All You Need to Know About Esport Betting: Nuances, Subtleties, and Tips
If you are on the lookout for practical information about esports betting, then our comprehensive guide is for you. To first-timers, it will explain basic principles and provide some informative tips. Whereas skilled bettors will find here more sophisticated subtleties and nuances of esport gambling, including CS:GO, StarCraft II, League of Legends, and Dota 2.
Although the online esports betting industry has long become a global phenomenon, it is surprising how many gamers are still unaware of viable gambling strategies. So, if you are one of those, read on and figure out how to enjoy the fun of betting on video games and walk away with impressive winnings.
What is Betting on Esports and Why You Should Try it?
Esports entails competitive gaming where individual gamblers and teams compete with each other in particular games. Although most players have considered video gaming a solitary affair, the rise of broadband technologies rendered the possibility to enjoy competing with each other regardless of physical location.
It took less than a decade for video game tournaments emerging all over the world to bring the esports gambling industry up to $1 billion worth. Upscale competitions like Intel Extreme Masters, The International, and DreamHack now draw together the world’s top punters to compete in the League of Legends and Dota 2 in front of thousands of avid audiences.
The best thing about such prestigious events is that you don’t even have to appear in person to see the action. Well-known live streaming sites like Twitch.tv enable you to follow the competition of your favorite punters and teams online. And similar to traditional sports like tennis, boxing, or football, you can bet on esports as well.
The most popular video game types for wagering are Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (the so-called “MOBAs”) like Smite and previously mentioned League of Legends, and Dota 2. In these games, players apply versatile tactics and hero abilities to contend critically important points on a map.
FPS games – or First-Person Shooters – are considered esports, too, featuring Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as the most popular game of this kind.
Other video game disciplines for wagering include one-on-one fighting games (Street Fighter or Tekken), strategy games (e.g., Starcraft 2), and sports simulations (FIFA, etc.).
E-Sports Betting Vs. Traditional Sports
If you have ever been involved in wagering on such sports as basketball, tennis, or football, then transitioning to esport betting shouldn’t be a problem for you. Even though video games betting might seem pretty unusual in the first place, it is, in fact, somewhat similar to placing bets on traditional sports activities.
Like wagering on the winner of a football match, you can bet on the esports odds for which a particular team can win a game. With the gambling esports industry becoming more professionalized, you get to know top teams like SK Telecom T1, Virtus.pro, and Fnatic. Diving deeper into this realm will earn you extra confidence when you place your gaming challenge bet, for instance. E-sport betting implies that you wager on odds set by the bookmaker. Just like with traditional sports, video games odds conform to the likelihood of a specific event happening.
Hence, even though the difference between video games and traditional sports is fairly substantial, they are amazingly similar when it comes to wagering. Choose the event, make your esports bet, and wait for the outcome.
In a traditional sports match, you can wager on specific events; the same goes for video games. Some most popular esport bets include the ‘first blood’ (which team is going to make the first kill) and the number of kills.
Types of Esports Events
Similar to traditional sports that have tournaments, cups, and leagues, e-sports these days offer diverse match types as well. With the advancement of the league of gambling, there are now various exciting events where e-athletes compete for bragging rights and glory, as well as ever-increasing boatloads of cash. Let’s explore the two most popular types of events to esports gamble:
- Tournaments – if you are on the lookout for excellent gaming action.
Depending on the video game, teams or individuals duke it out through stages in the tournament format. In that regard, it is pretty dissimilar from any traditional sports event you may have been watching before. Depending on the type of game and organizers, there are several ways in which things can shake out. Pursuing gambling on esports, keep in mind that not all games suit the tournament format.
Let’s take CS:GO – probably the most popular e-sports game out there – as an example. As a rule, CS:GO tournaments start at the group stage, advance to the knockout/playoff, and proceed to the grand finale. That way or another, this structure can and will be traced in the majority of tournament-style events.
