Esports betting is one of the fastest-growing facets of the gaming world. With every major title in the Esports world now possessing stacked competitive calendars, wagering on their favourite teams and players has proven to be a unique way of keeping up with the action. Join us here at Gamelevate today as we run you through the best games to begin your Esports betting journey with!
What Is Esports Betting?
Before we kick off our list, it’s worth sparing a few lines on what Esports betting is, and what it entails. Much like regular real-world sports betting, Esports betting allows fans to place wagers on the outcomes they’re predicting to happen across their favourite games. Every game has its own unique set of markets tailored for them, and gamers are free to place bets before an event kicks off, or alternatively follow the action as it unfolds with the latest live in-play odds.
Of course, just like with any other form of wagering, Esports betting should always be done at a safe, secure and fully licenced operator. Take the time to practice good bankroll management, and never stake what you can afford to lose.
CS:GO
Whether it be CS:GO or its upcoming successor CS2, Valve’s flagship FPS series is still one of the most popular communities in the Esports world. Counter-Strike has one of the most stacked competitive calendars, with its open circuit allowing organisers such as PGL, BLAST and ESL all running their own events across all four corners of the globe.
However, there are also two Major Championships organised by Valve themselves held twice a year. These Majors are the most prestigious events in the calendar, boast prize purses worth over $1 million, and are the ones in which team eras are built around. Wagering on CS:GO Majors is one of the most popular markets at US Sportsbooks such as Unibet Sportsbook, offering players the opportunity to punt on everything from individual matches to tournament outright winners to which player will score the most kills.
League Of Legends
League of Legends is the most popular Esports in the industry, having over 180 million unique players and registering a peak player count of 32 million daily players in 2022. This makes betting on League of Legends an equally popular pursuit at Esportsbooks online.
Unlike CS:GO, League of Legends’ competitive scene is organised directly through game developer Riot Games. Orgs pay to be a part of region-based franchise divisions, competing against one another until the competitive season ends with the annual World Championship. Worlds is one of the most iconic Esports tournaments, with over 5 million viewers tuning in to watch DRX overcome T1 in the 2022 Grand Final alone.
Dota 2
When it comes to betting on Esports, it makes sense that the biggest event in the whole industry will be amongst the most popular for wagering. And that is the exact situation Dota 2 still finds itself in. Another Valve title, Dota 2 also has an open circuit where multiple organisers are able to create their own circuits and entice the best in the business into them.
But, when it comes to the biggest Esports tournaments for wagering on, Dota 2’s The International quickly takes the crown. The International is the culmination of the competitive Dota season and currently holds the record for the top five biggest prize purses in Esports history. The International 2021 is the record holder for the largest Esports prize pool of all time with a sum of $40 million. The best teams in the world competing for the biggest prize pools on the planet? Who wouldn’t want to take a punt on that?!
