Ultimate Esports Betting Guide

Ever since video games first appeared, people have been mesmerized by their competitive aspect. As a result, we now have professional e-athletes doing battle on virtual fields, in teams, or solo. In other words, we have esports: A professional gaming industry for fans to enjoy and, more importantly, bet on.

If you’re thinking about getting in on the action, it’s a good idea to do some research first and make sure you know what you’re doing when you place your first esports bet. Our esports betting guide will familiarize you with the basics you need to make your esports betting journey easier and, hopefully, more profitable.

A Short History of Esports

Esports seems like a totally new thing, but it’s been around longer than most people assume. The first official video game competition took place at Stanford University in 1972, where players competed against each other in a game called Spacewar.

While numerous gaming competitions followed, esports really exploded in the 21st century, particularly when the emergence of Twitch brought it to the masses. League of Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, and other esports games now have regular tournaments – for example, the annual League of Legends World Championship attracts millions of viewers worldwide. The prize pools are ever-increasing, and though it may look like esports is at its peak right now, all evidence suggests there’s even more to come.

Betting on Video Game Competitions

A few decades ago, it was hard to imagine a video gaming competition as a type of sport. However, esports now belongs to the same category as football and basketball, and just like people bet on Premier League and NBA games, they now bet on esports as well.

Europe, the Americas, and Asia are where the majority of esports teams come from, so the majority of esports betting happens there too. While brick-and-mortar bookmakers also allow for esports bets, most players do it online, combining the betting experience with watching the match on Twitch or another streaming platform. Although similar to sports betting, esports betting has some unique aspects, and some preparation might be necessary before deciding to put down real money.

Ways to Bet on Esports

One of the things every esports betting guide for beginners needs to explain is how the actual betting works. Just like with other sports, there are different types of bets you can place on matches, so it’s time to dive deeper into some of the most popular options among esports bettors.

Real Money Betting

This type of betting on video game competitions works practically the same as it does for traditional sports. Bookmakers come up with odds, and bettors wager real money, getting paid if they predict the correct outcome or outcomes. On most esports betting sites, you can place bets on winners of individual matches, as well as competition winners. Understanding odds is a must for placing this type of esports bet, and it’s essential to calculate your winnings to ensure the bet you want to make is worth the risk.

Skin Betting

Next on the list is skin betting. If you don’t play video games, the term might sound a bit confusing, but it’s not as gruesome as it sounds. Games such as League of Legends and CS:GO offer cosmetic additions – i.e., skins – you can buy and equip or use as esports betting stakes. For example, you and another player each bet one skin on a tournament winner, and the one who predicts the right outcome gets to keep both skins. Some sites even run jackpot games where multiple players place skins in a virtual pot, and a random number generator draws the winner of the whole betting pool.

To participate in this type of esports betting, you first need a game account, and a collection of skins people would want to win. Thanks to this, skin betting in esports is usually reserved for experienced gamers, as the point is often winning that one specific skin they want to use in the game. Individuals who don’t play video games but bet on more traditional sports generally don’t take part in skin betting.

Social Betting

The specifics of esports betting don’t stop with using skins as stakes. Earlier, we talked about placing bets with online bookmakers, which is the more traditional variant. Still, many gaming enthusiasts engage in betting on social media instead of visiting esports gambling sites. They make bets with their real-life or online friends on esports matches, and the winnings can be real money, skins, or in-game currency. This is not a type of betting pros recommend, especially if you don’t personally know all the parties involved. Fraud of all kinds is common on the web, and being a victim of one probably isn’t worth the special skin you might win.

Fantasy Betting

This is another form of betting that isn’t technically betting. Sports fans are probably familiar with the term fantasy sports. It was only a matter of time before individuals who bet on esports began creating their own fantasy leagues. Fantasy esports betting is similar to Fantasy Premier League in terms of point collection; Fantasy esports is usually associated with League of Legends, but there are other fantasy esports leagues you can join as well.

Challenge Betting

As another non-traditional betting form, challenge betting is exclusive to gamers. It’s common for gamers to extend challenges to one another, with very real stakes hanging in the balance, which is why this type of betting had to be included in our esports betting guide. Also known as head-to-head betting, it involves two or more players betting on their own gaming skills for real money or in-game items. This form of esports gambling is continuously growing, with websites organizing formal challenge betting contests.

Which Types of Esports Betting to Consider

Esports betting is there for anyone who wants to try it out. Your choice will depend on whether you’re a gamer or not and whether you have the right capital to bet with – all things you’re aware of, now that you know how betting on esports works. If you’re a sports bettor and don’t know much about video games, sticking to real-money wagers with bookmakers is your safest option. On the other hand, if you’re into gaming, there’s no reason not to give skin betting or challenge betting a go.

Popular Games To Bet On

Even if you know all about esports betting, keeping track of new game releases you can bet on can be tough. Luckily, the most popular games have been around for quite some time and represent the best opportunity for betting on esports. Some you’ve already heard about, while others have yet to come up, and it’s a good idea to become familiar with as many as possible. Let’s take a look at the most popular games for esports bettors.

