When the idea of electronic competition first went mainstream, experts and fans alike would debate as to whether esports even qualify as ‘real’ sports. That debate has since been laid to rest. The esports industry is now worth an estimated $1.38 billion globally and major competitions pay out millions of dollars in prizes to professional players and teams.
At the same time, sports betting has become more popular. The industry is now worth an estimated $194 billion. This has been boosted by legislation that paves the way for online bookies in certain states in America, as well as emerging markets such as Brazil and India that now have increased access to smartphones and the internet.
It makes sense then, that the two markets would converge. It’s now possible to bet on major esports competitions online in the same way that you can traditional sports. Let’s delve deeper into the world of esports betting.
Can you bet on esports?
From a technical standpoint, it’s never been easier to bet on esports. As both esports and sports betting have gained popularity, major online bookmakers have started to offer markets for esports competitions such as League of Legends, DOTA2 and CS:GO.
It’s even possible to take part in csgo betting with bitcoin using specialist online bookmakers. The idea is the same. Players create an account and then can search betting markets for their chosen esport.
As it stands, you’ll probably want to stick to major events. You’ll find a greater choice of betting lines for competitions like League of Legends Worlds or DOTA’s Internationals than you will for a regional tournament.
In fact, you might struggle to find any options for regional events. If there are markets, then you will likely only be able to bet on match and tournament winners. In this sense, esports betting is still in its infancy.
Esports betting markets
The type of markets and betting lines you’ll find for esports will depend on the popularity of
the game and the prestige of the event. In some cases, the full range of betting lines will
be available, which will consist of the following:
- Tournament winners: Betting on the outright winner of the entire tournament or league, such as Astralis to beat Excel in the League of Legends Winter Season.
- Match winner: Betting on the outcomes of one or more matches by picking the winning team or player, such as a pro Fortnite player.
- Map/Round winner: Who will win a certain map? You can bet on individual rounds using these lines.
- Overall scores: Picking the exact score or range of scores that the game will finish, similar to picking the full-time score in a football game.
- Player scores: Betting on the scores of individual players within the team, or on which player will earn the most points.
- Player actions: A range of other bets on player actions, such as who will get the first kill or who will earn the final point of the match.
- Live esports betting: These are bets that are taken on any of the above markets while the game is already in progress.
As mentioned, not all of these betting lines will be available for all esports competitions, at least not for now. The most popular and lucrative events, however, will have more of these on offer at any given time.
Is it easy to bet on esports?
In terms of placing your bets, it’s as easy to bet on esports as it is traditional sports. Whether or not you will win, however, is a different question entirely.
Just like traditional sports betting, it also helps to have knowledge of the teams, players and games that you are betting on. The more you can analyse the stats and facts, the more in tune with the potential results you will be.
The aim is to find markets that are fair value, meaning you believe you get favorable odds compared to the actual odds of an outcome happening. Researching and keeping up to date with team news will go a long way to finding those odds.
What esports games can you bet on?
There are a number of esports that you can bet on right now. CS: GO is one of the most well-known first-person shooters, and Fortnite and Call of Duty are both popular. DOTA2’s International is the biggest esport in the world in terms of prize pools, which run into the tens of millions of dollars.
As the most watched esport of 2022, League of Legends remains top of the pack in terms
of player and viewer base, and has plenty of major competitions for betting on. FIFA is also worth a mention and, for sports fans, is perhaps the closest esports comes to traditional sports betting.
Esports betting is here to stay and, if anything, is set to grow into a stronger industry in the coming years. As more esports games rise to prominence and events get bigger and more frequent, online bookies will continue to offer additional betting lines and markets.
