Esports Betting

Esports is one of the biggest industries in the world. Millions of people from all over the world are making the most out of it. Some of them play on a competitive level, while others just like to watch their favourite players play. With its growth, esports has also attracted a lot of bettors towards itself. Esports betting is one of the most popular types of betting these days.

Although esports betting had a relatively slow start, it has now gained a lot of attention in the past few years. At first, not many people were available about it since esports was not a big thing back then. But with time, it has managed to become an integral part of the betting industry. 

The global esports industry is worth billions of dollars. It is going to be worth over $30 billion soon. This is all because of hundreds of different esports betting sites that are available on the web. 

Esports betting is all about people placing bets on their desired video games. These people are either esports fans or casual bettors. Everyone is involved in it with the sole intention of earning extra money. 

Esports Betting Sites

Esports betting has only been made possible thanks to the wide number of sites that are available on the internet. Some online bookmakers quickly picked up esports after seeing its potential. While others recently listed it on their sites to gain some more profit. In any case, all these sites serve as a platform where people can bet on video games easily.

On the web, some betting sites have a dedicated section for esports, while others are solely based on esports. Nevertheless, it is important to understand how these sites work before working with them. There are also multiple things you need to consider before you can fully trust a site. 

How They Work 

Esports betting sites allow users to create an account through which they can control everything. Users have to follow a standard sign up procedure that involves them providing their full name, phone number, email, and other important stuff. After creating an account, users can start placing bets on video games by going to the gaming section. Almost every professional site will have a different section for each game. 

Quality Licensing 

The most important thing to check before choosing an esports betting site is whether it has quality licensing or not. Professional esports betting sites obtain licensing from an established jurisdiction. This allows them to operate legally without any issues. In addition to this, the license also allows them to operate in other countries, but only if defined by the licensing authority. 

Considering there are hundreds of esports betting sites available, some people find it difficult to choose the right one. The best way to choose a site to check its review first on the web. A trusted site always has a lot of reviews on the web. The site’s layout also speaks everything about it. Therefore, you should only use a site if its layout looks professional. 

Payment Options 

All popular esports betting sites offer fast and secure payment methods. These include:

• Visa 
• MasterCard 
• Cheque
• Bitcoin
• Trustly
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Bank Wire
• Western Union
• WebMoney
• Litecoin
• Quickpay

Other than these, there are some other payment options that you will find. Keep in mind that the payment options will depend on the country you live in. Some payment options might not be available for you because of various reasons. In any case, all of them are secure and offer fast deposits and withdrawals. 

Esports Betting Bonuses

One of the most exciting things about using esports betting sites are the bonuses that come along with them. Different esports betting sites offer different types of bonuses. All of them try to offer a better bonus than the other to stay at the top of the competition. Considering there are several types of bonuses, you must know about some popular ones so that you can choose the right one. 

Free Bet

Free bet is the most common type of esports bet. It is available on all popular esports betting sites as a sign-up bonus. This type of bonus allows users to place one bet without worrying about losing any money. The best part? There is no risk involved.  

Matched Deposit Bonus

The deposit bonus is offered by a lot of popular esports betting sites. They offer a matched deposit bonus to new customers on their first deposit. You can double your amount through this. For instance, you will come across a site that is offering a 100% matched deposit bonus up to $50. In this case, after you deposit $25 into your account, then the site will reward you with an extra $25. 

Free Bet Money

This is an amazing bonus. You can get some instant cash through it. However, the amount of reward you get is not that much as compared to a deposit bonus. For instance, you will find a site that offers a $5 no deposit bonus. After you create an account on it, your account will be funded with $5. 

Reload Bonus 

A reload bonus is almost the same as a welcome deposit bonus. However, the reload bonus is not limited to new customers. This means that existing customers can also enjoy it. Any user can get its reward as soon as it appears. The only downside about a reload bonus is available on only a few sites.

Objective-Based Bonus 

The objective-based bonus allows users to earn a reward after they complete a specific objective. For instance, the site may ask them to make a CS: GO money line bet of at least $25. After you complete the task, your account will get rewarded with some money. 

Esports Betting Games

Esports betting is all about video games. There are different types of games that are available for esports betting. The first-person shooter titles such as Call of Duty, MOBA games such as Dota 2, fighting games such as Street Fighter, and sports games like FIFA.

Before getting involved in esports betting, you must know important details about these games. It is vital to know the rules of a game and its rules. Without such knowledge, it can be difficult to bet on a game. 

