the contest. Later on, we’ll dive deeper into the bets you can place. But first, let’s see how esports betting developed over the years.

The Growth of Esports Betting

As we all know, video games have been around for a couple of decades. Yet, the industry skyrocketed in the recent period, starting with 2016. After that, the numbers of viewers and players continued to rise through 2017 and 2018. The same happened in 2019, with the number of enthusiasts jumping to 496 million.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic further boosted the growth in 2020. Worldwide quarantine has shifted the attention of many towards online gaming, and the same happened with esports betting. The projected growth is jaw-dropping, and betting on esports in 2021 should break all records.

Esports betting expansion goes hand in hand with the rise in popularity of modern viewing platforms such as Twitch or YouTube. The math is simple — the more people watch professionals play video games, the more they bet for or against those players.

Now that we know what to expect in the future, it’s time to see where you can find the best esports markets and bet on the most exciting matches.

Where To Bet on Esports?

Nowadays, esports betting has a global reach, with hundreds of websites covering this market. Yet, new betting sites come in all shapes and sizes. Many of them are not up to snuff, and some of them are outright malicious. Thus, it’s vital to do your homework and search for the best UK betting sites for esports betting.

The top-rated websites will also help you learn how to bet on esports in the first place. After that, you can browse the library and look for suitable betting opportunities. Best of all, the elite operators provide high-quality apps for Android and iOS devices. Likewise, well-optimised mobile websites will let you play on the go hassle-free.

Therefore, we recommend checking out our selection of the best esports betting sites. Each of them comes fully licensed and with an impeccable background, offering a secure betting experience.

Is Esports Betting Legal in the UK?

Speaking of licenses, we should also explain the legality of esports betting. Admittedly, many countries are slow at regulating this area, with the debates raging about the definition of esports.

But if you live in the UK, Malta, Denmark, or Italy, you’ll be glad to hear that esports betting is legal in these countries. For instance, websites under the jurisdictions of the Great Britain Gambling Commission will let you wager on esports in a legalised betting environment. As the years go by, more and more countries are changing their stance and opening towards esports betting.

How To Bet on Esports?

Since we covered various aspects of esports, it’s time to focus our attention on the actual wagering process. We’ll assume you already signed up with a reliable betting site. After all, a pleasant betting experience starts by finding a high-quality operator and registering on the website.

Also, it’s essential to check whether you can bet on esports on a particular platform. If yes, scroll through the menu and look for the betting markets. Events like The International attract the most attention, but many other tournaments can also offer favourable betting opportunities.

Nowadays, the games attracting the most viewers and players include League of Legends, DOTA 2, and the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Other games are close on their trail, including Halo 5, Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. Nevertheless, the dynamic esports community is an ever-evolving field, so new games could pop up as we speak.

Now that we mentioned massive esports games, you might ask, “What is the largest prize pool in esports?”. Well, the 2019 DOTA 2 tournament offered $34 million in prize money! The opportunity is there for the taking, and punters should strike while the iron is hot.

To start their esports betting adventure, bettors should also grasp the basics of the primary esports bet types. For instance, the match-winner bet is often the starting point. Also known as the moneyline bet, this market helps predict the winner of a head-to-head contest.

Even though many betting sites offer only straight win bets, you’ll find other betting markets as well. For instance, handicap betting on esports is also a popular method. Like in traditional sports betting, handicapping equalises the playing field by allocating points for or against a team.

Other straightforward betting categories include long-term markets for predicting tournament winners. Also, over/under markets on esports can be an exciting option for esports betting enthusiasts.

The so-called exotic bet types deal with game-specific elements. For instance, bookmakers will let you bet on the number of total kills or the first kill in first-person shooters. Or you could bet on the map winner in MOBA-type games.

Summary: Esports Betting Tips

As you could’ve seen, there’s more than meets the eye with esports betting. This multilayered activity can be complex, but a couple of shortcuts could make the process easier.

First and foremost, it’s crucial to familiarise yourself with a particular video games genre. In translation, play the most popular releases to understand the game’s concept. By doing so, you’ll know more about the knife rounds in Counter-Strike or the Barons and Dragons in LoL. In that way, you’ll learn how to bet on esports and boost your long-term winning chances.

Also, consider creating accounts with several bookmakers and shop for the best odds. Various betting sites can offer different prices for the same events, so try to find the best value by looking around.