One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
The Dota Pro Circuit is in full flow. The next big tournament in this seasonal circuit is the PGL Arlington Major. Texas is the location, Esports Stadium Arlington is the venue of choice, and seventeen brilliant Dota 2 teams will be eyeing their chances here.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
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Welcome to Esports-Betting.Pro (ESB), the number-one portal for gamers and esports bettors alike!
We are dedicated to answering any questions you may have about esports tournaments, games, teams, and events that the casual gamer or punter might be interested in.
With our journey having begun back in 2013, we’ve been at this for more than 9 years. As our site grew alongside the world of esports, so did our expertise and professional insight. We’re excited to welcome you to the world of esports and esports betting!
Esports betting works much the same way as traditional sports betting. Instead of wagering on traditional sports such as football or tennis, however, you’ll be betting on your favourite esports teams and tournaments!
While the entire betting process itself is rather simple, researching esports bookmakers and learning about the games or tournaments that you want to bet on can be time-consuming.
And that’s where we come in! Our site is your one stop shop for everything you need to know about esports betting online, giving you recommendations for the best and most reputable esports betting operators as well as the nitty gritty of esports betting – and much more!
From the very beginning, our philosophy has always been to put our readers first. We aim to provide you with high-value content that is both entertaining and informative.
We recognise that not everyone in this industry follows the same code of ethics. While we cannot speak for them, we can confidently say that our methods are transparent and honest.
As such, we go to great lengths to give you the whole truth, thorns and all. We do not exaggerate or make claims we cannot back up, nor do we sweep negative things under the rug.
Our bookmaker review process is impartial, comprehensive, and straightforward. When it comes to picking the best esports bookies for you, our expert team of analysts leaves no stone unturned.
By remaining in direct contact with our partners, we are able to thoroughly vet their odds, evaluate their promotions and betting markets, as well as personally test their payment methods and deposit/withdrawal times.
We also verify that they always pay out any winnings owed, maintain legitimate licensing, and offer fair odds and generous bonuses, as well as reliable customer support.
In addition, we do not facilitate any betting on our platform. Because of that, your choices are your own – we simply provide the knowledge to help you analyse, compare, and make your own choices.
On top of all this, we’re always researching new legislation and developments in the industry to remain up to date. Our process also closely follows the guidelines of regulators and licensing bodies such as the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC).
Finally, we do not review or recommend illegitimate and/or untrustworthy esports betting websites. This means that you can read our reviews with total peace of mind and visit our recommended sites with the full confidence that both your personal details and hard-earned money are in safe hands.
You MUST be of legal age (in your country) to bet on esports. In most countries the legal age requirement is 18+, but you should still check with the relevant authorities in your jurisdiction to be absolutely sure. Underage gambling is prohibited by all legitimate bookmakers!
With that out of the way, here’s our five-step process to help you cover the basics and prepare you for your esports betting career.
Choosing an esports betting site isn’t too complicated, but it does require quite a lot of research.
First of all, make sure to check that any bookies you sign up to are legit and operate legally, such as the ones listed at the beginning of this page.
Afterwards, check what esports are available. Big names such as League of Legends, CS:GO, and Dota 2 are universally present across all bookmakers, but you may have a bit more trouble finding support for more niche titles (such as StarCraft II).
Next, take a good look at the betting markets on offer. The most popular usually range from Over/Under bets to special bets that involve betting on a specific game mechanic (i.e. will First Blood happen before the 10th minute?) This will particularly appeal to more experienced punters.
After that, it’s time to examine the odds. Here, it’s important to compare and contrast in order to choose the site offering the most competitive prices around so you get the best bang for your buck.
Finally, browse through the list of supported payment methods. A good esports betting site should accept multiple methods so as to cater for as many customers as possible. Without the ability to withdraw or deposit funds, you won’t be able to take advantage of any benefits the bookmaker has to offer.
Although most bookies have a quick and easy sign-up process, some may be a bit more complicated – it all depends on what the site in question requires from your end. Many, if not all, require you to complete a verification procedure to confirm your identity and age.
You’ll find that most esports betting sites support over 15 payment methods each, with the most common being PayPal, debit or credit cards, and cryptocurrencies. Be sure to check whether your preferred methods are accepted before you create an account with your chosen bookmaker.
The more knowledgeable you are, the better your chances of winning will be.
Keep track of roster moves and team performances throughout each competitive year to get an idea of which teams to bet on for which tournaments. If you’re still new to all this, choose and stick to one esport (e.g. CS:GO) and learn as much about it as you can before going on to something else. It’s all about pacing yourself in order to become the best esports bettor you can be!
Once you’ve got the general idea about esports betting and acquired the relevant information about the tournaments and teams, it’s time to place your bets. As a beginner, it’s best to start small with match-winner bets or outrights.
What makes betting on esports different from betting on traditional sports is that there aren’t any complicated rules or regulations surrounding each game.
In esports, everything is ‘regulated’ by the game mechanics. No cheating can take place, and only what you see on screen is allowed to happen.