Select a game

Top Games 

At the moment, there are many esports betting games available at different bookmakers. But the most popular ones are League of Legends, CS: GO, PUBG, Fortnite, Overwatch, and Dota 2.

League of Legends Betting 

League of Legends was released in 2009. It is currently one of the most played games on PC in both North America and Europe. Because millions of players play it every month, League has a fan base bigger than the majority of video games in the world. This is also something because of why it is available on almost every other esports betting site. 

The Gameplay

In the game, two teams compete with each other. Each team has five players and every player must select a champion to take part in the match. For those who don’t know, champions are the in-game characters that players have to control. At the moment, there are more than 135 champions available in League, something which makes the game even more exciting. 

League of Legends Tournaments 

Tournament organizers, including developer Riot Games itself, host different esports tournaments for League of Legends in all parts of the world. In these tournaments, professional teams from different regions compete to take the trophy and prize money. You must know about these tournaments so that you know about betting opportunities. Some of the most popular League of Legends tournaments are:

League of Legends World Championships

This is the biggest League of Legends tournament that features a really big prize pool. This year, the championship’s venue in Shanghai, and it will be the 10th edition. It is going to feature top teams.  

Legends Championship Series

The Legend Championship series is yet another big esports event for the game. The one is region-based. It puts different teams from a region against each other to discover the best team. 

League of Legends Betting Markets 

League of Legends has a variety of different betting markets. They are available on all League of Legends betting sites. Every type is different and allows you to place a bet on a different outcome. The common type of bet you will find is match-winner where you can place the bet on a team that has the potential to win a match. There is a type called First Baron or Dragon where you place a bet on the team who you think will kill the first Baron or Dragon. Other than this, you can also go with the Inhibitor/Tower bet where you can bet on the team who will kill the first inhibitor or tower. 

CS: GO Betting

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, popularly known as CS: GO, was released in August 2012. The game is currently available on some major platforms including PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. CS: GO is easily one of the top video games in the world. Back in October 2019, it was the most played game on Steam. 

The Gameplay

A match in CS: GO features two teams that have to fight against each other. Players can use a wide range of different weapons that they can purchase at the start of the game using in-game currency. The two teams include the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorist. The Terrorist team is the one that has either holds hostages or plants a bomb. And the Counter-Terrorist team must rescue the hostages or prevent the bomb from being planted. They can also defuse the bomb after the Terrorist team plants it. 

CS: GO Tournaments 

Just like other esports games, CS: GO fans also get to enjoy a wide range of different tournaments throughout the year. The biggest tournament yet for CS: GO was the WSEG 2016 which featured a prize pool of $1.5 million. The ELEAGUE is also another popular tournament for the game which features some of the best teams from all over the world. Its season 1 featured a prize pool of $1.4 million, while season 2 offered $1.1 million to players. StarLadder also hosts some of the biggest CS: GO tournaments. All of these tournaments are excellent betting opportunities for esports bettors. 

CS: GO Betting Markets 

Considering CS: GO is one of the top esports games, it has a good betting market. Players can choose from different betting types as well as a variety of CS: GO betting sites that offer different rewards. Other than the common ones such as Match Winner and Tournament Winner, you can find: 

• Group of Winner: Here you place a bet on the group which contains the final winner of the specific tournament. 
• Draw: This is where you bet on whether the result of the match is going to be a draw or not. 
• Region Winner: This is the type of bet which allows us to place a bet on the region of the winner of the tournament. But this is only when the tournament has different divisions of regions. 

PUBG Betting 

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a top battle royale title. The game is one of the first ones to introduce the world to the battle royale genre. PUBG became the bestselling and most played video game of all time after it sold over 50 million companies in June 2018. Its mobile version is also very popular and is even a part of the esports world. 

The Gameplay

In PUBG, a total of 100 players land on a large-scale map. Players can either play as Solo, Duos, or a 4-person Squad. Either way, they have to start gathering resources as soon as they land. After some time, the map begins to shrink down towards a random location. If any player is outside the safe area, he will immediately start taking damage. Players have to make the best use of their weapons and supplies to survive till the end to get the “Chicken Dinner.” At the moment, there are around four maps available while more will make their way in the future. 

PUBG Tournaments 

PUBG has a huge esports scene. Since its release, fans have seen a lot of big tournaments for it. The biggest tournament of the game is the PUBG Global Championship that features a huge prize pool. Last year, it had a prize pool of $4 million. This alone makes it a really big esports tournament. A total of 32 teams from all over the world were invited to it. PUBG Nations Cup is also a popular tournament for the game that was held in 2019 and featured a prize pool of $500,000. Aside from these, various other tournaments are hosted throughout the year. 

