Introduction to eSports Betting

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Knowing how to bet on eSports is equally important as knowing where to place your bet on. On this page, we are going to introduce you to both. 

Whether you are a complete novice to eSports betting or a casual player willing to sharpen your skills, we’ve got you covered. 

When it comes to choosing the right bookmaker, we’ll point out our personal favorites from two different perspectives. In that way, you’ll be able to see the broader picture and pick the one that suits you best.

What’s in common for all of our recommended bookmakers is that all of them are entirely secure, trusted, and verified.

Best eSports betting sites – Madison’s choice

On my list of bookmakers, you’ll find ones with the fantastic selection of markets and matches, from Dota 2 to League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Overwatch, and many more. 

18+
Welcome Bonus
200% Up To $200
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4.5/5
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18+
Welcome Bonus
100% Up To $100
Additional T&C Apply
4.5/5
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In the world of eSports betting, I jumped pretty early. Back in the days, you couldn’t find so many options and different bookies. Even if you could place your bet, you were limited to a small number of matches, and not to mention a narrow range of markets. 

Luckily, it’s not like that anymore. As the eSports industry developed, bookmakers managed to keep up with the pace. 

Now you can find numerous matches from not only the biggest eSports tournaments but from smaller, local events as well. 

Also, the betting process can get as creative as you want it to be. The reason for this lies in the variety of market possibilities. Speaking of my favourite game, Dota 2, you can bet on First blood, the first team to destroy the tower or to kill Roshan, and so on. 

Amelia’s favourites in the world of eSport betting

I prefer to keep my betting as simple as possible. A great selection of markets isn’t something that I necessarily need. Therefore, my list consists of the bookmakers with the best odds and generous bonuses

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Welcome Bonus
100% Up To €100
Additional T&C Apply
4.8/5
18+ T&Cs apply.
18+
Welcome Bonus
100% Up To $250
Additional T&C Apply
4.8/5
18+ T&Cs apply.

As the main picking criteria, I favour overall user experience, the best odds, bonuses and free bets. 

Simplicity is the key for me, so I’m not amused by the extravagant market possibilities. As long as I have a sufficient amount of matches to choose from, I’ll be fine. 

How to bet on eSports – A short guide for beginners 

Having a general betting experience will significantly help you in the process of eSports betting. In this way, you won’t need to learn the basics such as odds, formats and main types of bets. 

Let’s assume that you have that covered, and let’s proceed to the part connected to eSports. 

Betting markets in eSports 

Just like in football or basketball, the most common is a match winner option. Match winner is often the only market you can bet on, as the eSports games still aren’t on the same level as other popular sports. 

Yet the number of options goes far from that, and often we like to have a bit of fun with game-specific markets. 

Markets exclusive for eSports

As the industry developed, we’re starting to see variations according to the types of games and matches.

For example, in CS:GO, you can predict who is going to win the first, pistol round. Betting in League of Legends gets even more creative, as you have numerous picks to choose from. For example, you can place a bet on a team that will slay the Baron or dragon first. 

Also, the popular betting option for eSports, and especially MOBA games, is the First Blood pick. This is among the most unpredictable markets, and thus the fun of betting on it. 

General betting markets

Besides the game-specific ones, on more relevant matches and bigger tournaments, there are fundamental betting markets you’re likely to be familiar with. Some of these are:

  • Draw – not so typical in the gaming industry, yet it exists in some matches. Here bettors predict that there won’t be any winner. 
  • Over/under – a common market where you tell if the total number of kills (points) in the match will be less than, or greater than a given number. 
  • Handicap – here the bookmaker’s idea is to level the odds for both teams. For example, if Team Liquid is more likely to win the match, we can place a minus 10 points handicap. It means that in order to win, they must have an advantage of at least 11 points (kills), as the initial ten are deducted from the final score. 
  • Group winner – popular among the championships. Here, a bettor is picking a team that will take the first place during the group phase.
  • Group of a winner – a prediction that says from which group will be the final winner of a tournament. 
  • Total rounds – also a popular choice; especially during the finals where we have the best of three or best of five models. 