Individuals or teams duke it out at the group stage, usually in more than one game. The reason for this lies in the interest of fairness, as one team (or player) may be better at one level and another at a different map. Within the group stage, the most frequently used are best out of two and best out of three. Yet, in the later stages of the competition, the best out of five may be used as well.
These games may sometimes last for hours, which is good news for e-sports fans as this is where the excellent gaming action catches you and doesn’t let go.
If you wonder how it may go in groups – typically, a round-robin system is applied, meaning that each participant plays against every other.
Another commonly employed method – the so-called “Swiss seeding” – resembles football leagues. Within it, teams for the first round are chosen arbitrarily, and in the second one, winners compete with winners while losers compete with losers.
- Leagues – if you strive for a sustained egames betting experience.
Third parties most commonly operate this type of event for esports wagering. Their primary objective is to monetize the streaming rights to the matches. The most prestigious leagues to follow include CS:GO organization and the ESL Pro League. Whereas the League of Legends fans should take notice of the Spanish Superliga.
Other well-known and reputable leagues contain national-level competition known as the eGames and the Electronic Sports League, which releases various worldwide competitions in multiple games. Those are just a few out of the hundreds produced by different organizers and put on by numerous sponsors. Whereas the list of games consists of World of Tanks, Smite, Rocket League, Tekken, and many more.
What everyone who enjoys betting video games loves the most is that you can almost always follow the matches on different free streaming platforms. Sure enough, you can purchase tickets and visit the event in person if you wish and have a chance. Yet if you don’t, thrilling action is just a click away! It, in fact, is in stark contrast to watching traditional sports games, as you typically need to pay for a subscription to a sports channel package. So, check out leagues’ websites, e-sports sections of the top online casinos, or online sportsbook sites to get informed about the most popular events to wager on.
Esports Bets: Skin Type or Cash Option?
Seasoned sports punters and bettors are accustomed to an advanced sportsbook market with multiple wagering options available. The state of affairs in video game betting doesn’t look much different. Even though the sportsbook market for e-games events is relatively new, there is already a sufficient choice of products available to place your bets esport. Let’s start from the basics: there are two main types of esports betting.
- Skin Betting
To a certain extent, skin wagering differs from what you usually do in an online casino. Basically, original in-game items (the so-called ‘skins’) are held by a third-party contractor (i.e., a skin wagering site), and gamers utilize them like casino chips. Using these chips, punters then play various games like roulette, slots, and wagering on match outcomes. Keep in mind that skin-wagering sites might be quite risky as they are not regulated in most jurisdictions. Don’t worry; it doesn’t mean skin wagering sites are inevitably illegal, although caution is recommended.
- Cash Betting
Unlike skin type of wagering, sites enabling you to use cash betting on esports are typically regulated by the same authorities that control traditional sports. If you have been into esports gambling and are familiar with the best betting sites, rest assured to encounter the same trustworthy and well-known brands.
E-Sports Betting Markets & Strategies
Same as there are multiple kinds of e-sports to wager on, so are also different ways to take bets. Of course, you can always simply take a match-winner bet; however, mixing up versatile wagering strategies could deliver you much more excitement! Here are several main types of esports bets to start with, applying some decent esports tips.
- Match-Winner Bets
It is the most prevalent kind of bets esport that you will encounter on every gambling site. Like predicting the winner of a football match, you can wager on the winner of a certain e-sports match of your choice. Can you bet on esports this way, yet it sounds too simple? No prob, just resort to some handicap betting! You can use it to put a clear favorite at a disadvantage if you want to leverage the benefits of the better odds for a more impressive profit.
- Outright Esports Bets
This type of bet allows you to make a wager on which player or team is going to win a specific tournament. Most decent crypto betting sites enable you to esport gamble, and place bets well in advance of the competition. Thus, if your gut feeling confidently tells you who is going to win in, say, the DreamHack Masters, feel free to get your bets ahead of time.
- System Bets
Here, you are required to make more than one video game bet. To get your earnings, you will have to get all of your selections to win. If it sounds too risky for you, remember that the payouts, in this case, can be highly impressive. Of course, you will need some substantial luck to win this kind of bet esports; however, the payouts should make it all worthwhile.
