With the sector having become immensely popular in recent years, more and more are looking to bet on esports. This new, exciting industry has allowed budding esports punters to turn a profit through making real money bets on their favourite teams and players.

That’s where we come in. Here at esports-betting.pro, we’ve got you covered when it comes to smart betting on esports.

Our expert guide will teach you how to bet on esports, including how to choose the right bookmaker, how to place your first bet and how to claim a bonus, understand statistics and odds, and more.

Read on to learn how you can make real money esports bets online today!

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How to Bet on Esports for Real Money

If you’re a fan of video games, then you’re probably familiar with the hype surrounding professional esports tournaments.

This massive, worldwide industry is expected to be worth an all-time high of $3.5 billion by the end of 2021. In fact, we anticipate that it will continue to grow for years to come, which is great news for bettors.

However, it takes time, study and lots of practice to make esports betting profitable in the long run.

While it may seem difficult at first to wrap your head around everything, our in-depth guide will make it easy for you to understand the basics and get started.

Keep reading to learn how to make your first bet on esports!

 

Choosing the Right Esports Bookie

One of the first important decisions you’ll be faced with when you begin placing real money bets on esports is: which bookmaker should I choose?

After all, there are hundreds of betting sites active on the web today – but not all of them are created equally!

It requires research and trial-and-error to find a betting site that offers competitive odds, generous bonuses and reliable customer service.

Thankfully, we've taken the guesswork out of finding the right site for you to bet on esports. We’ve already done all the research so that you don’t have to.

Simply take a look at our list of the best esports betting sites and see which one best suits your needs. Here’s a quick list of the most important things to keep in mind while browsing:

 

  • Selection of esports games
  • Generous welcome bonus
  • Competitive odds
  • Variety of betting markets
  • Availability of payment methods
  • Reliable customer service

 

How to Register

Once you’ve found the esports bookie that appeals to you most, just click the link attached to visit their main page.

Registering an account to bet on esports is easy and takes very little time. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get you started:

  1. Click the “Sign Up” button, usually located in the upper righthand corner.
  2. Choose a username and enter your email address and date of birth (you may also have the option to select preferred currency). Fill in any other information needed.
  3. Verify your email address and/or phone number, then you’re ready to bet on esports!

Making Your First Deposit

Making the first deposit at an esports bookie couldn't be easier. Simply navigate to the payment page – usually labelled “Banking”, “Cashier” or “Deposit” – and then select your preferred payment method.

The question of which esports payment method is best for you usually comes down to personal preference. Most of the time, you'll have a few different options to choose from.

  • Debit and credit cards are both convenient and familiar ways for virtually everyone to bet on esports. Alternatively, you could try paysafecard, a prepaid card offering unbeatable privacy and security features.
  • E-wallets – such as PayPal, Skrill or NETELLER – are very popular methods of payment among bettors today.
  • Bank transfers technologies, such as Trustly, Klarna and Entropay, allow heightened security, but with the trade-off of slower transfer times.
  • Finally, Bitcoin betting reflects the cryptocurrency craze sweeping our world today, while providing some exciting new ways to make esports bets.

 

Claiming Bonuses

Once you’ve made a qualifying deposit (usually a minimum of £5), you can now claim your welcome bonus to bet on esports!

The best esports bonuses usually appear as one of the following:

  • Esports Deposit Bonus: For a deposit bonus, also known as a ‘match' bonus, the bookmaker will match your first deposit by a certain percentage, up to a certain amount. A 100% deposit bonus would effectively double your betting power. Check out our bet365 review to find a perfect example of this esports bonus.
  • Esports Free Bet: Who doesn’t love extra cash? Esports bookies will frequently give bettors free money to make esports wagers. What makes the free bet (or ‘no deposit') bonus especially attractive is that you don’t have to deposit any of your own money to claim it. Though not active anymore, the arcanebet no deposit bonus was a great way to bet on esports with extra cash, and we hope to see it make a return soon.

 

Easiest Way to Bet on Esports in 2024

There are virtually endless ways to place esports bets, ranging from the very simple and straightforward to incredibly complex and dynamic. So if you are just starting out, the huge array of esports games and betting markets available can seem daunting.

For that reason, we recommend beginning with the simplest and easiest way to make wagers on esports: the ‘match win' or ‘outright win' bet.

 

Match and Tournament Winner Bets

Whenever individual players or teams face off in esports tournaments, there can only be one true winner. The simplest way to bet on esports is to place a wager on which team or player will emerge victorious.

When you wager on who will win any given esports match – or a series of matches – then you are making a ‘match win' bet.

You can also make an ‘outright win' bet on which esport organisation or player you think will claim the title of tournament champion.

 

Advanced Bets on Esports

Here’s where placing a bet on esports gets even more interesting. Beyond the ‘outright' winner of a match or tournament, many worthwhile esports bookies also offer a variety of more specific wagers, typically called ‘betting markets'.