PUBG Betting Markets 

Just like other esports titles, PUBG also has its type of bets available on different PUBG betting sites. These include:

• Tournament/Match Winner: Where you bet on the player or squad who can win the match or tournament.
• First Blood: This bet allows users to bet on the team or player who will first execute an opponent player. 
• Totals: Betting on the total number of kills, maps, or rounds. 
• Odd/Even: Here you bet on whether there are going to be an odd or even number of matches won. You can also bet on whether there is going to be an odd or even number of players killed. 

Overwatch Betting 

Overwatch is enjoyed by millions of players every month. It is developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The developers also released it for Nintendo Switch in October 2019, something which increased its player base. Overwatch has won numerous game of the year awards, something which made it one of the greatest video games of all time. 

The Gameplay

Overwatch focuses primarily on the first-person experience and has different game modes. The main mode features two teams of six players each against each other. Players can choose from a wide range of pre-made heroes available in the game. For those wondering, these heroes are the playable characters. At the moment, there are three different types of heroes, Damage, Tank, and Support. Damage heroes deal the most damage, Tank heroes absorb the most damage, while Support heroes provide things such as healing kits. The thing which players love the most about these heroes is that each one has its special ability. 

Overwatch Tournaments 

Every year, professional tournaments for Overwatch are hosted. Some of these are organized by Blizzard itself, while others are organized by different companies. The first Overwatch Open tournament that was held in July 2016 featured a prize pool of $300,000. The biggest tournament for the game is the Overwatch League, which is divided into different parts. The Overwatch League – Season 2 Playoffs had a prize pool of $3.5 million. The Overwatch World Cup is also a popular tournament for the game which features some of the best Overwatch teams in the world. 

Overwatch Betting Markets 

Overwatch’s betting market is somewhat similar to what we see for other esports games. We have the Match Winner where users place a bet on who they think might win a match. Another type of Overwatch bet is Handicap betting. This is where you are going to place a bet on whether the team with the handicap advantage or disadvantage will win the match. Outright Winner is also a really popular type of bet that allows us to place a bet on the overall winner of the Overwatch tournament. You can find all these at most of the Overwatch betting sites. 

Fortnite Betting 

Fortnite is one of the top battle royale titles in the world. The game was a success. It is played by millions of players every month. The game is available on all major platforms such as PC, PS4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. 

The Gameplay

Fortnite has unique and interesting gameplay. It has a total of three different game modes, and each one has a unique experience. First, we have the standard Battle Royale mode. In this mode, 100 players are dropped on a map without any loot. Players have the option to either drop Solo, as a Duo, or as a full Squad. Right after landing, they have to instantly look for loot such as weapons as they are in constant danger. The second mode is the Save the World mode, which features a Player Vs. Environment experience. And finally, we have the Creative mode where players get the freedom to build whatever they want to. 

Fortnite Tournaments 

Since 2017, Fortnite fans have witnessed a variety of different tournaments for their favourite battle royale game. We recently got to see the Fortnite World Cup. It had a prize pool of $30 million, which was divided equally among the Solo and Duo portion. Considering the tournament was a success, Blizzard is going to continue hosting it in the coming years. TwitchCon is also home to an amazing Fortnite tournament. Last year, it had a prize pool of $1 million. The Fortnite Championship Series also features some of the biggest prize pools. 

Fortnite Betting Markets 

Fortnite’s betting types are similar to PUBG’s. This is because both games feature a similar gameplay experience. On different bookmakers, you can find betting types such as:

• First Elimination: Here, you will bet on the player who will get the first elimination. 
• Match Winner: Bet on the player or squad who will win the match.
• Tournament Winner: Bet on the player or squad who will win the entire tournament.
• Most Kills: Here, you will bet on the player who will get the most kills in a single game. 

Some bookmakers might also have some special types of bets available for Fortnite. But you will only find them at specific Fortnite betting sites. 

Dota 2 Betting 

Dota 2 is a really popular MOBA game. It has always been praised for its quality of gameplay. Many have deemed it as one of the greatest video games of all time. Dota 2 is also one of the first games ever to feature an AI Controlled team. 