- Esports-Specific Bets
There are also a great many esport bets that are distinctive to individual e-sports. For example, if you are gambling on esports and choose League of Legends, you can wager on which team is going to win the first map. CS:GO fans, on the other hand, can try and bet on which team is going to be the first to have ten kills. Other unusual types of betting on video games include which team is going to destroy the first tower, inhibitor, dragon, etc. You can even wager on the correct score, and the time it will take to complete a round! As you can see, there are lots of wagering options for gambling esports, so you will have a place to roam.
Esports Betting Tips
If you would like to make your esports bet count and get some decent profits, follow these gaming bet tips and remember to esports gamble responsibly.
Check Reddit: Research punters & teams, and Grab free esports betting tips from worldly-wise bettors.
The number of individual punters and e-sports teams out there is just huge. Therefore, you might literally lack time to stay updated with all of the latest developments. That is why visiting Reddit every now and then can sometimes be a good idea. You can use it to learn the latest rumors and find out gossip about upcoming events for your esport gambling. It is also noteworthy to mention that gaming bet tips you will encounter on Reddit might not always be a failsafe, although you may be confident in multi skills of those sharing them. Anyway, researching Reddit for the latest statistics as well as reasoned opinions about the primary competitors will not be superfluous if you esport gamble seriously.
Give Live Esports Betting a Try Today: Video games betting is unrivaled with regard to in-play bets!
Many experienced punters claim that, in comparison with betting on video games before a match starts, live betting is the way forward. Using streaming sites like Twitch and following the events unfolding on-screen in real-time can change your entire gaming adventure. Due to live esports betting, you can adjust your wagering strategies in conformity with the altering odds of the in-play markets. You also won’t argue that hardly anything can compare to the excitement of landing a winning bet in the nick of time!
Get prepared for esport betting and wait until the best tournaments come around.
Most bookies pay the most significant attention to huge e-sports events like DreamHack and The International. This, in its turn, means that the more competition, the greater video game betting options online casinos provide and, therefore, the better odds you can take advantage of. Of course, there is nothing wrong with online esports betting on smaller events; however, big tournaments ensure bookies provide much better odds and, thus, winnings. Plus, larger gaming competitions usually promise a greater quantity of esport betting markets.
How to Bet on Esports: Final Quick Tip for First-Timers
1. Research and find a betting site that features your favorite game.
2. Fill in a few personal details, register a new account, and verify it (the whole registration procedure usually takes a couple of minutes).
3. Choose a payment method and make a deposit. Do not forget that it is high time to benefit from your exclusive welcome bonus deal at this stage!
4. Scroll through the e-sports odds available at the site and check out matches that could bring a good payout. Toggle between fractional and decimal odds to figure out how much your video game bet could return to you.
5. Ordinarily, to place your bet, you will just need to click on the coveted odds that will complement your wagering slip.
6. Afterward, you will have to decide on the amount you would like to stake in your bet. The majority of wagering slips will mechanically calculate your probable winnings.
7. Having clicked on the ‘place bet’ icon, feel free to sit back, relax, and wait for the outcome.
Remember to find and apply our strategies and tips before you lay your money down, and do not forget to always gamble responsibly!
FAQ
In general, yes, it is legal. Of course, it depends on where you live, but on the whole, if wagering on traditional sports is legal in your region, then so is gambling on esports, too. Just keep in mind that it concerns cash betting at regulated websites. Yet, skin gambling is still unregulated practically everywhere.
Legal and regulated online sportsbooks that guarantee confidence and security are the best way to wager on events of this kind. You may also bet esports in person if there are legal, physical wagering shops in your region.
Prior to picking the sites to place your wagers with, you need first to answer some questions. What are deposit and withdrawal methods available? What bonuses and promotions can I use for my gaming sure bet, for instance? What other games are present in the first place? Luckily, you can get answers to all of these questions and additionally learn much more in our comprehensive top sportsbook sites’ reviews.