A Guide To Understanding E-Sports Betting

What Is Esports Betting and Why Is It Growing?

Esports was once a small group of friends putting together a tournament for people living in their area, with prize pools barely existing, and the only betting being small wagers between comrades. This has swiftly grown to an industry that regularly fills massive sports arenas, and amasses tens of millions of viewers on single matches.

The number of avid gamers around the world is growing at a steady pace, and because of this, the number of viewers for Esports is following closely behind. With clear team allegiances being formed, it was a perfect avenue for betting sites to venture down and capitalise on.

While there used to be a mass of unknown, shady sites floating around, the market has now seen a surge of reliable and popular sports betting sites, flocking to the Esports betting scene, such as Sky Bet, Betway, and Betfair.

Is Esports Betting Different from “Normal” Sports?

With what can be seen as a very unique betting topic, Esports betting is surrounded by rumours and speculation of complexity or immaturity. In reality, the premise is no different than that of a typical sport, such as football.

Just as you can elsewhere, you can wager bets on the outcome of matches, and specific occurrences within them. You can choose your winner for a major tournament, just as you would if you were betting on the World Cup, or for a particular player to do something within the match time.

The significant difference comes from the variety found within the video games themselves. If you were to compare two betting sheets from a football game in the Bundesliga, and another in the Premier League, the options would likely be exactly the same. This is because the game they are playing is exactly the same, in that the rules function in the same way, and the objectives are the same.

Esports is an umbrella term that encompasses a vast number of games, and to compare it to more traditional sports, it would be like placing football, rugby, hockey and swimming under the term “sports betting”. The objectives of each of them are entirely different, and because of that, the potential bets you can place will also vary.

Understanding and picking the right game within the Esports category is just as vital as the bet you make; with some choices, a split-second decision can change the entire flow of the match, just as a penalty in a football match would.

How Do I Choose the Right Esports Betting Category for Me?

This is a question that, unfortunately, could be answered in multiple thousands of words, with varying opinions deciding different things. In reality, it is up to you and depends entirely on the style of sports you are used to.

In games such as the extremely popular League of Legends, a significant target for Esports betting sites, the tide of play can be very close, but in the majority of situations, the winner of the game will be decided relatively early on. If a team performs well at the start, they gain more momentum and power to play better and better. It would be like betting on a swimming race, in which the leader is given more energy as he gains more of a lead.

The other side of Esports betting is games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, in which the entire tide of the game can flip in a single press of a button.

If your nerves can take a beating, betting on games such as Counter-Strike or Overwatch can be extremely rewarding and fun, but also incredibly difficult to watch. For a more easy-to-watch and less stressful experience, games such as League of Legends and Dota 2 will likely be more your speed.

What Are the Best Bets in Esports?

This will depend hugely on your understanding and knowledge of the scene. As with any new venture, starting small and working your way up is usually the best approach. We would recommend that you aim to start with final result bets, using match history to check the potential of each team.

As you gain confidence, you can start looking into individual players, their history in different teams, and what things they might be more likely to do, or not do, in certain games. Just as in sports like football, there are aggressive and defensive teams; doing research on the plethora of Esports news sites will help your decision making in the betting process massively.

It is also hugely helpful to stick to bets that are based on standardised leagues with ranking systems, such as the Overwatch League.

Conclusion

Can I make money from Esports betting?

Of course!

Make no mistake, venturing into an entirely new sports world can be a massively daunting task. Without the proper research, you will likely find yourself feeling out of your depth; however, if you pay attention to our advice and stick to smaller bets while you get a feel for the scene, you will find massive potential in this ever-growing business.