How to Bet on eSports Betting Explained: Full Guide for 2025
ESports betting continues to rise in popularity alongside the stratospheric explosion of the eSports industry in general with a seemingly endless wave of high-profile tournaments and competitions worldwide that pro gamers compete in for big money.
If this is something you want to get into, I’ve created a comprehensive guide on how to bet on eSports below. If you read on you’ll learn how eSports betting works, the popular games like League of Legends and DOTA2 that you can bet on, and some simple strategies to help make your initial bets effective.
What is eSports betting?
Before we look at how to bet on eSports, let’s have a simple intro to the industry and how it works. Essentially, eSports betting is exactly the same as traditional betting. The only difference is that instead of betting on sports like football and basketball, you are betting on eSports games like Valorant, Counter-Strike, and League of Legends.
Did you know that the global eSports industry is estimated to be worth over $6 billion? Things are booming, eSports are getting more coverage, and as the industry has grown, a thriving eSports betting scene has flourished alongside it. Many established sports betting sites support eSports betting, and there is also a superb range of dedicated eSports betting sites.
Most popular eSports games to bet on
While sports betting is popular for football, tennis, basketball, and boxing, which eSports game is most popular? You have to remember that not all video games are suitable for betting, and not every online game has great support for eSports. Below I’ve listed some of the most popular eSports games to bet on.
League of Legends
League of Legends, LoL, or simply League, is arguably THE most popular eSports game. Produced by Riot Games back in 2009, this Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game (MOBA) has lasted throughout the ages and it is always a fan favorite.
Each game usually consists of two teams with up to 5 players on each side, battling on a series of maps to try and gain control and eliminate the enemy player’s units. Every player has a champion which is their main unit that has a range of abilities, and they can also use a host of other supporting units and abilities to try and control the map. The annual League of Legends World Championship is the pinnacle eSports event for this game.
Counter-Strike
Counter-strike has been another legendary eSports game and the original CS game had some insane tournaments, but most are now played on Counter-Strike 2, which was released in 2024. This is a tactical first-person shooter game in which two teams of players have to work their way around a limited-area map and try to eliminate their opponents using an array of weapons and equipment they have at their disposal.
CS is just incredibly fun and I love watching the eSports action – especially when the players pull off some awesome sniper shot or knife kill for example. Like League of Legends, CS2 has a huge range of eSports tournaments and competitions include the ESL Pro League, BLAST Open, PGL tournaments, and eSports World Cup.
Fortnite
Fortnite has been around forever and while its eSports popularity peaked around 2018 with the Fortnite World Cup, it still has a large following and plenty of tournaments – mainly hosted within the game itself.
Fortnite is a battle-royale game in which individual players or squads of up to 4 players have to parachute down into the map, loot buildings for weapons, and try to survive until they are the last player/team standing. The crux here is that the playing area steadily gets smaller to effectively force combat and prevent players from simply camping in a hiding spot.
DOTA2
DOTA2 (Defense of the Ancients 2) is another insanely popular MOBA like League of Legends, developed by Valve back in 2013. Like LoL, it has endured due to the quality of its gameplay, the balance of the game, and the huge eSports scene that has developed. It continues to be one of the most popular eSports games worldwide. Some of the most popular competitions for this game include The International, Blast Slam, PGL Wallachia, DreamLeague, and the eSports World Cup.
Valorant
Valorant is one of the “newer” eSports games to burst on the scene although it has been around since 2020. Also produced by Riot Games, Valorant is a first-person tactical hero shooter. It has similar game mechanics to Counter-Strike and uses some similar features, but the characters, settings, themes, and abilities are vastly different. The eSports scene has developed rapidly for this game and you’ve got some huge events like the Valorant Masters, which is the pinnacle event for the game, where the best players compete.
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Common bet types for eSports betting
Like traditional sports betting, eSports bets come in many shapes and sizes but there are some noticeable differences in the types of bets due to how the video games differ from sports like football and tennis. I’ve listed some example bet types in the below table.
| Bet Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Outright | You pick who you think will win the overall match. |
| Round | You’re picking who you think will win a specific match round. |
| Match score | Predicting the final score for the match, which is usually in rounds. |
| First kill | Shooter games like Valorant and CS2 usually have this option – you’re picking who you think will get the first in-game elimination. |
| Most kills | You’re essentially picking the MVP of the match – the player who gets the most eliminations. |
| Tournament winner | There are usually futures bets available where you can pick who you think will win the overall competition. |
Pros and cons of eSports betting
While discovering the world of eSports betting, you have to realize that it’s still in its infancy in relative terms compared to traditional sports betting, so there are some pros and cons to consider if you’re thinking of giving it a go:
- You get a fresh experience compared to traditional sports betting
- Live streaming of eSports events is more widespread
- All the top games and events are usually covered
- The industry is continually growing and adding new features
- Still not as popular/covered as traditional sports betting
Simple tips for how to bet on eSports matches
Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of how to bet on eSports, I want to share some words of wisdom. Below, I’ve used my gaming knowledge and experience with this industry to give you some starter tips so you can try and make more effective bets.
