The beginning of the 21st century is when a new form of competition — among gamers of computers — began to break out. This is where we started to experience what we now call esports. Esports grew quickly: fresh clubs and teams began to sprout with well-established foundations, and tournaments started to draw millions of viewers. Naturally, this caught the attention of big business, sponsors, and bookmakers. Before long, sportsbooks were posting esports betting lines — and along with it, demand for things like the best esports betting sites picked up by leaps and bounds.
Some of the most popular esports games to bet on today are DOTA 2, CS:GO, League of Legends (LoL), FIFA, Rainbow Six, and Valorant. All of these offer a huge array of betting possibilities now from most licensed sportsbooks.
Top Bookmakers for Esports Betting
If you do choose to bet, the first thing is to select a reputable bookmaker. Here are some guidelines:
- License: It is best to utilize licensed bookmakers from your own country. A company that goes through the process of obtaining a license usually aims to play by the rules and last in the long term. This reduces the risk of account bans or uncredited winnings.
- Reputation: Employ well-known betting brands with strong market presence and advertising campaigns.
- Recommendations: Ask friends, co-workers, or acquaintances — someone has to already be into betting and will recommend a trustable site.
Reading Online Reviews About Bookmakers
This deserves detailed discussion. Online reviews about any business can be a two-edged sword. Positively, genuine reviews allow punters to make informed choices. Negatively, most reviews — even on impartial sites — are not genuine.
Since there's so much competition in the gambling sector, some companies engage in review-tricking: posting extremely positive reviews for themselves or negative ones for their competitors. Look out for the following red flags:
- Too much flattery: Nobody reads and posts lavish reviews unless they're especially motivated. An out-of-nowhere tide of compliments usually means the company is trying to boost its image artificially.
- Excessive negative reviews: This could be because of a competitor negative campaigning. They tend to be short, general, and without proper rationale.
Actual reviews typically have these features:
- Reasonable amount in aggregate.
- A greater number of negative or critical comments than positive ones (in the absence of encouragement of positive feedback by the company).
- Specific criticism with clear examples of problems.
- Questions about service or functionality typically emerge as comments.
Popular Esports Bets (CS:GO & DOTA 2)
The following are the most common bet types for CS:GO, Dota 2, and LoL:
- Match winner: The simplest and most widespread type of bet, especially for beginners. Fans usually bet on their favorite teams in big events.
- Accumulator (Parlay) bets: Several-outcome bets where all of the options must win. When any of them lose, the entire wager is lost. But when they all win, the odds are compounded and can lead to a massive payout.
- Map winner (usually used in Bo3 matches): Usually used for live betting. It is simpler to estimate a team's play after some rounds. For example, if one team is winning the first 5–6 rounds in CS:GO, the odds on their opponents may increase to 3.5–7. If the latter then gains momentum, the odds change again. This creates opportunities for "arbitrage" — placing bets both ways and making profit.
- Live betting in Dota 2: Skilled Dota players can typically have their way with pre-game drafts long before the game is even initiated.
- Totals (Over/Under): These are bets on the number of maps played in a match. In a Bo3 (best of 3), a match can end 2:0 or 2:1. One of the most widely bet options is over 2.5 maps, which assumes that both teams will win one map. This is common when two evenly matched teams are playing against each other.
- Handicap betting: One of the most popular markets for esports. For example, betting on a team to have a +1.5 handicap in a Bo3 match will see your bet succeed as long as the team wins one map. This comes in especially handy when wagering on an underdog that the bookmakers have underestimated.
- Tournament winner: Easy — you're betting on the overall tournament winner. The odds are large, but you don't have a great chance of winning, even if you spread your bets over a few favorites.
Stick to One Esport Discipline
Do not alternate between CS:GO, Dota 2, LoL and vice versa. Master one game and hone your pre-match analysis skill in the long run. In-depth knowledge of a single game will serve you much longer than shallow knowledge of several.
Visit Tipster Statistics
A good tipster will never hide their record. If someone is offering paid tips but does not wish to show you their complete record before you pay up, leave them alone.