For several years now, eSports has been growing in popularity, making it impossible for brands and other industries to ignore. With major tournaments like The Invitational attracting the world’s most elite players and pulling in hundreds of thousands of captivated fans, it’s no wonder that enterprising bookmakers were keen to capitalize on its potential. Enter a new era of sports betting: betting on eSports events, tournaments, and players.
The great thing about eSports betting is that it appeals to a broad demographic of people. For many eSports devotees, placing wagers on their favorite teams or players is simply all part of supporting them. Meanwhile, those who already enjoy a flutter here and there are keen to bet on eSports events in the same way they would traditional team sports and racing. Plus, with bookmakers like DraftKings now offering free bets, promo codes, and deposit bonuses, it’s easier than ever to get involved.
eSports games and tournaments
If you are unfamiliar with the world of eSports, here’s a quick summary of the key games and tournaments you can easily get started placing bets on.
- DOTA 2: The second installment in the DOTA series is the world’s most lucrative eSports game, having set new records for prize money in recent years. The game is contested by two teams of five players and follows a match-by-match basis. Professional DOTA 2 battles are played out in the frame of The International.
- League of Legends: This iconic battle arena game is played by millions of gamers all over the world on a daily basis. It’s also a hugely popular eSports title. When competing in the League of Legends World Championship, gamers can choose to play individually as Champions, or in teams.
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive: Another highly popular video game that has since made waves in the eSports realm, CS:GO is a tactical first-person shooter with multiplayer functionality. The most prestigious tournament series in the Global Offensive scene is The Majors.
- Fortnite: Epic Games’ renowned battle royale is just as popular on the eSports circuit as it is with the wider global community. Its annual tournament, The Fornite World Cup, sells out stadiums and generates audiences in their millions.
Types of eSports bets
Much as you’d expect to find a number of betting options when placing wagers on a football match or horse racing event, there are many different types of bets available in the eSports market. While bets and odds will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, you can generally expect to get started with the following:
- Outright winner: The most straightforward type of bet to place; this involves successfully picking an outright winner of a tournament.
- Match odds: When placing this bet, instead of picking the winner of the entire tournament, instead you predict the winner of an individual eSports match.
- Over/Under bet: A wager based on over/under involves predicting the outcome of specific objectives, which determine whether the score of a game finishes over or under a limit set by the bookmaker.
