Betting On Esports Online
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One of the biggest growth industries in the world of sports betting today is that of esports betting. If you’ve never heard of esports, we’re willing to bet that within a few years, you will.
In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to know about the esports industry.
Making a bet with a bookmaker is a great way to test your luck, get an adrenalin rush and make some money in the process. Hundreds of betting websites offer their services to millions of fans worldwide who like to bet on sports online. 22BET Betting Company stands out among other online. Hence, there is eSports betting which is also growing in popularity. There are many esports betting websites USA, and it isn’t simple to know which one is safe and regulated. To ensure that an esports.
We’ll include how you can bet on it with an ever-increasing number of the highest profile and reputable bookmakers in the industry, as well as a number of specialist esports betting sites that are being formed.
Let’s begin however by examining the most obvious question which is: what exactly is an esport?
Best eSports betting sites for March 2021
What are esports?
The phrase esports stands for ‘electronic sports.’ It basically refers to a type of computer or console game that is played by an individual, or team of players, against other individuals or teams either over the Internet (an online game). It can also take place over a local area network (LAN). This is termed an offline game.
Of course, there are many games nowadays on PC and consoles that facilitate multiple players playing online from around the world, or LAN play. But what marks esports out as different from these games (such as the recently released Star Wars Battlefront) is that these events attract major sponsorship from companies. They also have a clear tournament structure and organisation.
As a result, esports events also tend to attract the best gamers in the world. Many of these are amateur players. However, an increasing number—especially in the Far East in South Korea and China—are professional gamers who earn a living playing in esports tournaments.
There are a number of games that are viewed as esports games. Some of the most commonly played include:
- StarCraft 2
- League of Legends
- Hearthstone
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive
- Heroes of the Storm
- Defense of the Ancients 2 (commonly shortened to Dota 2)
This list is not exhaustive. There are other esports available, though finding betting on esports not on this list is far more difficult.
As an online medium, esports has grown massively in popularity in recent years, not just with players but with viewers also. Many follow the events in a major tournament via the Twitch live streaming service. It didn’t take bookmakers long to realise that there was a potential for betting markets on this new and evolving phenomenon.
Do people really bet on esports?
At first, to a punter not familiar with esports, the idea of betting on a player or a team in a game on a computer or console sounds somewhat preposterous. However, esports gaming is now a fully regulated and worldwide industry. So really, it’s not as strange as it sounds.
With the growing popularity of esports, it’s a natural progression to go from playing to watching to facilitating bets. It is, after all, what happens with sports all over the world.
In the past two years, the esports betting industry has grown. There is an increasing number of companies offering esports betting. When you consider that 205 million people played esports in the past 12 months, it’s easy to see why people are eager to bet on their favourite games and gamers.
Many of the top online bookmakers are now offering regular esports betting alongside traditional sports offerings.
Can you bet on esports at the major online sportsbooks?
Yes you can. An increasing number of the major sports betting sites offer esports alongside traditional sports betting.
The list of major sportsbook sites that offer esports betting includes:
- Pinnacle Sports
- 888 Sport
- Paddy Power
- William Hill
- Betfair
- 10Bet
In addition, the newly formed, eSport-specific site Unikrn offers an extensive range of esports betting. At the moment in the UK, Coral, Betfred and Stan James do not offer esports betting.
How similar is esports betting to regular online sports betting?
Apart from the differences we’ve already outlined, betting on esports is exactly the same as making a bet on any other sporting event.
On any of the sites listed that offer traditional sports alongside esports betting, you make your selections in esports. Then you’ll select your stake and make your bet in exactly the same way as you would for a traditional sporting market.
Furthermore, once the outcome of your esport bet is decided, winnings are paid with the same level of expediency as a sports bet.
In terms of the mechanics of placing a bet on esports compared to traditional sports, there is no difference.
How is esports betting different to regular sports betting?