This is a vital tip for any type of betting but it also applies to eSports. If you want to make effective bets then you can’t just base your selections on the odds the betting sites give. Odds are a great indicator of who is the favorite and underdog, but there are always other factors to consider that could affect the potential outcome of an eSports match.
Before you place any bet, I recommend researching the teams and/or players involved. Look at their recent form, how they are currently performing, their strengths and weaknesses, and the head to head matchup record. Stats and info like this can be invaluable and help you spot potential weaknesses or opportunities to bet against the odds.
I find that with eSports betting, there is a heap of potential nuances that can vary from game to game. Firstly, oftentimes different players within a team will have strengths and weaknesses. For example, one player might perform better on a specific Counter-Strike map, or another player might excel with a certain race on League of Legends.
Additionally, you can also look for things like matchup weaknesses as in games like League of Legends, Valorant, and DOTA2, the games are not perfectly balanced. This means that some races/characters/heroes/units, etc., may have inherent advantages over others that the players will know how to take advantage of. This does require studying and knowledge of the games, but I believe the more you know about the game mechanics, the more effective you can make your bets.
Whether I’m betting on eSports or traditional sports, I always use an 80/20 approach. This is where 80% of my bets are low-risk, and the other 20% are higher risk. I believe this is a sound strategy to help manage your risk and make sure that you are not placing all your eggs in one basket.
For the 80% low-risk bets, I typically use a slightly higher stake, whereas with the 20% of higher-risk bets, I will use a lower stake. For example, I might make 4x $10 bets on outright match choices on a series of Counter-Strike games in a tournament, and then make 1x $5 acca bet on all those selections. The general idea here is that your low-risk bets have a higher chance of winning, and can hopefully at least cover your initial stake for your high-risk acca if it loses.
Building on my 80/20 strategy for eSports betting, that is not 100% of my betting site balance. Instead, I always leave a 40% account buffer and only ever bet with 60% of what I have. So, it’s actually 80/20% of 60% of my balance. I believe this is another great way to manage your bankroll effectively at eSports betting sites and always leave yourself something to play with.
Now, 40% is the percentage I use – you can do whatever you want and adjust your buffer amount depending on the risk level you are willing to take. But, whatever risk factor you go with, I always recommend at least leaving something in your account – never bet with your full account balance.
The best eSports betting sites are filled with bonuses and promotions for both new and existing customers that you can take advantage of. These will typically give you some type of boost such as free bets, bet boosts, acca insurances, or bonus money. I recommend checking the links and banners on this page to see the offers for eSports betting sites in your location, and also make sure when you sign up to a site that you check its promotion page.
Use your gaming knowledge to make eSports bets today
I hope you’ve found this guide on how to bet on eSports useful! I love this type of betting as it’s incredibly refreshing and something completely new compared to traditional sports betting. If, like me, you are an online gaming fan, you’ll love following the action, looking at the different games, and even watching the live match coverage as you place in-play eSports bets.
The eSports betting scene continues to expand too, and while games like Counter-Strike, Valorant, DOTA2, and League of Legends remain the most covered, the best eSports betting sites are always adding new competitions, games, and leagues that you can bet on. I believe this keeps things fresh and also allows you to easily follow your favorite pro eSports teams and streamers.
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How to bet on eSports FAQs
💰 Can you win real money betting on eSports?
Yes. If you deposit money at an eSports betting site, place a bet on an eSports market, and you win, you will get a real money payout based on your initial stake, multiplied by the odds of the bet.
✅ Are eSports betting sites legit?
The sites we recommend are, yes. You must always be careful when choosing any betting site and look for things like gambling licenses, customer support, security, and withdrawal methods to make sure they are giving you a fair deal.
🏁 How does eSports betting work?
ESports betting works in exactly the same way as traditional sports betting. You pick a game, such as Valorant, select a match to bet on, choose a betting market, and add your selection to your bet slip – easy.
🎮 What are the most popular eSports games?
Valorant, DOTA2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Mobile Legends, Fortnite, Starcraft II, and NBA2K are some of the most popular eSports games that you can find at most quality eSports betting sites.
