Esports is one of the biggest entertainment phenomena of the 21st century. Whether you consider it to be a true sport or not is beside the question, as it’s not just huge fun to watch games like CSGO, Dota 2 and LoL, but it’s great to give betting on esports a try too. As part of our guide for betting on esports we will help you find some of the best esport betting sites around, and give you plenty of great esports betting tips so that you can find the best esports odds too.
The phenomenal growth of esports may have caught many people by surprise, but there’s now an entire world’s worth of top-class competitive gaming events taking place all over the world. From the Overwatch League in Los Angeles to the DreamHack tournaments in Sweden, it seems that whether you’re joining the thousands of fans in the stadium, or are watching a live stream on Twitch.tv, esports has got us all hooked.
Whilst watching a League of Legends clash or a CSGO showdown is certainly gripping in itself, we can all agree that it all gets so much more exciting when you lay a bet on your favourite esports team. Just like you might bet on a football club, betting on esports teams gives you an equally strong chance of getting a strong result and perhaps even making some handy profits too.
There’s been a visible rush amongst traditional bookmakers to take advantage of the craze for esports betting. UK gaming fans can now pick and choose from a massive range of odds for first-person shooters, battle arena titles and even sports simulators. In addition to this, there has been the notable rise of specialist esports betting sites who love to offer plenty of interesting betting markets and even free live streaming to help you enjoy an in-play bet on your favourite esport.
Whilst the growth of esports betting has been very impressive, it’s clear that it has some way to go before it catches up to traditional sports betting. Much of this is based on the fact that esports is still very new, and it’s clear that things are just getting going in terms of standardising playing rules, regulating tournament structures, and even just getting access to dependable player statistics. But with great examples of tournaments like the Overwatch League helping to make esports much more professionalised, it seems as though competitive gaming isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
Betting on esports is just like wagering on traditional sports. Whilst the on-screen action might look a little different, it’s still a case of doing your homework in researching the teams and players so that you know when to take advantage of the bookies’ odds. Here are some easy esports betting tips to put into practice for a fair chance.
Whilst there’s a huge amount of weird and wonderful esports out there, it seems as though only the biggest esports manage to get the attention of the largest esport betting sites. And as always, it’s those esports tournaments that draw the most spectators that allow you to pick and choose from the evermore competitive betting odds. Here’s a look at a handful of esports that have proven to be a hit amongst the bookies, from CSGO betting sites to Dota 2 betting sites.
This epic first-person shooter is always good for a bet. With top tournaments like DreamHack, BLAST Pro Series and the Intel Extreme Masters regularly providing a showcase for the world’s best CSGO players, it’s clear that everybody loves to watch the on-screen carnage of this game. Keep an eye on those bookmakers who offer lots of interesting betting markets for CSGO so that you can wager on the team with the most kills per map and more.
League of Legends
League of Legends is a huge esports hit everywhere from Seoul to Sweden, and there’s plenty of fun to be had in betting on this top battle arena title. Regardless of whether you are wagering on top LoL teams like Fnatic or Royal Never Give Up, it’s clear that League of Legends is a heavyweight in the esports realm. As a result you should have no problem in finding plenty of great esports odds for your LoL bets.
As the Dota 2 tournament, The International, regularly commands massive viewing figures and the biggest prize pool in esports, it’s little surprise that this battle arena game has also become a big hit amongst the bookies. There’s real value to be had in getting to know top Dota 2 teams like OG and Evil Geniuses so that you know when to take advantage of specific betting markets like first blood and so on.
Overwatch is one of the biggest things to hit esports in years. This Blizzard Entertainment game is renowned for its fast-paced first-person shooting action, but it’s the efforts made by its parent company to standardise the competitive gaming that have made it a bookmaker’s favourite. Whether you are wagering on the Overwatch League or are getting involved in the Overwatch World Cup, it’s clear that this awesome game is now amongst the very biggest esports titles.
Recently we have seen top battle royale titles like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite appearing in the odds on many forward-thinking betting sites. These have joined classics like StarCraft II, Call of Duty, Halo, Quake, Street Fighter V and Tekken 7 as being some of the most popular esports to bet on. But even some seriously niche games like World of Tanks, King of Glory and even Super Smash Bros can also sometimes be found on bookmakers’ websites. And don’t forget that some bookies also allow you to wager on epic sports simulators like FIFA 19, NBA 2K and much more.
We’ve already stated that there’s no shortage of great bookmakers out there who will offer you odds for your favourite game. But how do you go about picking the perfect bookie? Here are some key things to consider.
It’s a sad fact that there are plenty of dodgy esports betting sites out there who operate without a license, and as such, fail to give you anything in the way of customer protection. So always make sure that your chosen site has a license from either the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority. In addition to this, it’s a good idea to ensure that the bookmaker has a responsive customer support team and that they have a decent amount of trustworthy real-money payment methods without any annoying processing fees.
If you are into a classic esport like CSGO, LoL or Dota 2, then we think that you shouldn’t have too much of an issue in finding a bookie with some competitive odds. But if you are into more niche esports like PUBG or even Call of Duty, then you might have to look a little harder. Thankfully, it looks like more bookmakers are upgrading their esports betting services to cater to the growing demand. Just don’t forget to compare the esports betting odds to make sure that you are getting the best value for your bets.
Special offers and welcome bonuses can help you turn a decent esports bet into a truly spectacular one. Keep an eye out on those bookmakers who have sign up offers that can be used in conjunction with your esports bets for a great way to get a nice deposit match – it could even be one of the top League of Legends betting sites. Just remember to carefully read the terms and conditions so that you know exactly what you are signing up for.
Whilst betting on esports and sports is pretty similar, there have been a few bookmakers who have gone the extra mile to cater to their loyal gaming fans. Look out for those bookies who put on free live streaming to help you with your in-play bets, and be sure to check out any betting site who will give you plenty of interesting betting markets for your favourite esport.
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