A Beginner’s Guide to Betting on eSports
Bogdan LashchenkoIf you’re interested in learning more about eSports and discovering how to bet on them, you’ve come to the right place. eSports have become increasingly popular over the last decade—and it’s easy to see why. They’re engaging and make full use of the gaming and technology ecosystems.
Sportsbooks like Bet365 let you wager on eSports, and just like with horse racing, soccer matches, and political events, there’s the opportunity to develop skills in this field.
In this handy guide, you’ll learn what eSports are and how to place a bet. You’ll also discover how eSports betting is different from traditional betting.
What are eSports?
eSports is a generic term to describe any online gaming tournament. They take advantage of modern gaming technologies to offer spectators a chance to watch two heavyweight gamers battle it out for victory.
Just as there are many types of video games, there is a whole spectrum of eSports. From racing games to soccer games and combat games to roleplay games—there’s an eSport match for every type of person.
Spectators watch eSports on platforms including Twitch and YouTube. Noting how popular these events were becoming and paying particular attention to the amount of engagement happening in the comments of such matches, the gambling industry built the eSports betting industry—allowing viewers to take their love of gaming battles to new heights.
Why are eSports So Popular?
With over 3.24 billion gamers across the globe, it’s easy to understand why eSports have become so popular.
It was inevitable that, as the gaming ecosystem moved from basic single-player games to complex multiplayer online games, the wish to spectate and have a stake in other people’s gaming would emerge. Coupled with the growth of Internet streaming platforms, this created eSports betting.
Is eSports Betting Different From Traditional Betting?
The main difference between eSports betting and traditional betting is that eSports betting happens in false universes. While horse racing happens in real life and in real-time, an eSport battle takes place online, using virtual characters, and is set within a digital world.
Outside of this difference, eSports are also more social. Unless you partake in visiting a physical betting shop and chatting with people there, the chances are that online betting is a pretty independent exercise for you. eSport, CS:GO, LoL, Dota 2 betting is a community, with engaged users sharing stats on social media and creating online communities to share tips.
Other than that, eSports betting is conducted in the same way as traditional betting. You simply find somewhere to place your bet and back a contender. Odds are presented in the same way—fractional odds in the UK and Ireland, decimal odds in Europe, Australia, and Canada, and American odds in—you guessed it—the United States.
What Do I Need to Bet on eSports?
Betting on eSports is simple, but you’ll need a couple of things to get the most out of the experience. For a start, you’ll need a reliable computer with good graphics and performance, plus high-quality broadband. Without these, you may find that live streams buffer, which will reduce your enjoyment of watching the game and may cause you to miss key moments.
You need to pick a niche with the intention of becoming more knowledgeable in it. Over time, you will learn how to make esports predictions today by learning about the best and worst players, as well as the types of esports that you are passionate and excited about.
To successfully make a bet, you’ll also need an understanding of how to read betting odds. They can look complicated but are actually really simple to understand.
With fractional odds, you’ll see something like 5/1, which means that for every £1 you bet, you’ll win £5 plus your initial stake. For decimal odds and an example of 4.5, for every £1 you stake, you’d make £4.50 plus your original stake.
Finally, American odds are displayed as a number with a positive or minus sign in front of it and always involve a baseline value of $100. A positive symbol means the competitor is less likely to win, while a minus symbol means they’re more likely. To bet on a contender with -300 odds, you’d be risking $100 to potentially win $300.
Where to Bet on eSports?
The best place for eSports betting is online, especially given that this is where you’ll watch the match. Here you’ll find all the latest odds and find out more about payout timeframes and the types of bets you can make. If you’re a competitive gamer, some even let you bet on yourself.
Don’t forget to utilize the Internet to find out which major eSports games are coming up, and to use social media to get a sense of who both the underdogs and the predicted champions are.
Bogdan Lashchenko – content manager at EgamersWorld.Bogdan has been working at EGamersWorld since 2023. Joining the company, he began fillin the site with information, news and events.