In truth, the only difference between esports and traditional sports betting is that in one you are betting on individuals competing in a computer game, whereas in traditional sports it is a physical or mental contest between two teams or individuals.
Of course, there are differences in how the odds for the markets in each are drawn up. Online betting sites will have their own experts within the esports industry. They advise them on which events to offer bets on and what odds to have the selections at.
Other than that though, there is very little difference between the two forms of betting.
How do I know that esports matches are not rigged?
Of course, one of the key considerations for any punter when dealing with a relatively new industry to bet on is how to ensure that competitions between two players are not rigged. You also don’t want collusion between the players to ensure that one wins and the other loses.
The reason why this is not an issue at the highest level of esports (where all the betting markets are focused) is that this is essentially now a professional industry. It has its own code of conduct, rules and regulations. The professional players get paid for results.
What this means is, just like a football match where one team is heavily favoured over the other, there is no incentive for the losing or underdog player not to try and win. Pride, their place in their chosen esports team, and the riches that comes from being the top esports gamers will ensure that at the highest level, every match is fought to the maximum of each player’s ability.
In addition, with so many gaming experts watching events on screen—plus a host of fans watching via live streaming services such as Twitch—if any player did ‘give up’ or collude to lose, this would be easily discovered. The player would be sanctioned. (And likely all bets on the outcome declared void and your stakes returned.)
Essentially, esports betting is as safe in terms of matches being rigged as any other sport you could consider. Indeed, given the issues some sports have faced of late, it may even be less of an issue in esports.
How do I bet on esports using my mobile?
Betting on esports via your mobile is simply a case of loading up any of the sites listed above that offer esports betting and logging in to your account.
Find the esports betting section on that site. Then click on it to bring up a list of current esports betting events and markets available.
Simply click on an event, make your selections and place your bet. It’s that simple. You can then even log in to Twitch and watch the match unfold on your mobile if you so desire.
eSports betting sites are are one of the fastest growing market segments today. The industry is expected to generate a wagering handle in the billions. More gaming fans are betting at eSports sites every day. Below is our ranking of the best esports betting sites:
Best eSports Betting Sites
Esports Odds
ESports betting websites were barely on our radar a couple years ago, popularity has over the past year. We can see the appeal. The competition against real people and desire to improve keeps you coming back for more.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, eSports refers to competitive video gaming. Games such as League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Hearthstone are all played by casual and hardcore gamers alike. Those who take it seriously can earn an income via sponsorships, engaging viewers on Twitch.tv, and by winning tournaments.
The best eSports betting sites follow all the action let you bet on your favourite teams. The basic idea behind e-sports gambling is similar to traditional sports betting. You see an upcoming matchup, predict the winner, and get paid if you’re predictions are correct. It was once an activity relegated to lesser-known parts of the web, but now mainstream betting sites are getting in on the action.
You can see our esports betting site recommendations above examples of leading operators. Many esports betting sites allow you to bet on video games, but the brands listed on this page are the best for a multitude of reasons. Most importantly, they are all safe, legitimate esports bookmakers that pay winners quickly. These esports sites also have the greatest variety of video games to choose from. Whether it be first person shooters, collectible card games, or multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBAs), the esports betting websites ranked on this page let you bet on it all.
Recommended Sites for Specific Games
In any form of online betting, you tend to get the best results when you stick with what you know. The table below shows which sites cover which games to the greatest extent. Just keep in mind that things can change quickly in this new industry. If you have trouble finding the exact types of bets you want at our top-ranked bookmaker for that game, you may want to check one of our other general recommendations listed near the top of this page.
League of Legends | Dota 2 | CS:GO |
Bet365.com | NordicBet.com | ComeOn.com |
StarCraft 2 | Smite | Heroes of the Storm |
Bet365.com | Betsafe.com | ComeOn.com |
Real Money eSports Betting
It is one thing to simply play and watch eSports, but the stakes grow higher (literally) when you add real money betting to the mix. It is vital that you find safe esports gambling sites to do business with. Until recently, it was difficult to find safe eSports bookmakers that had a positive reputation.
