The Ultimate eSports Betting Guide

As one of the newest sports to emerge on the sports betting scene, eSports may be distinctly mysterious to those who aren’t already in the know. The games involved can seem somewhat frivolous (especially to anyone who remembers the brief craze for ‘flossing’, a dance that originated in the game Fortnite), as can the teams themselves, who’ll frequently choose tongue in cheek names like ‘Ninjas in Pyjamas’ or ‘Unicorns Of Love’.

Yet eSports have become a billion dollar industry in recent years, with millions to be won in prize money each year. Meanwhile, eSports betting has grown to become a similarly huge industry, with projected revenue of $2.5 billion in 2024.

If you’re considering getting into eSports betting, whether you’re a sports bettor looking to branch out or an eSports fan keen to make use of your expertise (or neither!), we’ve got all the information you need. In this article, we’ll talk you through the fundamentals of eSports betting, so you can get started with confidence.

What Are eSports?

eSports are the competitive playing of video games. Professional tournaments can be either remote or in-person, and they’re played either in teams or by individual players.

Although they seem to be a very new phenomenon, eSports have a longer history than you might think. Multiplayer video games have been popular for a long time, with the earliest known video game competition taking place as far back as 1972, when students at Stanford University in California played Spacewar for a grand prize of a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.

Competitive gaming grew in popularity, especially in the form of arcade games in the 70s and 80s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that players would be able to challenge each other head on in the game itself, with the release of Street Fighter II. Increasingly widespread use of the Internet allowed for online multiplayer games to gain popularity, with several tournaments established in the late 1990s to take advantage of this new technology.

Nowadays, eSports tournaments are high profile events in large arenas, with the gameplay shown on big screens to allow the crowd to see what’s going on. Although there are thousands of video games out there, only a few have become major eSports games. They can be roughly divided into a few different genres (some of which overlap):

• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games (MOBA). This type of game tends to attract both the highest viewership and the largest prize pools. MOBAs are usually played in teams who battle against each other for victory. League of Legends and DOTA 2 (Defense of the Ancients 2) are generally considered the biggest MOBA games in eSports.

• First Person Shooters (FPS). Although a range of first person shooters, which generally involve firefights from a first person perspective, have been popular in eSports over the years, games series such as Counter Strike, Call of Duty and Valorant have been particularly successful in recent years both with players and viewers.

• Fighting games. These were some of the earliest games to be used for competitive play, and tournaments usually involve one-on-one combat between two individual participants in games such as Mortal Kombat. Many players consider this genre of game to be separate from eSports, however, preferring the term ‘competitive gaming’, and fighting games don’t tend to be featured in high profile eSports tournaments.

• Real Time Strategy (RTS). Although they don’t tend to attract the same level of money as other genres, RTS games have enjoyed consistent popularity over the years - though they are certainly more niche than the major eSports titles. Games series including Age of Empires, Starcraft, Civilization and Warcraft remain popular nowadays, although they have probably passed their heyday.

• Sports games. Sports simulation games have a long history, with the FIFA series having remained popular for at least twenty years. Gaming versions of sports including American football, basketball and ice hockey are all doing fairly well, but games including more cartoonish elements have also started to emerge in this genre. Rocket League, for example, is one of the biggest sports simulators now, and can be described as ‘soccer, but with rocket-powered battle cars’.

• Racing. Although technically a type of sports simulation, racing is often considered its own category as it tends to involve specialised equipment, such as steering wheels or even a full sim racing cockpit. Formula 1, Gran Turismo and iRacing are some of the most played games in this genre.

• Mobile games. In recent years, technological advances have allowed eSports competitions to include games for mobile devices. Significant mobile titles include Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings (which also fall into the MOBA genre).

• Battle Royale. Actually a subgenre of FPS and TPS (Third Person Shooters), Battle Royale games involve large numbers of players who must all compete in a vast arena, aiming to eliminate all their opponents and be the last man standing. Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Fortnite and Apex Legends are successful examples of this genre.

The Growth Of eSports Betting

As eSports have grown, so has gambling on eSports. Despite eSports betting not even being legal in many countries (though it’s perfectly legal in the UK), it’s taken off hugely. This has prompted some concerns that it may draw minors into gambling, given the sport’s popularity with young people, but fortunately this doesn’t so far appear to have been the case in the UK. A study undertaken by the Gambling Commission in 2021 found that only 1% of those under 18 had ever spent their own money on gambling.

Source: Gambling Commission Report on Online Gambling 2021

eSports betting is definitely still a niche activity, with only one in ten adults in the UK reporting having ever placed a bet on eSports in 2020, but it’s gaining ground. The market is expected to continue to grow year on year by almost 7%, which would result in a global market value of $3.5 billion by 2029.

Source: Statista eSports Betting Statistics

The Best eSports To Bet On

In general, we’d recommend sticking to the biggest titles for eSports betting, as these will attract the highest volume of bettors. This tends to result in better odds being available to punters, as well as more in the way of offers such as free bets or price boosts, which maximise the value you get from your bets.