Deposits and money handling in eSports betting

This part doesn’t differ much from the general betting. As long as the bookmaker is licenced, they have, often a few trusted banking methods. 

Common supported credit and debit cards are from Visa and MasterCard, as they provide top-level security for both parties. 

Digital payment methods are on the rise, and often you’ll be able to deposit funds via PayPal, Skrill, or even cryptocurrencies. Yet as this one differs from platform to platform, we encourage you to explore different possibilities with your site of choice. 

How to win at eSports betting

According to our experience, here are the three main, practical tips you should never forget before placing a bet.

  1. Know your game

ESports are not as stable as tennis or football. Rules often change, and patches and expansions are introduced to the game on a regular basis.

To predict the winner of a match, cup or tournament, you should keep up with the general pace. 

When it comes to rules, sometimes they differ among the host organisations. The field is progressing towards uniformity, but they didn’t finish yet. 

  1. Analyse previous matches 

This is the essential tip, yet millions of punters still fail at doing so. Previous matches, especially the last three for each team could give you an idea of the overall standings for both sides. 

  1. Keep an eye on the roster 

Rosters among the eSports teams are changing at a rapid pace. On average, one player is a part of a professional team for less than one year. 

Although roster switches are rare during the competitions, it’s still not the impossible scenario. 

Tips and trick for picking the best eSports betting sites

Best eSports Sportsbooks

As we’ve already said in the introduction, picking the betting platform may be as important as having the winning strategy. 

Here we will list the most common factors you should consider before choosing the right betting platform. 

  • Bonus offers and free bets 

Not many things in life are free – especially when it comes to money. Luckily, most of the betting sites offer different welcome bonuses and free bets. 

When choosing a site for eSports betting, keep an eye on these, as bonuses might give a good head start upon signing up. 

The most common are matched bonuses or risk-free bets. Either way, you’ll be able to save some money at the start. 

  • Sign-up process

Nowadays you shouldn’t have any problems with the sign-up process on bookmakers’ websites. Once you find the trusted choice, completing a registration form is pretty straightforward. The only “difficult” part is to identify the payment options and deposit funds to get your sign-up bonuses. 

  • Mobile devices compatibility

According to the statistics, the majority of eSports bettors use their mobile devices to access sites. If you’re one of these, check if the bookmaker is compatible with your device. 

Navigating through the site should be as easy as on your laptop or PC. 

  • Customer support

Contacting customer support isn’t part of a daily routine, yet you never know if you will need their help.

Check with a site if their live support is available 24/7, what are the channels of communication, etc. Knowing they will answer your query in a matter of minutes is a huge benefit.

  • Trustworthiness and security

As the internet is fertile soil for scammers, you should take extra care when picking a bookie. Genuine security policy and the official betting license is a must. 

Luckily, by following links to bookmakers listed on our site, you won’t have any problems of that kind. We always conduct an in-depth investigation of the security measures and trustworthiness for each bookmaker we mention. 

  • Payment options

Perhaps you’ve already been introduced to payment methods during the sign-up process. As every bookmaker has different withdrawal methods, you should check if they are a good fit for you. 

Most of them accept debit or credit cards, and as long as you have one, you’ll be fine. 

Conclusion

When speaking of ground rules, eSports betting isn’t any different from a traditional sports betting. The main idea remains the same, and the only “big” difference is in the variety of markets available. 

However, if you know your games, you can even predict what the market possibilities for every one of them are. 

So, in general, the most critical thing before placing a bet is knowing how to do it, and where to do it. 

On this page, we introduced you to our methods, betting tips and tricks, and preferred bookmakers. 

Lastly, we hope you find this information useful for placing your next winning bet in the world of eSports.

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