The Gameplay

In Dota 2, two teams play against each other. Each team has five players who must choose from a list of more than 100 playable in-game characters. Both teams have to occupy and defend their separate base that can be seen on the map. Every player gets the luxury to control a powerful character. This character is called a hero, and it has a special unique ability that can be used to take down opponents. The main goal of each team is to destroy a large structure of the opposing team. This structure is “The Ancient.”

Dota 2 Tournaments  

Dota 2 has the biggest esports events in the world. Valve hosts The International for it, which is an annual Dota 2 event. This tournament has the biggest prize pool in the history of esports. Last year, TI9 had a prize pool of $34.3 million. The International also offers the best teams from all parts of the world. Other than this, the EPICENTER Major is another popular tournament for Dota 2. Last year it featured a prize pool of $1 million. 

Dota 2 Betting Markets 

Dota 2 has betting types that you must be already familiar with. You can bet on the team who will win the match or even the tournament. There is a special type of bet that allows users to bet on the team or player who will kill the Roshan first. Another type of bet involves placing a bet on who will first destroy the main tower. If you want something exciting, then you can also place a bet on the player or team who will get the first kill. All these bets are available on most of Dota 2 betting sites. 

Esports Betting Tips

Esports betting may seem like a simple thing, but it isn’t. Some people think that esports betting is all about joining a bookmaker and placing bets on video games, but they are simply wrong. It is much more than that. This is why new bettors end up making mistakes that cost them a lot of them. Therefore, it is important to first learn the basics before doing any betting. Here are some tips that can help you out if you’re new to esports betting. 

Do Your Research

Research is going to be your secret weapon in esports betting. Without it, you cannot survive in the long run. By research, we mean you must learn the game and its rules. In addition to this, you must also study different players and teams to find out the best ones. 

Don’t Always Bet on The Favorite 

The biggest mistake new bettors make is that they only place a bet on the favourite or top player. This is wrong because the favourite or top player is not always going to win. Instead, you should check how the player has been performing lately and then decide whether you should place a bet or not. This is something that can help you avoid losing money. 

Don’t Make an Emotional Decision 

Making an emotional decision can cost you a lot of money. Some bettors end up placing another bet after losing one with the hope to recover what they lost. However, they only end up losing more and more money in the process. Therefore, it is necessary first carefully to study the next match and then place a bet. Otherwise, you will keep on losing your hard-earned money.

Choose the Right Bookmaker 

Choosing the right bookmaker is an important part of esports betting. There are hundreds of different online bookmakers available. Thus, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Our advice will be to go with a popular one since they can be easily trusted. The best way to check this is by reading reviews about a particular bookmaker on the web. 

Stay Calm 

The final thing I will suggest is to stay calm throughout the process. Always remember that you will not become a professional bettor overnight. These things take time, and you will only succeed if you remain consistent. Even if you lose a bet, you shouldn’t give up because we must learn from the mistakes. 

Esports Contents & Tournaments to Bet

Every year, esports fans get the chance to enjoy some of the biggest esports events and tournaments. These tournaments feature some really big prize pools as the best teams from all over the world compete in them. Organizers always stay in competition with each other because everyone wants to host the biggest tournament. However, there are a few tournaments that no one can match. 

The International 

The International is an annual tournament organized by Valve for their MOBA title, Dota 2. It is regarded as the biggest tournament series in the history of esports. The first International was held in 2011, and a total of 16 teams participated in it. It was held in Cologne, Germany, and featured a prize pool of $1.6 million. Since this time, Valve has hosted a new edition for it every year with a bigger prize pool. Last year, The International had a prize pool of $34 million. 

The Fortnite World Cup 

The Fortnite World Cup is easily one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Although it is new, the World Cup has quickly managed to become the second biggest esports tournament in history. It had different portions, with each one having a share from the $30 million prize pool. The final events were held from July 26 to 28. Epic Games has confirmed that they are going to return with bigger tournaments.  

League of Legends World Championship 

The League of Legends World Championship is a popular esports tournament. Riot Games organizes this tournament, and it is an annual League of Legends tournament. The championship features prize pools bigger than most of the esports tournaments out there. Last year, it featured a prize pool of $2.25 million. 

PUBG Global Championship 

The PUBG Global Championship 2019 caught the attention of everyone after PUBG Corporation announced a $4 million prize pool for it. A total of 32 teams competed in the tournament that ended on November 24. The championship is surely going to return soon with an even bigger prize pool. 

References

1. https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/28141230/esports-calendar-top-events-league-legends-overwatch-counter-strike-battle-royale-more
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1461444820908510
3. https://lolesports.com/news/en