League of Legends

We’ve already mentioned League of Legends in this article, with good reason – it’s the game that brought esports to the masses.

Released back in 2009, League of Legends was a major hit right away. Over the years, the number of players grew, and the first League of Legends competitions were held. Today, League of Legends betting is just as popular, especially during the League of Legends World Championship.

Here’s how the game works: It’s a team-based strategy game, with five players in each team. Every player picks a champion, and the goal is to get as many kills as possible and destroy the other team’s base. It sounds simple, but gaming enthusiasts know just how much strategizing it takes to pull off a victory.

The game’s nature makes it perfect for esports betting, as there are numerous components to bet on. For example, first blood bets are extremely popular at the moment. This bet requires you to predict which player will be the first in the match to kill an opposing champion.

Dota 2

League of Legends quickly surpassed the original Dota, but this game’s next installment turned things around.
Dota 2 and League of Legends may look similar, but there are some significant differences between them, and most players have a strong preference for one or the other. And just like for League of Legends, tournaments provide plenty of opportunities for real-money or skin betting for esports fans.

It’s important to say that being good at the game doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to predict outcomes in a Dota 2 tournament. If you want to develop your Dota 2 betting skills, learning the ins and outs of top-tier teams and keeping up with roster changes is a must. Doing all this research may seem like too much hassle, but fans of the game enjoy it, and there’s more than enough information online. If you want to bet on this game, you can even find Dota 2 predictions and raise your chances of betting on the right team.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

Not so long ago, Counter-Strike was just a retro game that was extremely popular in the early 2000s. However, the latest installment of this multiplayer first-person shooter has changed things up. The game has since attracted a swarm of players, and it didn’t take long for esports teams to start competing in CS:GO. Nowadays, CS:GO tournaments take place on a regular basis, and, naturally, CS:GO betting has become a thing.

If you want to partake of that, you won’t have any trouble finding websites to sign up on. Many of them provide enough CS:GO coverage for a generous betting market, and you’ll quickly find a venue where your payment and withdrawal methods, including digital currencies such as Bitcoin, are welcome. However, not all sites offer the same CS:GO experience, so analyze them carefully before choosing one. It’s always a good idea to look at CS:GO predictions online before betting on a tournament to see how they align with your own.

FIFA 20

Sports bettors will probably find it easiest to begin by betting on sports games. The FIFA franchise is one of the most popular sports games globally, with tournaments taking place all the time. There are esports teams that specialize in FIFA and participate in large competitions, so keeping up with their schedule is key. Due to how similar betting on FIFA 20 is to betting on traditional sports, it was only right to include it in our esports betting guide.

Valorant

Valorant is one of the latest games conquering the esports world. It was an immediate hit on Twitch, and naturally, Valorant tournaments became popular. The Valorant esports scene is becoming more dominant every day, so don’t be surprised if this game generates even more noise in the next few years. Just like with all other games on this list, there are more than enough sites where you can bet on Valorant – all you have to do is find the one with the best esports odds.

Choosing a Game To Bet On

The four games in the previous few sections are just some of the esports titles you can bet on, and other popular betting options include games such as Fortnite, Overwatch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 5.

There’s no wrong choice, but if you want to maximize your chances of winning, choose games you’re knowledgeable about. But remember, even if there’s a game you’re good at, it’s still a good idea to check esports betting predictions and keep up with the news regarding rosters. The more you prepare before placing a bet, the better your chances of predicting the correct outcome.

How To Win

Betting on games you’re familiar with is important, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll predict outcomes accurately. If you want more than just a hunch to rely on, you have to do some research, too. After all, traditional sports bettors place their bets based on detailed information, so why not do the same here?

Esports betting advice can be found easily: Some platforms give it for free, while others require you to have a membership in order to access their info.

Of course, you can always crunch the numbers and come up with predictions yourself. For example, sports bettors rely on regression analysis when placing bets, correlating match results with team and player performance data to predict possible outcomes. Taking the same approach might also work when betting on esports. You can also browse the web for expert strategies or find esports betting Reddit threads you can visit and discuss popular bets and tactics with other Redditors before you make a decision.

Keep in mind that, for the most part, making wagers in esports works much the same as traditional betting. It’s up to you whether you want to bet on a single game or you want to place an accumulator bet. Accumulator bets aren’t necessarily easy to win, but they can be much more profitable than singular bets with the right information and enough luck. Look for esports accumulator tips on the web to make sure you opt for suitable matches to bet on. In general, the more effort you put into researching your game of choice, the more likely you are to win.

Live Esports Betting

If you’ve ever bet on regular sports, you know how popular live betting is. Making predictions in the middle of the action is as fun and exciting as betting gets. Naturally, bookmakers and bettors didn’t want to miss out on the same opportunity in esports, so live esports betting soon became a thing. The live betting options at your disposal usually depend on the site you’re betting on.