Esports betting is fast becoming one of the most popular types of online gambling globally and looks to be the future of sports betting. Esports betting allows you to place real money bets on professionals playing video games. These sports consist of video gamers and teams that play in highly competitive eSports tournaments. This means that you can place your bets on your favourite to win a game based on available options.
Esports betting is quite different from other betting types which makes it necessary for a beginner to have a good idea of the betting systems in place. Although you get the chance to make some money from this sport, you will have to understand the entire process, betting regulations and how the sportsbooks work before playing.
This article will serve as a roadmap to guide you through the process of betting on esports, how to make some real money out of it and the risks involved.
What is Esports Betting?
Esports is the abbreviated term for ‘electronic sports as it involves computer gaming. Esports betting is a form of sports betting that involves gambling on video gamers in a competitive setting. These events may include popular multiplayer games such as League of Legends (LOL), Dota 2, Counter Strike, Call of duty and so on. You can choose to bet on any game available depending on the niche you are familiar with.
This relatively new type of sports gambling has caught the attention of many people over the world. It is quite different from regular virtual betting and mostly involves real-life video gaming. Esports betting allows you to bet on real teams, sports and events while bookmakers generate the odds and markets for respective sports.
Esports betting is quite similar to traditional sports betting albeit with few differences in the market options available. This allows you to bet on games like NBA2k and FIFA like you would on typical betting apps. You will get similar markets such as straight wins, goal margins, handicap and so on.
Esports makes use of streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube to show competitive games and events to viewers all over the world. This way sports enthusiasts and bettors can watch their favourite teams play in competitive events. There are usually betting options available for viewers that are interested in online betting.
Esports betting looks to take video gaming to the next level by creating a competitive scenario to promote video games and reward successful gamers and bettors. Most highly competitive video game events usually involve prizes worth millions of dollars with sponsorships from various multi-million-dollar companies.
How Does it Work?
Esports employs the system of betting commonly used by online bookmakers. There are many competitive eSports tournaments and league contests that are held in various parts of the world. These contests provide viewers with the opportunity to watch and enjoy or take part in online betting. If you are interested in eSports betting, it would be best if you start with the major eSports tournaments.
Some of the most popular eSports tournaments held around the world include:
- ELEAGUE
- Evolution Championship Series
- Capcom Pro Tour
- Call of Duty Championship
- The International DOTA 2 Championships
- LOL World championships
You can place your bets before the event starts with various markets available. Live betting has also become a common option for most people looking to bet on eSports events. If you are familiar with traditional sports betting, you will rarely have any issue betting on eSports events. The market options for most typical sports events are pretty much the same as real-life sports.
However, the betting options on first-person shooter games or games like LOL and DOTA 2 are slightly different.
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Common Esports Betting Options
Esports betting offers players various betting markets to choose from. You can place your bets online by choosing one of the many sportsbooks that offer eSports betting. The odds on each market vary depending on the bookmakers.
Here are some of the common eSports market types.
- Group Winner: In a game that contains groups, you can place a bet on the team that tops their group (This is common in leagues/tournaments)
- Outright Winner: You can bet on the team that could come out victorious in the end.
- Draw: You place this bet to indicate that neither team will take the win, i.e the outcome of the game will end in a draw.
- Over/Under: This market option allows you to bet on the total number given for a particular game. This could be a total number of kills, goals or deaths. You can choose whether the total number set will be lesser or lower when the game ends.
Other betting types vary depending on the video game category you choose. These include:
- First blood
- Map winner
- Knife round
- Total rounds
- Handicap bet
These markets are common in video games like DOTA 2, COD (Call of Duty) and LOL (League of Legends).
Conclusion
Although eSports provides an opportunity for fans to earn money through predictions, it would be unwise to dabble in it without having good knowledge of the entire betting process. You need to study the game statistics so you can select a betting strategy that works for you.
