Esports Betting – A Beginner’s Guide

Esports betting has been all the rage in the UK over the last few years. New esports bettors are regularly entering the scene, all hungry to grab a piece of the action. Thousands of entertaining matches are played on a weekly basis piquing the interests of spectators and punters alike.

Almost all bookmakers in the UK now offer esports betting, so rest assured that you’ll never be short of options. Some bookies also give promotions and offers for esports betting.

Now, if you are one of these bettors, in search of the most popular esports betting sites, tips and more, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’ll give you a full run-down of esports betting and everything there is to know about this form of betting.

Sounds interesting to you? Let’s get started!

Best Esports Tournaments

If you know what you’re looking for, you won’t be short of options with esports betting. There are some tournaments and matches that have become favourites among punters over the past few years. Let’s explore some of these famous names below.

• DOTA 2: A popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game that players, viewers and punters enjoy is DOTA 2. There are many bets that are put down on The International tournament for DOTA 2. This tournament is known for its massive prize pool and fierce competitiveness.

• Counter Strike Global Offensive: This is a first-person shooter game and has been one of the world’s biggest esports. The CSGO Majors is the tournament that attracts a huge audience and is usually seen in most UK sportsbooks.

• Overwatch: This is a relatively newer addition to the world of esports and has come from Blizzard Entertainment. While it is still new, this game’s event packs quite a punch. Overwatch League is now one of the most sought out after events by players and punters.

• League of Legends: We saved the best for last. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest esports in the world. The Riot Games creation honestly set the standard for multiplayer battles and tournaments online. The League of Legends Championship is what you need to be on the lookout for if you’re an esports bettor. 

Esports Betting Tips and Strategies

Esports betting is not as easy as it may seem. These tournaments and matches are very unpredictable and can swing in different directions really easily. Thus, as a bettor, you need to follow some strategies and tips to help you stay ahead of the game. Let’s explore some of these points below.

Learn the ins and out of Esports

As with any other sports, esports betting too requires you to have some pre-existing knowledge in the niche; meaning you need to know your games. Now, this can be tricky for esports as there are so many games to choose from. You have to settle on one or two, which you want to bet on and then understand the game.

Remember, unlike normal games, video games in esports tend to have variances and changes. These are more frequent than not so you have to make sure you’re updated on the whole game and understand how it works.

Stay on Top of Esports News

As we’ve mentioned earlier, there are many changes and updates that happen to esports that change the whole betting scene. Thus, you need to stay on top of news and forums that provide information about the sport.

This is also a good way to know about the current top players and how their teams are performing. Upcoming matches and tournaments are also updated on the news so be sure to check those regularly.

Compare Esports Odds

Each bookmaker will give you a different set of odds for esports betting. You have to make sure you scour out the best odds that promise you the best profit. You might have to look around quite a bit. The best place to  start is of list of the top 10 esports betting sites mentioned above to save yourself some time.

The odds might be displayed differently across the betting sites so make sure you use their converter to display them according to your liking. Whether that is decimal odds, fractional odds or moneyline odds, just pick one that you can clearly read and interpret.

Find the Right Esports Bookie

This is a tricky one. Not all bookmakers will have the biggest selection when it comes to esports betting options. As this is a relatively newer form of betting, not all sportsbooks will carry a massive array of options.

So, you have to do your research and find a bookie that not only has good options to choose from, but also the best odds. First and foremost you need to find out if they are a licensed and legal sportsbook or not.

Esports Betting Strategies

As with traditional online sports betting, esports betting also asks the punter to get acquainted with betting strategies. These are generic for all types of betting and can be used for esports tournaments and matches.

Arbitrage Betting Strategy

Arbitrage betting or Arb involves placing multiple bets on a single event or tournament. This way, you are placing bets on all the different outcomes of the match or game. Hence, it is safe to say that if not all, at least one will come out right.

This is usually done by placing opposing bets on different sportsbooks with differing odds. While bookies aren’t the biggest fan of arbs, they can still be found in the market. So, if you do get a chance to make this bet, you should go for it.

It is a surefire way to make sure you go home with some money from the bets. Keep in mind though that, arbitrage betting requires a lot of calculation and strategy building.

Matched Betting Strategy

Another common form of betting is the matched betting strategy. This method involves taking advantage of the operator’s welcome bonus or sign up offers. Using the bonus offer you can place a bet on a single match. On the other hand, you can use your own funds to place a bet on the opposite outcome.

Thus, at least one of the predictions will be correct and you will secure some money in your account. There is a decreased risk of losing all your money with this type of betting.

However, this is only applicable for cases where the operator will offer the welcome offer or sign up offer.  

Different Esports Betting Options

With esports betting, there’s more to enjoy than simple real money bets. There are various other types of bets that exist in online bookmakers. Let’s explore some of these below.

Real Money Betting

Real money betting is the same as traditional sports betting. With this form of betting you can place your bets on an event or tournament you are interested in. Once you choose your market and match, you can place your bet. If your prediction is correct you have successfully won the bet!

Fantasy Betting

Fantasy betting is also a part of traditional sports betting and works in the same way for esports betting. You can choose your players or teams based on your prediction. Then, you can earn points or cash based on how they perform in games or tournaments with respect to your predictions.

Types of Markets in Esports Betting

Esports betting doesn’t fall under traditional forms of sports betting when compared to sports like football. Yet, as this is a growing market, sportsbooks are slowly beginning to expand their selection of esports betting options.

• Match Winner

This is one of the most common types of esports bets. This is when you place a wager on who you think will be victorious in a match or game. This is very similar to when you would bet on the match winner in a football game for example.

