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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.
Are you looking to get started with esports betting? Well then, you might want to pick bookies that offer new members an esports welcome bonus to help you begin your adventure with a bit more to play with. So, let’s take a look at what you can expect, and which bookies offer the best esports welcome bonuses!
Latest offer
100% up to €100
Welcome Offer
Up to €30 in Free Bets
100% deposit bonus on your first deposit (Up to €200)
50% up to €50
100% up to €50
5% up to €500
100% up to €122
1xBet is one of the best-known esports betting bookmakers in the industry who offer betting on numerous esports tournaments and games. It should therefore come as no surprise that they offer a pretty generous welcome bonus.
More their odds also substantial, and you’ve also got access to live betting on certain esports events, primarily the biggest and most prestigious ones. On top of that, the website is very easy to use and navigate, making it an ideal choice for beginners who are looking to try their hand at esports betting with high or low deposit bets.
Formed in 2000, bet365 has been around for almost 25 years. Although their welcome offer isn’t quite as good as other bookies’, they make up for this by offering betting at excellent odds.
This bookie is also a highly popular choice for beginners due to the fact they’re very experienced in the esports betting space and because of the high number of esports titles available for betting.
However, the biggest benefit of bet365 is the existence of a unique stats screen that can be found by clicking on certain esports matches (it works for League of Legends and Dota 2 matches). Check out the screenshot below for more info:
This makes it easy for punters to keep an eye on what’s happening in the match without having to leave the website. Do note that this is only available for in-play (live) betting.
Betway was established in 2006 and has since become an industry-leading esports betting bookmaker. They’re also at the top when it comes to fast withdrawals, which means you’ll be able to get your winnings very quickly from them.
As for the welcome bonus, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll receive up to €50, with the amount depending on how much you choose to deposit for the first time. This isn’t the best welcome bonus in the world, but it’s certainly great for getting started.
You’ll also be able to watch livestreams of esports events you want to bet on, as well as cash out your winnings before the match ends. However, keep in mind that the cashout option isn’t as quick as withdrawals.
Lastly, Betway has made it easy to use their betting services by creating a bespoke betting app that you’ll be able to use on your mobile device on the go.
GG.BET rose to prominence pretty quickly after their formation in 2016 due to numerous reasons, such as highly competitive odds, the ability to watch livestreams and place live bets, dozens of esports games to bet on, and a superb betting bonus.
This bookie offers an amazing deposit bonus up to €200,which means you’ll be able to start betting with plenty of cash in the bank. This also means you’ll (likely) spend more time with GG.BET than other bookies because of such a generous welcome offer.
GG.BET also very frequently offers additional betting bonuses and promotions, including event-specific bonus bets, cashback, additional deposit bonuses, and even bet protection/insurance.
Just to touch base on what bet protection or insurance is — you’ll basically get insurance for your bets that’ll cover any potential losses up to a certain amount. The amount itself depends on how much you choose to deposit.
And finally, we get to Rivalry. This bookie was founded in 2017, which makes it one of the youngest on our list. With that said, they’ve done a great job over the years and have become one of the leaders in the esports betting industry.
For starters, they offer up to €100 deposit bonus, which is a pretty hefty amount for anyone starting out. On top of that, Rivalry is well known for their wide range of supported payment methods, including Bitcoin, Skrill, PayPal, credit cards, NETELLER, and more.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that Rivalry’s esports games selection is unrivaled, with almost 25 games available to bet on. All in all, Rivalry is an excellent choice if you’re just starting your esports betting adventure.
Esports welcome bonuses are usually forms of incentives to help the bettor start their esports betting journey in an easier fashion. They most commonly come in the shape of deposit bonuses, but there are more types of welcome bonuses that we’ll cover soon.
Most people start betting with just a small amount of cash because they want to test whether or not they’ll be interested in betting as a hobby. The bookies understand this and usually offer betting bonuses when you create an account on their website for the first time.
In most cases, you’ll have to either verify your account (which should be done regardless of the betting bonus because it improves account safety and security), or use a special code that you’ll receive when the account is created.
The betting bonuses themselves generally help new bettors to place more bets or to try their hand with bigger wagers. Since the majority of bonuses are free and sometimes require a small minimum deposit amount, most punters see this as beneficial and feel more confident in the beginning.
Keep in mind that if it’s your first time placing bets on esports, you should still take it slow and learn from your first few bets.
Bookies often compete with each other on who’ll have the best esports welcome bonus. And when you manage to grab one, you’ll have more time (due to more betting credit or funds) to hone your betting strategy.
Lastly, it must be said that esports welcome offers can change a few times throughout the year, so if you see a bonus you like, it’s a good idea to get it as soon as possible. Remember that while this only applies to new accounts, there are certain promotions that bookies release every once in a while.
There are a few primary esports welcome bonus types that are each unique in their own way. They are ordered in the following section by how common they are, with the first one being the most common.
Deposit bonuses can be found on almost all bookie sites because this type of promotion is the easiest to give out, and arguably the best for punters to receive. All the bookie will do is match your deposit bonus (with a certain percentage — usually 100% but sometimes even 200%) and you’ll get more to play with.
For example, if you’re depositing €50 and the bookie gives you a 100% deposit bonus, you’ll receive an additional €50. Keep in mind that some bookies may set an upper limit of how much they can give you (eg. up to €150).
Certain bookies offer cash or betting credit bonuses to newcomers. In essence, a bettor who chooses to create a new account on their website will receive a small cash deposit or betting credit to their account.
These betting bonuses are slightly easier to understand than others, which makes them an efficient method of incentivising new punters to start betting on their site.
Free bets might be rare but it’s always nice seeing them. In short, a free bet is one that you can place on a match from a certain selection of matches (that the bookie prepares) with specific odds.
The odds usually aren’t as good as the ones associated with traditional cash bets, but it’s still free, so there’s no investment from your side. Free bets are also sometimes given through occasional betting promotions and aren’t exclusive to welcome offers.
There are a couple of benefits associated with esports welcome bonuses, all of which help esports betting newcomers get an easier start. These include:
An esports welcome bonus is not only a great way for bookies to attract new bettors to their sites, but it’s also beneficial to esports betting newbies as they get an easier start. Luckily, most bookmakers offer welcome bonuses, so you’ll have plenty of them to choose from!
Esports welcome offers are normally types of betting bonuses that incentivise the player to create an account and start betting with a specific bookie.
An esports welcome bonus is only given to new accounts, which means you’ll either have to verify your account and receive the bonus once you do (usually when free bets are involved); register your account using a specific promotion code; or simply deposit a certain amount of cash to your account, after which the bonus will be added to your overall balance.
The bookie with the biggest welcome bonus is GG.BET as it includes a 100% deposit bonus of up to €200. 1xBet and Rivalry are a close second with a 100% deposit bonus up to €100.
You can use esports welcome bonuses when you register an account on a bookie website for the first time, or in some cases, using a promo code at your discretion.
Simply put, welcome offers usually come and go. While most bookies change their welcome offers every once in a while, others offer one welcome bonus for a limited time and then remove it. And although rare, there are also bookies that don’t offer welcome bonuses at all. Such bookies generally have promotions more regularly than bookies with welcome offers, so it all balances out.
Through our in-depth guides and reviews, we are focused on providing the best insights into esports betting.