Esports Betting an Introduction
The esports betting industry has been growing quickly over the last couple of years. Since the inception of online gaming the competitive nature of these games has been one of the most entertaining aspects. The industry really started to explode with the formation of formal teams, well funded, with professional players, huge social followings – the players became celebrities, the events were watched by millions and a proper new sport was created.
A new sports betting category had been born.
The industry is now at the stage where it is estimated to be worth $2 billion in 2022, for such a young sport an incredible amount which shows no signs of slowing down. And when a sport is growing this fast, it does not take long for the betting industry to follow, with traditional sports betting looking for new markets, the market for esports betting tips and esports odds grew and grew.
Whether it be looking for the best odds, bonus or free bets, ESJ is here to provide you with everything you need to know to to make the most out of betting on your favourite esports. Remember though whether you’re betting on Call of Duty or League of Legends the esports world is about fun and entertainment.
The esports industry has embraced the sports betting markets, but we want you to follow the guidelines on at all times. Keep it fun!
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What type of Esports Betting Sites should I be looking for?
So what do you need to know before you bet on esports?
There are so many different types of betting sites available around the world and finding the best esports betting site can be a tricky business. There’s a key things that you should be looking for when making your choice which we’ve listed below, and also we’ve created specific pages so that you can choose sites that specialise in your favourite game.
- Trust is key when choosing a esports betting site, make sure that they are fully licensed.
- The sites with the highest level of trust are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so keep an eye out for their logo.
- Do they offer the best esports odds, you need to make sure the odds are in your favour so always compare different brands.
- Do they offer Free Bets when I sign up, they all want your business so make sure you get the best value possible.
- Do they offer a wide range of esports betting markets, you don’t want to be limited to what you can bet on.
The sports betting market is now very mature and there are hundreds of different betting companies that you could choose to sign up to. This is one of the main reason so many of them offer Free Bets, this normally means that when you deposit a certain amount, the brand will match the deposit with Free Bets worth the same amount.
On the pages listed below we list sites that specialise in esports games, we also list operators that will provide you with free bets, offer a wide range of betting markets and also meet all of the criteria that we’ve listed below.
- DOTA2 Betting Sites
- LOL Betting Sites
- Overwatch Betting Sites
- Valorant Betting Sites
- COD Betting Sites
- CSGO Betting Sites
We’re confident that we’ve covered all of the best operators who specialise in these games, fulfils our criteria for safe operators and will also provide you with free bets to get you going. Choose your favourite game and read the relevant page, find the free bet offer that appeals to you and sign up – you’re then ready to bet on esports.
There is also a new form of betting site that is becoming more popular, these skin betting sites are new and fast growing, you can read more about then here.
Esports Betting Sites Promotions
As for free bets and promotions, various esportsbooks and sports books offer incentives for you to choose their esports betting site instead of another. These websites still offer a quality service, be assured that these bookmakers aren’t fooling you into some false sense of security.
There are some huge global brands that offer a free bet like this, Sky Bet and Paddy Power are powerhouses and use this promotional technique. They may well ask for a minimum deposit (normally around £10) and will ask that you make a qualifying bets as well (normally evens at a minimum), but this is just to ensure that you’re a real customer and not just signing up for their bonus.
Make sure you find the best odds for your esports match when using your free bet. Some sites (like bet365) will give you bet credits rather than a free bet, this is really the same but at the bet settlement the credit will be taken from your overall winnings.
The idea behind it is for you just to have a bonus from joining their website. But this doesn’t mean you have to stick to this bookmaker, you can diversify your choice dependent on the odds and the benefits of the bookmaker.
Where can I go to enjoy Esports Betting?
There’s an array of both traditional bookmakers and esports bookmakers you can choose from, even traditional bookmakers offer brilliant odds on esports and have dedicated teams to focus on the esports arms like Mr Play and GG.Bet.
There are also some dedicated esports-specific bookmakers like Unikrn and ArcaneBet which are all classed as ‘esports betting sites’, these are the kind of sites we know will offer betting on League of Legends, Counter Strike, DOTA 2, Call of Duty and Counter Strike Global Offensive – these are the foundation of challenge betting and the major tournaments are massive, like holding the Champions League in Great Britain.
The best betting sites will have a wide range of esports markets and offer live betting and handicap betting as well. They will cover all of the major esports events and esports teams and have a real focus on competitive gaming, as well as offering the best odds.
Esports Betting on Tournaments
There are more major tournaments launching every year and in various regions around the world. League of Legends and DOTA 2 are perhaps some of the most competitive games at the moment.
These big esports events offer large markets with lots of gamblers very interested in what’s happening – this means if you’re looking for the best odds on DOTA 2 or League of Legends, following the tournaments is a great idea.
Esports Guides
Over the coming months we’ll be developing a whole series of guides to ensure that you know exactly how to bet on esports, whether it be through providing esports reviews, or by breaking down every single type of esports betting option there is and giving you the insight on how they all work.
Is Esports Betting Legal?
Like most gambling industries, it’s complicated and a complex question. Keep in mind that It depends in which country, state or county you’re in, but for example Las Vegas, Nevada are legalising betting on each esports tournament step-by-step. It’s unlikely that it’s completely illegal to bet on these esports in most countries.
