ESPORTS BETTING GUIDE & BASICS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Esports have been experiencing consistent massive growth for the better part of a decade now. Tournaments are getting larger, more people are watching esports and the level of competition is rising. The only thing that was missing was esports betting.
In the beginning, finding ways to bet on esports was somewhat difficult if not impossible. For instance, early on, betting on Counter-Strike matches was founded on utilizing skins betting. Virtual in-game skins were tradable and worth real money, players were able to use them to bet on professional matches.
Now in 2020, esports betting has come a long way to say the least. Most major competitive games now have all of the betting lines of traditional markets such as NFL, NBA and MLB. It is not uncommon to be able to bet on the moneyline, spread, and total, not to mention there are usually props offered as well.
WHAT ESPORTS ARE MOST POPULAR TO BET ON?
The top games bet on are the ones that have a solid history of stability, community and support from it's developer and they have held the top four spots for quite some time. Most players wager on games that they also play themselves, as they know the maps, rules, and pros.
Based on pure esports betting volume however, the top esports players love to bet on are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and StarCraft II. The top two, LoL and CS:GO have been consistently popular with bettors, for more in-depth stats check out our most popular esports games.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A SPORTSBOOK
Not all esports betting sites are equal and when deciding on where to place your first bets you need to consider a few important things. For one, do they accept customers from your country of origin? Not all books accept players from all countries.
You also want to consider deposit and withdrawal methods. If you want to use a credit card or debit card, or bitcoin should be considered. It is important to note that most popular sportsbooks these days are accepting bitcoin as deposits and withdraws as it is easy and convenient to use with limited fees.
In addition, a very important point to consider is the security of the sportsbook website. There have been documented security breaches at books online over the years so making sure they are protecting your money is paramount. The sites we list on this site all have a very good reputation of security best practices.
A few key questions you want to ask when deciding which sportsbook to use:
- Are they a trusted sportsbook?
- What esports do they have available for betting?
- Are their odds competitive compared to other books?
- Do they offer promotions or bonuses?
HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN TRUST A SPORTSBOOK?
Determining whether or not you can trust a certain sportsbook can vary, but generally comes down to a few important factors:
- The first step is the finding out if the sportsbook is regulated or not, if they are they must abide by a strict set of rules and regulations set out by the governing body of their jurisdiction. This puts these licensed books leaps and bounds ahead of trustworthiness compared to books without a license at all and is a great starting point.
- The second would be surveying social media platforms and other player opinions in the betting community. What is everyone saying about these sites and do they recommend them as well? We take pride in our review process and do our best to point you in the right direction, however with anything you should never trust just one source of information. Reach out to others to confirm that our advice is accurate.
- Third, start small. When you make an account on a new site, it's always a good idea to test it out with small stakes first. Deposit the minimum required, test out a bonus or promotion, make sure bets are being graded correctly, and then also test their withdrawal process. Do they make you jump through hoops to withdraw your winnings? Do they have good customer support presence? All of these kind of things can make a difference in your sports betting experience.
HOW TO FIND THE BEST ESPORTS ODDS AND LINES?
Because esports betting is fairly new compared to traditional betting markets like NFL and NBA the odds and lines you bet on can vary widely from book to book. While handicappers (people who determine the initial odds) have had years and years of experience settings odds for physical sports that have been around forever, esports is an entirely different animal.
This is why it is crucial to have access to multiple sportsbooks that way you can 'shop' around for the best odds. For instance if you want to bet on an underdog, and one book has them at +150, and another has them at +175 -- you would be leaving money on the table by not getting the best odds possible. Beating the books and winning bets can be hard enough, so taking advantage of everything possible is one of the keys to success.
WHAT KIND OF PROMOTIONS DO SPORTSBOOKS OFFER?
Choosing a sportsbook that consistently offers good betting odds is one of the most important steps, however another important factor is consideration of each books promotional offers and bonuses they provide as this can dramatically help you come away with a positive ROI and winnings. As competition between sportsbooks increases, they are all fighting for your business with each offering lucrative bonuses to new and returning players.
There are several types of bonuses and promotions these books offer, we will include the most popular ones.
- Deposit Bonuses: A common bonus usually offering 100% match on your deposit. If you deposit $100, they will give you an extra $100 on top.
- Free Bets: Playing with house money, can it get better than that? Amounts are normally based on your average wager.
- Cashback & VIP: Once you are a player on a particular book for a while, you may be invited to the VIP program and earn cashback on your losses.
IS ESPORTS BETTING LEGAL?
The answer to this question is, it depends, and it usually is based on where you currently live as you have to abide by the laws of your jurisdictions government. As a general rule of thumb, if traditional sports betting is not legal, then it would be safe to assume esports betting is not either.
With that said, there are millions of people all around the world that continue to place bets everyday. The government generally does not got after individual bettors, but more so after the sportsbook itself, if at all. There have not been any notable incidents and books that were launched in 2000 are still online and accepting bets to this day.
As sports betting and fantasy sports become increasingly popular, it would be safe to assume that in the near future sports betting could become 100% legal everywhere. It offers entertainment for players, makes games and matches more exciting to watch, and generates tax revenue. A win-win for all we must say.
WHAT IS THE AGE REQUIREMENT TO ESPORTS BETTING?
Very much like the previous question, this also depends on where you are living. How old you need to be to bet on esports or sports in general is almost universally going to be either 18 years of age, or 21 years old. With that said, we encourage everyone to look up their local laws regarding age and gambling.
IS ESPORTS BETTING SAFE AND FAIR TO WAGER ON?
For those wondering if betting on esports games is safe to do and a fair experience, it is a legitimate question to ask. Several years ago there was a plague of match fixing and teams throwing games (losing on purpose) with players betting on those games left in the dark as what was going on. A reason for this was players could potentially earn more by betting on an outcome and making it happen (win or loss).
However, what we are describing here was happening 5-6+ years ago when prize pools and professional player pay was quite low. Nowadays professional players have no reason to throw or fix matches as their pay from tournaments and streaming far outweighs the one-time gain of match fixing scandals that could easily ruin their career.
HOW TO DEPOSIT ON SPORTSBOOKS
Once you've made your account on the sportsbook of your choosing, then it's time to choose a bonus/promo and fund your account. Most books have multiple deposit options from credit and debit cards, online fiat wallets, as well as cryptocurrency like bitcoin. Here are the most common.
DEPOSIT USING VISA AND MASTERCARD
Most players depositing for the first time just want convenience and security. So this is where your credit or debit card will make the most sense. It is easy, secure and fast. With that said, there may be limitations involved on how much you can deposit using your card. For instance you may be only able to use Visa on some sites, or Mastercard on others. In addition some sportsbooks payment processor is located internationally and your bank may reject the transaction.
HOW TO DEPOSIT WITH CRYPTOCURRENCY AND BITCOIN
Using cryptocurrency and specifically bitcoin to get in on the action is becoming increasingly common and easy to do. First you need to purchase bitcoin from a service or a friend before you can get started betting with bitcoin. Once you've done that you can send it to the address supplied by the sportsbook and your account will be funded usually within the hour. The fees are usually minimal and the transaction is fairly quick. It is a great way to deposit if your bank is not allowing your transactions using your card, and some books are even encouraging the use of bitcoin deposits and offering special promotions for doing so.
