Where and How to Bet on Esport Matches

While being relatively new, esport betting is surely growing at an explosive rate.

22:23 15 December 2020

Although it did get off to a slow start, the global esport betting market has been estimated to hit the $30 billion mark by 2020. With more professional players joining the scene and competition rising strongly, it’s tempting for players all around the globe to start betting on their favorite games, teams, and players. Whether it’s just for fun or for the sake of making money, here’s everything you need to know about betting on esport matches. 

 

How to Bet on Esportsa

 

There are two factors to decide upon when betting on esports: the currency and the game. Here’s what you need to know about both. 

 

Esport Betting Currencies

 

Simply put, you can bet on esports using one of two currencies: cash or skins. Betting using cash is pretty straightforward; you deposit the cash like you would in traditional online gambling. Betting using skins is a bit more complicated than using cash, but it’s easy to understand. 

 

As everyone knows, you can use skins in any online game to change the appearance of any item. That means that skins are virtual items that have little to do with functionality and more to do with aesthetics. Out of all games, Counter-Strike: Global Offense (CS:GO) skins are the most widely used in the esport betting scene since they can be easily transferred between players. They make up more than 80% of the whole gambling activity.

 

Here’s how skin betting works:

 

1. The player deposits the skin by depositing it to the betting site.
   
   
2. They use their deposited skins to bet.
   
   
3. In the case they win, they can cash out the additional skins by requesting the transfer of their skins back. 
   
   
4. Once they have the skins in their account, they can leave them in their inventory, use them to alter their appearance or their weapons, trade them with other players, sell the skins in exchange for other skins or games, or use third-party sites to cash out the equivalent of the skins. 
   
   

Popular Esport Gambling Games

 

When it comes to games, League of Legends leads the esport betting scene, with CS:GO following closely behind. These two games lead the esport match betting category in esports. While it’s relatively smaller than esport match betting, fantasy esports are in rising demand nowadays. It’s more common to bet using cash rather than the skin on fantasy esports. Jackpot games are another category that uses skins; they’re styles like lottery games that give players the chance to win big prizes at the cost of a small risk. Finally, many esport betting sites offer casino-style games as well.

 

Where to Bet on Esport Matches?

 

There’s no shortage of esport betting websites. It seems like every other day, a few websites get launched and offer these services, but just because they’re available doesn’t mean they’re trustworthy. If anything, finding reputable websites that offer betting on Esports can be quite daunting. Not only is the internet the best place for scammers and hackers to act, but even most legitimate websites fail to meet the minimum requirements for serious punters. The majority of betting websites offer betting on the most popular games, limiting you to very few options. Others fall short on the odds they provide, while many others neglect their customer service. 

 

Meanwhile, punters have different preferences. You may be chasing after totals, in which case you’ll want to look for a website that provides you with a wide market variety in addition to the highest odds in the category you’re after. On the other hand, you’ll want a betting operator who offers the best odds for underdogs if it upsets you’re looking to bet on. That being said, here are a few top website recommendations based on different criteria.

 

• Bet365

 

The concept of esport betting works similarly to traditional betting, albeit with a world of difference in how operators calculate the odds. That’s why you may struggle to find a traditional bookmaker who offers quality esport betting services, but Bet365 is one of the few exceptions around. In addition to offering traditional betting, they’ve become known as one of the most reputable and popular esport betting platforms. On the plus side, they’re one of the few who offer a seamless mobile betting experience. 

 

• GG.bet

 

With a license from the Malta Gaming Authority, you would never have to worry about the legitimacy of GG.bet. The odds they offer are pretty competitive. When you combine that with their wide variety of games, ease of using the platform, free live streaming service, practical deposit, and withdrawal methods, it becomes obvious why they’re one of the best competitors on the market. 

 

• Pinnacle

 

If it’s high odds you’re looking for, then you needn’t look anywhere beyond Pinnacle. Originally, starting as traditional bookmakers, they’ve been around for enough decades to become subject matter experts. Jumping on the esport betting wagon early on has certainly helped them in reaching the most accurate methods in calculating odds, which is why they offer the highest odds in the market. 

 

• Loot.bet

 

On the other hand, if it’s the diversity you’re looking for, then Loot.bet has got you covered. They offer you more than 20 esports to bet on, in addition to a variety of other games, like casinos.

 

• Intertops

 

Intertops has been one of the first websites to join the esport gambling scene, which helped them establish a solid reputation and a seamless system. They provide the most versatile deposit option in all of the esport betting websites, in addition to the fast payout, regular and tempting bonuses, and their addictive mobile betting application. 

 

While traditional sport betting fans may fail to see the point in esports altogether, the numbers speak for themselves. More players keep joining the esports scene, but the rate at which the esport betting market is growing maybe even greater than the e-gaming growth itself. To start betting, you’ll first have to settle on the game and currency of choice, after which you’ll need to find a reputable website to place your bets.