Most esports betting bookmakers are regulated under the Malta Gaming Authority, Isle of Man Gambling Commission and United Kingdom Gambling Commission, which all suggest security and reliability.
The laws around betting are different all over the world – and are practically changing on a daily basis. Playing in the US is different from playing in the UK and across Europe – and betting in countries such as Australia is also highly restricted.
So, we would always recommend, before partaking in any online esports betting and esports casino gaming to check the legality carefully in your region or country before parting with any money. Once you have done this find the best esports betting site and get your bets on Global Offensive!
How To Determine The Quality of an Esports Betting Bookmaker
Determining the quality of an esports betting bookmaker can be applied to different criteria that we test. A main key area we need from an esports bookmaker to perform in is security, reliability and trustworthiness.
You should also look at the prices of each bet, promotional value, amount of games they offer and more, be sure to check out each esport review page on our site of each bookmaker.
Trusting the bookmaker is key, make sure that they’re under a regulator and has the correct credentials. Also look at the range of esports betting market that the operator provides, the more they offer the more they have invested in the data feeds.
The serious operators who want to take esports bets will have made a serious investment in data feeds and licence applications. They’ll also ensure that they take responsible gambling very seriously.
The Importance of a License for Esports Betting.
One of the most important things when understanding how trustworthy an esports betting bookmaker is is by looking at its license. There are a number of different licenses, granted by regulatory bodies from across the globe. However, most will look for a license from Sweden, which is practically considered the home of serious esport players and betting.
The best esports betting operators will always hold a license – you’ll be able to see the license at the bottom of the page, if you can’t, avoid them!
How can you deposit to bet and play on esports?
There are many ways to wager on games these days and your choice of sportsbook should also include what your preferred payment option is. Whether you’ve signed up to 11 10 operators, make sure that you can deposit and withdraw your winnings how you want.
Like mainstream sportsbooks you can use all of the main financial ways, including Visa, Mastercard – though (thank god) you can no longer use your credit card. This is because of regulations – but many (including us) feel it was just common sense not to let people bet and play with money that they don’t have.
Below are some of the other emerging ways in which you can deposit before you go on and bet and play.
Wagering and Betting with Bitcoin (BTC).
Everyone is talking about BTC at the moment and the use many types of cryptocurrency to place a bet is becoming more and more common. The emergence of esports and BTC has almost gone hand in hand generationally, and it makes sense that so many of those that play and bet, are looking to withdrawn their winnings through Bitcoin.
We have a whole page dedicated to Bitcoin esports betting sites where you can read up in detail.
Wagering on Esports with PayPal.
Over 300 million people around the world now use PayPal and it is one of the most popular and trusted ewallets on the market. Paypal is trusted around the world, transactions are very easy and near instantaneous. With only an email account you can get up and running and it is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to withdraw winnings from operators.
Again, we’ve brought together all the top PayPal esports betting sites in one place to make it easy for you.
Wagering with Skrill for Esports Betting
Skrill may not be as mainstream as PayPal, but since it was established in 2001 it has fast become a very trusted ewallet and very heavily used within the gambling industry. The service is used by all sports operators and it also allows you to transfer money into cryptocurrency which is fast becoming vital.
Once you’ve placed you’ve checked the odds, chosen your sports, placed your bet – all you need to do is hope you win, and Skrill is a fantastic service for collecting the winnings you make (hopefully).
You’ve guessed it, we also have the best Skrill esports betting sites page to make your choice easier.
Which games do most people wager on?
Like all sports there are so many teams, tournaments and games to bet on. Whether you play League of Legends or DOTA 2 whether you want to bet on the outright market or an individual – there are hundreds of ways to win. Sports will always lean towards the popular games and LOL and Counter Strike are right up there in terms of where people bet and want to win.
The entertainment part of esports is essential, looking at the odds, placing a bet and hopefully getting a win – they should all be part of the entertainment, they should enhance the fun of watching the tournaments live or on Twitch. For us personally here at ESJ, CSGO is one of our favourites, the odds are good and we love playing the game so we feel we have a better understanding of who could win.
Though not the most popular NBA 2K betting is fast growing, especially in the USA and LATAM – the game experience is so realistic these days, that it’s nearly like watching a real NBA game. Though the odds maybe tight in these team games, like all sports, it’s down to the individual performances to decide who will win.
The esports betting industry is growing fast and new games are being added on a regular basis, make sure you keep in contact with us to find the latest news of what’s happening.
Esports Betting Tips
It’s the obvious next question, where can you find esports betting tips? At the moment the whole esports betting industry is focused around previews and tips – but most of these are worthless to be honest. We’re slowly building a team here who will be able to provide you with solid tips based on data and experience.
If you want to bet on esports, then tips are a great way to start and as soon as we’re ready we’ll be launching our service. We’ll probably focus on Call of Duty first as one of our key writers is already an expert in this field, he loves an esports bet. One of the best esport betting games though is League of Legends and you can guarantee that when we launch our LOL tips page will become very busy.
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