Best eSports Betting Sites in 2024: TOP Online Reviews

In the last 10 years, eSports has gone from something that people played in their parents’ basement, to a massive industry with professional teams and corporate investment. The growth that eSports has seen in its own sector has been mirrored in the gambling world. More sportsbooks offer eSports coverage than ever before, and the number of people interested and betting on it is only growing.

Whilst choice is great for the punter, with it comes competition and this means decisions need to be made about choosing the best eSports betting sites. Throughout this article, we will take an in-depth look at what to look out for to find the best eSports site for your needs.

More Top-Rated eSports Sites for Betting

We reviewed a lot of the top eSports betting sites.

• 22Bet
• bet-at-home
• Bet365
• BetWinner
• Casumo
• LeoVegas
• STSbet
• TonyBet
• Unibet

and more.

All of those eSports bookmakers got their own benefits and disadvantages, so make sure to do your due diligence before placing a bet.

How to Find the Best Sites – Review Team

Given that there are so many bookmakers and sportsbook that offer betting opportunities on eSports, we have decided to create a review team that is dedicated to finding these best eSports betting sites.

Within the team, we have created a great balance of those that know gaming and those that know online betting. Between them they can find sites that not only offer great value for betting but also great coverage, going the extra mile over the competition.

One of the main areas that the team looks at is the games that can be accessed. Most sites include the likes of Counter Strike: Global Offence, Dota 2 and League of Legends, but we want to look beyond those games where other eSports markets are really starting to emerge.

Pricing needs to be another massive factor when looking for the best eSports betting site. As the competition within the sector grows, pricing becomes more of a lure for betting sites, which means that it gets more user-friendly. Long gone are the days where only one or two sites offered betting on these games, meaning that they could set massively bookmaker-favourable odds.

Several betting sites are solely dedicated to eSports. They don’t work as a traditional bookmaker and some of them are not regulated by governing bodies like the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority. We talk more about these later in this article, but we would be wary of any site that does not come with any legislation attached.

Sites need to look the part as well, and we want to see integration with mobile technology as a must. Given that a lot of people who follow eSports will likely have some interest in technology, this makes for a large number of potential punters betting on their phone. Mobile apps are about as important an asset as any for eSports players.

Finally, we take a look at the reputation of the site in question. This includes things such as licensing and customer support as well. These all create a package and if there are grumblings online about things such as delayed payments, poor customer support or bad software, then these are sites that we will avoid.

Factors That Make up the Best eSports Betting Sites

There is a criterion of factors that amalgamate to make up the best online eSports betting sites. There is no one “thing” that makes a site great, but instead, a list of attributes that creates a great user experience for its customer base.

Whilst most of these are eSports related, some are common features that any good betting site should have. You can create your own list, but these are all aspects that you shouldn’t be compromising on if you’re wanting to get the best possible product.

• Game coverage – An easy place to start is with the coverage of the games on offer. The more the better here and we expect it to go beyond the likes of just CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends. Additionally, we want to see Call of Duty, FIFA, Fortnite, Rocket League and Overwatch, as an absolute minimum.
• Welcome offers – General welcome offers are pretty good for the most part, but you need to note if it’s eligible for eSports betting (most are). Ideally, the welcome offer would be solely dedicated to eSports betting, either with enhanced odds for certain games or bonuses based on a particular game.
• Extra Features – For this, we mean things like live streaming and data tracking. Some eSports betting sites have links to Twitch and YouTube streams so you can watch live. We realise that you can access this outside of the bookmaker within these platforms, but to have everything integrated is a real positive.
• Market Coverage – As you dive a little deeper into the games that are on offer, you need a good range of betting markets to choose from, which aren’t just the overall winner. Points spread, over/unders and parlays are popular bets that the best in the business all have.
• Indepedent Ratings – Consulting comparison sites that specialize in rating the best eSports betting sites is an effective way to ensure you make a wise choice. These platforms provide comprehensive evaluations of various aspects, including game coverage, welcome offers, extra features, market coverage, and user experience. They offer curated lists of the top-rated platforms, saving you time and providing valuable insights from industry professionals.
• Going the Extra Mile – Betting sites that go the extra mile with eSports are going to be much better to use in the long run. Some sites have token gestures of betting options, with just a couple of games covered and hardly any markets. The best have sections of their site dedicated to games, markets, stats, live streams and more. Whilst the core of online betting is the market and the price, the package is just as important in our view to keep players coming back and engaged.

With each of these, it’s important to note that betting sites will differ. You may need to compromise, which means you will need to prioritise which of these features is the most important.

Please note that whilst we recommend what we think is the best eSports betting site right now, it might not necessarily be the best fit for you, depending on your needs. However, we include all the info you could ever need to make a perfectly informed decision on which to choose.

Biggest eSports Games to Bet On

The biggest change in the industry of late has been the range of games to bet on. There are lots of professional leagues running these days across several games and with each, you will find that betting sites cover them differently.

Below we have listed some of the biggest and most popular eSports games right now.

CS:GO

Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is often regarded as the biggest eSports game. It comes with a huge following and a devoted fan base.

The game is interesting in that it first launched back in 2012 and over the last decade or so has only seen relatively minor upgrades throughout the years. Visually it might not be as appealing as some of the latest console games, but its gameplay is one of the main reasons why it’s had the success it has. Here you can learn more about CS:GO eSports betting.

CS:GO is a multiplayer game that sees teams of 5v5 battle it out on a range of different maps and game types. It’s a fast-actioned game and the skill level between the players is incredibly high, with not much separating the top players or even teams in the world.