 

Handicap Bet

Many esports bookies will allow you to create a ‘handicap' in an attempt to level the playing field between two unevenly matched teams. In doing so, you'll have the option of betting on the team which has handicap advantage (the weaker) or handicap disadvantage (the stronger).

Here’s an example: you place an esports wager on Team A, which has a handicap advantage of 2 rounds against Team B. Let’s say that Team B wins by a score of 7 – 6. But given the 2-round handicap, Team A wins with a “handicap score” of 8 – 7. This results in your wager being paid out.

 

Over/Under

Bookies will frequently predict a certain number for various statistics, which they encourage bettors to wager against. This is commonly known as the Over/Under market.

The variables are usually the combined scores of two teams, but can also be the total number of kills or structures destroyed (depending on the game). Then, you place a wager on whether the actual outcome of that statistic will be over or under the bookmaker’s prediction.

 

Correct Score

This is a fairly general yet straightforward way to bet on esports, in which you try to correctly predict how many rounds/points/maps/kills any given team or player will score.

Region Winner

Group Winner is a wager placed on which regional group or league (such as the League of Legends LEC) the champion of a multi-group tournament (such as the LoL Worlds) belongs to.

 

First Blood

‘First Blood' refers to the team and/or player who gets the first kill of a tournament match in games like CS:GO, League of Legends, Call of Duty and others.

 

First Team to Score 10 Kills

Kills are an important indicator of a team's success in practically every esports game. Of course, there are almost always bigger goals that you have to achieve to win, but taking out an opponent for a certain time gives your team a big advantage.

Nevertheless, it often happens that the aggressive team reaches the 10 kills in the early stage, but cannot finish in time, finally losing as a result. It is therefore worthwhile to bet on the underdog when the odds are high. If no team reaches the 10 kills, the bet is also lost. This betting option is also usually available on 15 or 20 kills.

Map Winner Bets

The ‘map winner' bet is widespread and very popular for betting on esport events. As you’ll find out through reading our game guides, many popular esports competitions take place over a certain number of rounds (usually best of 3, 5 or 7).

Each of those rounds takes place on different mapa, and you can wager whether your team will win any particular one of these. (You can also bet on how many total maps a team/player will win.)

Since each map features distinct terrain, buildings and/or equipment, different teams and players perform better on certain maps than others do. Map winner bets encourage you to focus your research on these nuances, which offers an even more exciting way to bet on esports.

 

Best-of-3/Best-of-5/Best-of-7

The Bo3 and the Bo5 are the most common match formats in esports.

A Bo3 consists of 3 maps – whoever wins the majority of them is also the winner of the match. It is therefore only necessary to play until a team has won more than half of the possible maps, because then the opponent can no longer pull the result round. Of course, you can also bet on the exact result of a BoX – for example, you can bet on the score being ‘1:2'. It is basically a question of whether a team wins without losing a card or whether the match is rather close.

The larger the number of cards that make up a match, the more difficult it is to predict the exact result, as there are more possible outputs (for a Best-of-X exactly X+1).

Dota 2 Chongqing Major Correct Score Betting Odds

 

 

Key Points for Betting on Esports

Here is a quick overview of the three most important factors to consider when you bet on esports.

  1. Bankroll: This is the amount of money you have set aside for betting purposes, and that you are willing to stake on your bets.
  2. Odds: Odds reflect the probability of any given outcome, as determined beforehand by the bookmaker. They show you how much will be paid out on a winning wager in relation to the stake.
  3. Odds format: Esports bookies usually offer esports in one of three formats: fractional (5/1), decimal (5.0) or American (5:1).

Many different factors can influence the outcome of an esports event, which in turn affects how you should bet on esports. As such, we advise that you do your due diligence before you place your first esports wager.

Some of the most influential factors include the skill levels of individual gamers, team rivalries, and gaming conditions, as well as team roster changes or even sick/injured players.

Therefore, research the game, the teams, their players, their current win/loss streaks and more so that you have the most complete picture possible – ideally before the event begins.

 

Top Esports to Bet On in 2024

As the esports industry grows, betting on esports continues to skyrocket in popularity among fans of professional video gaming.

The most popular esports games of all include the so-called “Big Three”: League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

While these console and PC games tend to dominate the market, mobile esports games such as PUBG mobile are also hugely popular among bettors who use esports apps.

Although there are many free esports games out there, and those which are not may be bought cheaply on platforms like Kinguin. Learn why Kinguin is legit in our review.

 

How to Bet on Esports Like a Pro

Betting on esport competitions is a different experience for everybody – no two punters will have the same style, preferences or strategy.

Having said that, there is a big difference between the punter who makes informed, strategic bets and the one that doesn’t.

Below, we’ve listed some of the most important things you should keep in mind in order to bet on esports effectively and maximise your chances of success.

 

1. Shop Around for the Best Odds

Esports bookmakers use odds to reflect the probability of a player or team winning a match.