These ‘limitations’ make esports betting highly accessible to just about anyone, even to those who usually don’t play video games. However, just to give you a broad idea, here are a few of the most popular games for esports betting.
League of Legends is one of the most popular MOBA (multiplayer online battle area) esports games in the world. To date, there have been more than 350 million hours of gameplay streamed on Twitch, with the bulk of those hours being esports tournaments.
The largest and most prestigious LoL tournaments are the regional leagues (LEC, LCS, LCK, LPL, and others), the Mid-Season Invitational, and the World Championship that happens at the end of each competitive year.
The League of Legends esports scene has been going strong since 2011, when the first World Championship was hosted. Since then, it grown and evolved drastically. The 2021 World Championship, for example, was watched by a peak of 4 million viewers (excluding Chinese viewership). This puts it at the top of the esports food chain.
Known as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in full, CS:GO is the biggest FPS (first-person shooter) esport right now. In fact, in 2003, CS 1.6 was the first of its kind to grace gaming tournaments, which were the earliest iteration of what we now know as esports.
As for CS:GO itself, the game achieved a new record – having the highest cumulative prize pool of $8 million in the first six months of the year. Some of the biggest tournaments today include Intel Extreme Masters events, BLAST: Premier events, and ESL Pro League.
Drawing on its long, rich history of growth and success, all in all, CS:GO continues to thrive as an esport, with a highly promising future ahead.
Although it is another MOBA game, Dota 2 differs from League of Legends in almost every aspect.
For one thing, due to its more challenging nature and its unique features, Dota 2 is slightly less popular. Nonetheless, viewers number in the millions globally, making it one of the biggest esports around.
Dota 2 also holds an important record as having the largest ever prize pool seen in esports – $47 million from The International 10 (essentially the World Championship). The prize pool consists of Valve’s contribution along with a certain percentage of the profits made from selling in-game passes.
While it does share certain mechanics (personalised for the VALORANT universe) with some other FPS games such as CS:GO and Overwatch, VALORANT offers a completely unique experience.
Released in 2020 by Riot Games, it’s a fairly new game to both the gaming industry and esports. However, VALORANT has already reached high levels of popularity, with various esports organisations from numerous countries joining the fray and entering tournaments.
The two biggest and most popular of these tournaments are VCT events (VALORANT Champions Tour) and VALORANT Champions (which is VALORANT’s version of the World Championship). Their prize pools are usually ~$650,000 and $1,000,000, respectively.
It may come as a surprise to some, but mobile esports games are a huge part of the global esports economy. Games like Arena of Valor, King of Glory, and Wild Rift feature massive prize pools (sometimes in the order of a few million dollars)!
The main advantage these games have compared to traditional esports games is their portability; playing on mobile phones can be done anywhere without much setup. They’re also easier than PC or console games, which makes them ideal and popular among beginners.
In the past few years, mobile gaming has exploded and by some accounts, mobile esports games may very well surpass their desktop or console counterparts in 5-10 years. Keep in mind, though, that mobile esports betting isn’t quite at the highest level at the moment, but this could also change in the near future.
Here at ESB, we strive to bring you the best betting tips, predictions, and guides on everything related to esports and esports betting! Our carefully researched betting strategies will ensure that you always have the upper hand when making predictions. To learn more, check out our betting academy for our complete guide to making smart wagers!
Esports betting is the process where people (who are called punters or bettors) attempt to predict which team will win and then place bets on them. Esports betting is done through either a mobile app or by using a bookmaker website.
Esports’ odds calculation is discreet; each bookmaker follows their own set of rules to determine the odds. However, most odds are calculated based on the past performances of the competing teams. Stronger teams will have smaller odds assigned to them since the chances of them winning are great.
Comparatively, weaker teams (underdogs) are assigned higher odds to facilitate the high-risk high-reward method of betting. Other factors also contribute to these calculations such as the type of tournament, the tournament format, roster moves, game chances (patches and updates), and more.
Esports betting is fairly simple in its methodology. Punters spend some time researching teams, players, and their chosen esports games before placing their bets. The more knowledge they manage to gather, the better their bets will be.
If you want to begin betting on esports, then you’ll have to choose a bookie, create an account on their website, connect a payment method, and use their website to place your bets.
The esports betting bookmakers we review and mention on our website are all valid and legal betting operators. Any of them will make a fine choice but some of the most popular ones include 1xBet, GG.BET, and Betway.
If you have a knack for cryptocurrencies, you may also want to check out Thunderpick; an esports betting operator that accepts only cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals.
The only way to get better at esports betting is to do it consistently and learn from your mistakes. Additionally, we recommend expanding your knowledge about esports in general as this will give you an edge on almost all fronts.
For starters, you may want to bet on tournament favourites if their past results have been satisfactory and show that they can win. Otherwise, you can either bet on the underdogs (but only on those who have a realistic chance of causing an upset by either getting better or being underestimated by other teams) or place a few Outright bets.
Lastly, don’t rush it. Take your time and only place bets when you’re totally sure of your chances. Don’t listen to your heart or follow your emotions – your mind is the most important aspect of esports betting.