The esports industry is growing at an alarming rate, with more multi-million-dollar tournaments surfacing every day. One of the most exciting and popular parts of the industry is the concept of esports betting, and with each new event, thousands of esports bets are placed against players, teams, and the inner workings of the tournament itself.
Once upon a time, the concept of esports betting was alien – it now makes up 50% of the industry’s revenue. In this guide, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about esports betting, from how to bet on esports to what the best esports betting sites are.
Can you bet on esports? Let’s find out.
Is Esports Betting Legal?
That’s a great question to start with – is it legal to place bets on esports games? It all depends on where in the world you are. In some countries, any kind of betting is illegal, and naturally that’ll extend to esports betting. In most countries that allow gambling, esports betting is just another facet of that concept, which means that yes, it’s legal to bet on esports.
Is Esports Betting Legal in the United Kingdom?
Yes, esports betting is legal in the United Kingdom – it’s also massively popular and the top game for esports bettors is Call of Duty.
Is Esports Betting Legal in the US?
In the United States, esports betting is only 100% legal in a few states: Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, and West Virginia. It’s a list that’s forever expanding, as over time, more states are opening their doors to the concept of esports betting.
Esports is becoming a more mainstream concept all the time. Globally, there are almost half a billion enthusiasts, and recently, the IOC announced the upcoming Olympic Esports Games, which adds yet another avenue for legal esports bettors to target.
How to Bet on Esports
It couldn’t be easier to place a bet against some top-tier esports odds these days. It’s a matter of tracking down your desired esports betting site, navigating to the esports section, and then placing wagers. Betting on esports is the same process that you’d follow to bet on football or basketball – even a lot of the esports betting markets are the same as traditional sports betting markets.
To that end, here are some of the best esports betting sites to get you started:
- Thunderpick
- Bet 365
- GG.BET
- LOOT.BET
- Betway
Typically, you’ll use the same betting sites you would for traditional sports to bet on esports. It’s just another angle that they’ve taken to try and dominate their corner of the industry, and for the most part, it works well – esports betting is very popular.
Related: What Are The Best Esports Games?
Tips for Esports Betting
If you’re a seasoned bettor, you’ll have no problems getting to grips with esports gambling, but there are a few key tips you can still walk away with if you want to improve your odds.
- Study Your Markets – Make sure you understand the markets you’re playing, and more importantly, that you know how to read the esports odds.
- Know Your Game – It’s almost pointless betting on an esports game that you don’t understand. You wouldn’t take part in Counter-Strike betting if you didn’t know the first thing about the game, would you? It’s a solid tip to learn about the game you’re betting on.
- Understand Your Budget – As with sports betting, making sure that you control your budget when betting on esports is vital.
- Only Use Trusted Sites – Some esports betting sites take advantage of the freshness of the vertical to entrap unaware players – make sure you’re only using a reputable, trusted esports betting site.
- Take Advantage of Bonuses – Almost every esports betting site offers betting bonuses and promotions – make sure you’re soaking these up to maximise your profits.
Now that you know the inner workings of esports betting, are you going to place some wagers?
Related: Which Esports Make The Most Money?
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