Generally speaking, low odds imply high probability and high odds imply low probability. This allows you to analyse and determine the likelihood of any event turning out in your favour.

In addition, you can also use odds to calculate potential profits should your esports bet turn out to be a successful one. For example, a winning £25 bet at odds of 9/1 would award you £250 total: £25 × 9 makes £225, plus the original £25 you wagered.

Finally, different esports bookies offer different odds on the same event. One of the most important various factors when choosing a site to bet on esports with is the quality of the odds each bookmaker offers.

Try to find and compare a few different sites offering wagers on your preferred event(s) in order to see which one will pay out the highest.

 

Live Betting

Betting on esports is exciting enough when you make wagers before an event starts. But how do you bet on esports while the action takes place? The answer is simple: esports live betting!

Live bets on esports allow you to make wagers in real time as the event in question unfolds. Some examples include betting on which player gets the next kill, or which team destroys the next structure.

Live esports odds can be very dynamic, changing in an instant as one team takes the lead or another loses it. While not all esports bookies offer live betting, many do.

Overall, making esports bets in real time can be a potentially profitable companion to any live stream viewing session. Keep reading to learn more about how and where to stream the best esports online.

Follow Esports Streams

Esports streams add another dimension to betting on esport events, since they allow you to watch the action as it happens in real time. Twitch is universally regarded as the primary site to stream esports, where amateur and professional streamers alike broadcast their gameplay for the world to see.

Many professional esports leagues provide free streams of their top events. For example, most major League of Legends live streams take place on Twitch, including the French LCS live stream and the LoL LCK. If you are a league of Legends fan, head over to our article on where to watch LoL for our recommended channels.

YouTube offers a wealth of other resources too, including commentary and analysis from virtually any major gaming community.

 

Learn the Statistics

Esports are very similar to other professional sporting events, where players and teams perform according to a variety of factors. Statistics are a way to measure these performance factors, and as such can help you build knowledge and improve your betting strategy as a whole.

Esports bookies use statistics all the time to predict the possible outcomes of an esports event and make betting odds. You too can use this information to try and beat them at their own game.

Following the statistics of different players and teams during a season can help give you a better idea of how they will perform in their next event.

Esports Charts is arguably the most comprehensive resource you can use to study and track esports tournaments. You can even filter results by player, by team, by league or tournament depending on what information you’re looking for.

Using statistics can help you make more informed wagers and improve your chances of success. For more useful information, check out our list of the best esports prediction sites and betting tips to make even smarter decisions when you bet on esports.

Speaking of stats and numbers – have you ever wondered how old Fortnite characters are?

 

Bet on Esports Legally and Safely

As you begin your esports betting journey, it is very important to ensure that you do so safely and legally.

Firstly, you must be of legal gambling age. This can vary depending on which esports country you’re living in. Secondly, make sure that you only bet on esports at licensed and reputable sites, many of which we have recommended here on our site.

Gambling underage or at blacklisted sites can lead to serious trouble down the road, both financially and legally. So we only recommend that you stay on the straight and narrow. This helps keep betting safe and fun for everyone.

 

Try Fantasy Esports First

Fantasy esports let fans simulate the experience of managing an esports team. Similar to traditional fantasy sporting events, esports fantasy betting lets you select a squad of real players from various professional teams.

If your team outperforms other squads in the same fantasy league, you’ll get points for kills, wins and other in-game achievements. Should you squad make it to the top, then you’ll get a share of the prize money!

Here are the main fantasy events you’ll find when you bet on esports:

Read our full guide to fantasy esports for some useful tips and the best bookies to get started today!

Otherwise, check out our articles on simulated sports bettingvirtual sports betting or CSGO skin betting, should these be more up your street.

 


Esports Betting Cover
FAQ

How to Bet on Esports FAQs

It is very easy to bet on esports online. All you have to do is sign up at one of our recommended betting sites and make a deposit to claim your welcome bonus. Then, browse through the list of supported esports and make your first wager!

There are so many esports bookmakers out there that it would be impossible to choose just one favourite! However, we would single out 1xBet, Pinnacle and Betway as being three of the very best.

Yes you can! There are plenty of esports bookmakers offering real money bets in 2024. Learn more about bookies, odds, strategy and more at our in-depth guide above.

The most important esports to follow in 2024 are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2 and FIFA. Other popular and important games include StarCraft II, SMITE and Fortnite.

Yes, it is perfectly legal to bet on esports in many different countries if you are of legal age to gamble. However, some countries place restrictions on gambling of all kinds, which includes betting on esports. Please note that there is also a grey area when it comes to betting on certain things, such as CS:GO coinflip, for example.

Be sure to research and follow the laws of your country of residence in order to enjoy a safe, legal experience when you bet on esports. Check out our guide to the best esports countries to learn more about betting on esports in different parts of the world.

Yes you can! Virtually all top esports bookmakers offer generous bonuses for new customers. The most popular esports bonuses at the time of writing include deposit match bonuses and no deposit free bets.

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