Some of the best titles to place bets on are as follows:

• League of Legends. Still one of the biggest eSports in the world, League of Legends attracts huge numbers of viewers and bettors. The League of Legends World Championships is one of the major highlights of the year for eSports fans, meaning that you’re likely to see better value odds and more in the way of offers during this tournament.

• Counter Strike 2. CS2 is another of the world’s biggest eSports, and during major tournaments is another excellent candidate for betting. The ESL Pro League, an eSports league specifically for CS2, holds two events a year in the spring and autumn, for the 24 best teams to battle it out - betting on these event is likely to be well worth your while.

• DOTA 2. Another hugely popular eSport, DOTA 2 is famous particularly for The International, a yearly tournament for the best players in the world. In 2021, The International offered a record-breaking $40 million in prize money, and although the pool has decreased somewhat since then, it’s still a major event - with huge betting potential.

• Overwatch. Although a somewhat newer game, Overwatch has grown rapidly in popularity. The Overwatch Champions Series takes place over most of the year, with the finals coming in late November. Any of the major events over the course of the series are likely to be good candidates for betting.

And of course, if you’re well-versed in eSports, you can place a bet on any eSport you can find a market for in the UK. We’d recommend being sure to know your stuff before betting on lower profile games or events, though, as uncertain or haphazard betting is a surefire way to end up losing money.

eSports Betting Markets

eSports might not boast as wide a range of betting markets as sports such as football or horse racing, but there’s still plenty of variety. The most common markets you’ll come across are as follows:

• Match winner. Generally the most popular type of bet in any sport, this is a straightforward bet on the team or player who will win a specific match.

• Outright winner. This is a bet on the overall winner of a tournament, league or series, for example the League of Legends World Championships, or the Overwatch Champions Series.

• Map winner. For this market, you’re betting on the winner of an individual map (which effectively forms a round of the match) within an eSports match. You might also be able to bet on markets such as the number of maps played in a match.

• First blood. Thankfully not quite as grisly as it sounds (though the in-game graphics might be), this market involves betting on the team to draw first blood in a match. A betting site might also offer markets on the total number of kills, or the team to reach five kills first.

• Handicap bets. Handicap bets are available on most sports, with the aim of evening up an otherwise very unbalanced match-up. You might give the clear favourites a handicap of -2, for example, meaning that they would have to win by more than 2 for your bet to be successful.

• eSport specific bets. As the gameplay for each eSport is different, you may also see betting markets tied to aspects of that gameplay. For example, League of Legends markets might include first dragon slayed, or in DOTA 2 you might see a market for whether a team will destroy a particular barracks.

The Best eSports Betting Sites

When deciding who to bet with, there are a couple of factors to consider. Firstly, the range of eSports and eSports markets available to bet on, and secondly the odds you’re offered by a betting site. Some more niche betting sites have a particularly good range of choices for eSports betting. GGbet, for example, which has a particular focus on eSports, doesn’t lump them all into the same category, but has dedicated sections for each individual eSport, and a huge variety of markets for each, as you can see from just a small selection of the choices available for a Counter Strike match below.

On the other hand, more mainstream sports betting sites are likely to have more limited markets available, sticking to the most popular eSports and tournaments, but can offer more competitive odds thanks to their sheer size. For this reason, Bet365, Betway and LeoVegas are commonly cited as some of the best betting sites in the UK for eSports betting, although they can’t be said in any way to specialise in eSports.

eSports Betting Tips And Strategies

• Focus on the biggest tournaments of the year. The biggest events will always attract the most attention from the bookies - and they’ll be competing with each other for your custom. This tends to mean that it’s easier to find competitive odds, making the bets you place much better value for money. You’re also more likely to come across helpful tips and a wider range of betting markets during major tournaments.

• Steer clear of crypto. As eSports is inherently linked to the newest technology, it’s not surprising that betting sites that focus on eSports are far more likely than others to accept payment in cryptocurrency. However, while this may be legal, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Crypto is unregulated and unlicensed, meaning that you have none of the protections you enjoy when using more mainstream methods of payment, such as a debit card or PayPal.

• Do your research. It’s unwise to jump in blindly with no real knowledge of the eSports or teams you’re betting on. There’s an enormous amount of information available online and, while that can be overwhelming, it can also be an opportunity. You can make use of free sources of information, such as Reddit or dedicated eSports websites, to find out everything you need to know about specific eSports and their players, and use this information to make informed decisions when betting.

• Try Matched Betting. For a much less risky betting strategy that doesn’t require specialist knowledge, you could give Matched Betting a go. Matched Betting works by placing two types of bet, a back bet and a lay bet, both for and against a certain outcome. Between them, these two bets cover all possible results, allowing you to lock in a profit when using a free bet or bonus. If this sounds like it’d be up your street, check out our complete guide to Matched Betting to learn more, or sign up for our free trial.

Summary

eSports may be a new phenomenon (though they might be older than you thought), but it looks like they’re here to stay - and for the sports bettor, that means ever more opportunities for potential profit.

There’s no shortage of betting sites to choose from when placing your bets, though some are certainly better than others, and no shortage of eSports on offer either. Just make sure to do your research before you bet, avoid betting in crypto and, if you’d like to eliminate any risk of losing money, give Matched Betting a go to enjoy guaranteed profits (so long as you do it right).