Fortunately, explosive growth and bold predictions have prompted a good portion of the biggest betting sites in the world to start offering eSports markets. Name brands in online betting are now fully on board. We expect to see many more bookmakers join the eports party soon.
The most important thing to consider when looking for where to bet on eSports is the safety of your funds. Online gambling requires a great deal of trust, and the only way a esports bookmaker can earn that trust is by building an honest reputation over time. This is the main reason why we only recommend well-established esports betting sites to our readers here at OBS.
Second to security is the variety of eSports markets and types of games covered. Some betting sites have jumped in head first while others are still testing the waters. At a minimum, you want to know that whoever you choose covers your favourite games. Most major esports betting sites now offer markets for League of Legends, Call of Duty, Hearthstone, Counterstrike GO, Dota 2, and Smite.
Welcome bonuses are also worth noting simply because they give you extra money in return for signing up and depositing. Bonuses will not make you rich, but they definitely provide an incentive to test your skills with a few real money wagers. The average eSports betting bonus will give you anywhere from £30 to £100 worth of free bets that you can use to win real money.
The Rise of eSports
The rise of eSports is well documented. Hard numbers are tough to come by, but the numbers we do see never fail to impress. For example:
- The League of Legends World Championship actually filled Seoul Stadium back in 2014
- That was just one of many stadiums that have been packed by eSports fans in recent years
- In 2014, the US State Department began issuing eSports gamers the same Visas awarded to traditional professional sports players
- Streaming video site Twitch.tv broke 100 million monthly viewers in 2014. That is 100,000,000 people who mostly watch other people play competitive video games
- A report from Eilers Research estimated that $315 million was bet on eSports in 2015 and projected that number to explode to $23.5 billion by 2020
Admittedly, these numbers do include a good deal of guesstimation and conjecture. It’s tough to extract hard figures from bookmakers, but the people who did make these predictions are all worth listening to. They did not arrive to these predictions at random.
Competitive video gaming is already huge in countries like Japan and Korea, but it is still growing over there. Additionally, eSports is just barely getting started in the West. All parts of the world have plenty of growth potential so we can expect to hear more about this industry going forward.
Esports Wagering
Is it Safe to Bet on eSports Online?
The safety of online eSports betting is a legitimate concern, but one that can be addressed fairly easily. The best way to ensure that you always get a fair shot is to stick with established bookmakers that have already proven themselves in the traditional sports betting vertical. Many of the old names in online betting are beginning to dabble in eSports.
That leads to our next point. Experienced bookmakers have a long track record that anyone can quickly verify with a Google search. Established betting sites leave a long “paper trail” on the internet. Run those searches, check social media and see what other people are saying. You can get a pretty accurate gauge of a site’s overall level of trust among the public by taking these basic steps.
Can I Bet On Esports
In more recent years, a few sites that focus exclusively on eSports have popped up. These types of sites are less established but the biggest ones have earned rave reviews in their short time online so far. The thing you need to be aware of when it comes to new, eSports-first sites is that they simply haven’t been online long enough to develop a true, long term reputation. If you are unable to find much background information with a couple quick searches, proceed with caution.
One other simple step you can take to investigate any particular site’s track record is to check up on its licensing status. Every high quality bookmaker in the world holds at least one license from a legitimate governing body. For example, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy and France are all selective in issuing licenses to operators. A license from a regulator in one of those countries actually holds weight and is a reliable indicator of safety.
Betting On Esports
Licenses from some jurisdictions do not hold as much weight. For example, Costa Rica issues a certain type of business license to online betting sites but does not offer much by way of oversight. A license from a second-tier regulatory body does not necessarily indicate that a site is up to no good, but it also does not guarantee safety. In those cases, it’s best to go double up on your due diligence and see what other people say about the operator in question.