• Map Winner

In this type of bet, you need to wager on the winner of an individual map in any esports game or match. Here, you can bet on how many maps a team or player can win. Moreover, you could also place a bet on the prediction that there will be an even or odd number of maps played in the game.

• First Blood

With this type of bet, punters can bet on which team will draw the first blood of the game or match. There may also be bets on the first kill or the first five kills, the total number of kills and more.

• System Bets

System bets require that you to make more than one bet. This means you will secure wins for all your selections in order to get your winnings. While this seems like a lot to risk, these bets usually have impressive payouts.

• Outright Bets

This is another one of the popular types of bets in esports betting. Here, you can bet on the outright winner of a game. This could be a match in League of Legend Worlds or the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships (CSGO Major).

• Game Specific Bets

Some esports will have their own special bets that are applicable to that particular game only. For example, it could be a bet on the first tower destroyed or the first dragon slayed in League of Legends. Another example could be a bet on the most headshots made in CS:GO.

Esports Betting Rules

Just like all other types of sports betting, esports betting also has some specific rules and regulations. Now keep in mind that these rules will be different from operator to operator. Still, there are some general rules that apply to most online bookies. Let’s have a look at these common rules below.

• Any wagers on maps that are not played because of the result of the series already being determined will be null and thus refunded.

• Start times and dates are a sign only and cannot be guaranteed to be precise. Bets will stand if the match is played against an incorrect time or date or both. In case a match is postponed or suspended and is not continued within 48 hours of the start time, bets on their series will not be actionable and will be refunded. If any map is resumed within 48 hours of the start time, bets placed on that map will be settled as per usual order.

• All bets will be settled with respect to the official result announced by the related governing body of the concerned competition. For streaming, the result will be settled by the stream screenshots or the video on demand.

• If the name of a player or a team is spelled incorrectly, all bets will stand, given that the intentions were made clear.

• In case there aren’t any options for the match to end in a draw, all extra time that is played will be counted towards the result of the bet. If there is a draw option, then the bet would be settled based on the regulations.

• Players are considered a stand-in if they are not an official part of any organisation playing roster. Coaches for a team are also counted as stand-ins.

• If a map has started and is won as a result of a team surrendering or forfeiting, the map will be seen as completed and all bets that were placed will stand. Any bets that do have a definitive outcome will be void and refunded to bettors.

• If a player or team withdraws from a match or tournament, any outright bets placed on that player or team to advance or win in the match will be actionable and will be refunded.

These are only a few of the many esports betting rules that are placed on sportsbooks. To find out the specific rules placed by your chosen operator, visit their website and look for rules and regulations.

Live Betting for Esports

With esports, live betting is an option that can be worth looking into. Just like with traditional sports betting, you can also place bets on a live esports match or tournament. This is a very thrilling and exciting type of betting that many punters look forward to.

With live betting, you can place bets with progressions in the tournaments or matches. The odds will also change with progressions so be aware of that. This provides a thrill quite like no other! You do need to be a skilled punter to make live bets, you also need to build strategies and be patient with your bets.

Many online sportsbooks offer the live esports betting option for punters. To check whether your chosen sportsbook has this option, visit their official website.

Additional Tips for Esports Betting

Other than the tips mentioned above, there are some tips that are specific to betting on esports that you might want to keep in mind.

Put Your Focus On a Game You Know Best

There is a wide range of esports out there. Starting from first-person shooters like CSGO to battle arena games like League of Legends. There are a lot of options for betting and also for understanding and learning.

Thus, when you think about getting started with esports betting, focus on one game at a time. Put all your efforts into understanding that particular game and how it works so you know enough to place a calculative bet.

Follow Your Favourite Teams

Just as you have to stay updated on the news regarding a certain game or esport, you should also stay updated on the players. Just like traditional sports, there are teams with esports and individual players within them.

Each team will have a way to reach out to fans and also punters. So, keep an eye on their insights so you know how they might play in a game or tournament. This is also a good way to research player profiles.

Setting Budgets for Betting

For all punters, new and old, setting a budget is very important. This is the money you can afford to allocate for esports betting. You can’t always expect to win a bet and will need a safety net to fall on for those losses.

Thus, set a budget for betting and make sure you stick to it. This budget should be a realistic amount and should be ideally split into small amounts that can be your stake amounts. 1 to 2% of your total budget is usually a good bet value.

Don’t Follow the Herd

Something you’ll notice with esports betting and other sports betting is that punters will follow the popular opinion of the crowd. While this is completely fine in most cases, it is not advised in esports betting.

This is a sort of betting scenario that can swing at any given moment and is very unpredictable. Thus, betting on the team that is getting all the attention and praise may not be ideal when an underdog team comes up and swoops into victory. Building your own opinions based on facts and speculation will be a much better way to go.

Final Words on Esports

Esports betting is very exciting and thrilling for UK bettors. With esports tournaments and matches becoming more popular by the second, punters will never be short of options. Also, thanks to the sheer unpredictability of this sport, the whole experience is loved across the world.

As with all types of sports betting, a good amount of research is needed before you place your bets. You also need to take into account things like past trends, player personas and rules of the specific game. Once you have a clear grasp on things, you can move on to making calculative risks and place your bets.

Choose the best esports games and the top esports teams from your bookmakers. If you think you haven’t found the right bookmaker, explore the list we mentioned above. You can also do your own research to find some more.

Good luck and enjoy the esports action!

Esports Betting FAQs

How to choose the top esports betting site?

Is esports betting similar to normal online sports betting?

How do you know if esports matches are rigged?

What is handicap betting?

Which esports can I bet on?