From a betting perspective, there are plenty of matches that run throughout the year, but the biggest competitions are that of the ESL Pro League and the ESL One Cologne.

The Pro League is considered to be the peak of CS:GO and it comes with several betting markets, including outright winner, match winner, handicaps maps totals and map team to win both pistol rounds. It has a $750,000 prize pool, with the winner taking home $175,000.

Dota 2

Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients) is another incredibly popular eSports game. The game is a 6×6 multiplier game, which is often referenced as a MOBA, meaning Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. This game type is one that is a little slower than that of 1st person shooters, but with it comes an incredible amount of skill and strategy. Throughout the game, each team will have to navigate around the map and find the best way possible to defeat the enemy. Timing and precision are the keys to success in this game. Learn more about Dota 2 eSports betting in our review.

Not only is Dota 2 a popular game to play, but it comes with the biggest prize pool in the eSports sector. In 2019 a massive $34million was up for grabs at The International, which made it the biggest eSports event ever. The International brings in over 2 million viewers across YouTube and Twitch for the final alone. To put this into some perspective Call of Duty League final pulled in just 102,891 for their final on a game franchise that is one of best-selling of all time.

Betting on the eSports is fierce and this is mainly because the data and information for all players can easily be tracked. Chinese players and teams have a strong grip over a lot of the tournaments that are run, but the influx of online data and the availability make for a fierce competition.

League of Legends

League of Legends is another Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game and is another behemoth in the eSports sector. In terms of players, no game in the world has more monthly or weekly subscribers than LoL. There are over 67 million active players a month and a staggering 27 million every single day.

If anyone wondered at the popularity of eSports, then these figures alone highlight just how powerful it is, surpassing any and every sport many, many times over.

The game is made by Riot Games and like the others that we’ve spoken about, there have only been tweaks to the game since its release in 2009. Each team starts on opposite sides of the game map before working across the map and battling with other teams.

There is a huge amount of strategy and skill in this game, making it another that may not look all that visually enticing, but an absolute killer when it comes to gameplay. If you are interested, check League of Legends eSports betting opportunities. You can bet on anything from the overall winner right down to the first kill of certain bosses, such as the Dragon Kill or Tower destroyer.

Call of Duty

Call of Duty is one of the most popular console and PC games of all time. It’s the first game in our list that can be played across multiple platforms, which means that it comes with a massive player base, coupled with a massive follower base for professional gamers.

Most eSports professionals are a part of a team. These teams work together in a multitude of gaming environments and utilise all of the Call of Duty gameplay modes.

Professional gaming for eSports is usually mixed between online multiplayer and the relatively new Warzone map. Multiplayer games are short and sweet, containing game types like domination, team deathmatch and capture the flag.

Warzone is an “open-world” version of the game which takes place on a huge map. Teams are made up of 1 to 4 players and they must outlast the other teams to win. In each game, there is a circle that encloses on the map which players must stay inside or risk being choked by the gas.

Betting on Call of Duty eSports covers most of the larger tournaments and events. The game league includes the top 12 teams for around the world, and this comes with a massive prize pool of $6million. It’s worth noting that each team member has a basic annual salary starting at $50,000 with any prize money winnings on top of that.

Fortnite

Fortnite has been one of the biggest releases in the gaming world over the last 20 years. It only came to our screens in 2017, but rarely has a game seen such instant success than it.

The game allows players to roam across a large map, not too dissimilar to the Warzone map in Call of Duty (Fortnite were the original to do this, however). The game is usually played with one to two players and you earn points as you go killing opponents and also building/destroying objects in the map.

As players earn points throughout the game, this doesn’t always mean that the player who is last man standing will be deemed the winner. This makes the game incredibly interesting and also offers a huge variation in ways to play it, with tons of strategy involved.

On a pro-level, the games developers, Epic Games, invest over $100million every year in prize money alone. The season finale World Cup held in July has a prize pool of $30million and until very recently when it was pipped by Dota 2, was the biggest eSports fund in the world.

Like so many of the games, betting on Fortnite has a lot of strategy with it. Teams are often much smaller than other games, which means that results are more spread out. Data is available from regular play, which shrewd bettors take into account when they bet.

FIFA

FIFA is the biggest selling football (soccer) game in the world. As a base product, it’s highly interactive with features such as Ultimate Team and Online Seasons.

The eSports variant is massively competitive and we’ve even seen a lot of Premier League football teams create their own eSports teams on the back of this popularity.

Other Games to Bet On eSports Sites

You just read about some of the most iconic eSports games worldwide. Still, there are a lot more games out there:

• Apex Legends
• Clash Royale
• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• H1Z1
• Halo 5 Guardians
• Hearthstone
• Heroes of Newerth
• Heroes of the Storm
• Mortal Kombat
• NBA 2k
• NHL
• Overwatch
• Paladins
• PUBG
• Quake Champions
• Rainbow Six Siege
• Rocket League
• Smash Bros
• SMITE
• StarCraft
• StarCraft 2
• Street Fighter
• Team Fortress 2
• Vainglory
• Valorant
• Warcraft 3
• World of Tanks

As you can see, there’s plenty of games that you can bet on.

Best Bonuses for eSports Betting

Whenever you join any betting site, one of the key areas that you must keep a lookout for is that of the betting bonuses that are on offer. These will range from site to site, but there should always be something for you to claim.

Before we dive into the different types of betting bonuses that you can claim for eSports, we wanted to touch on a few wagering requirements that you will need to note.

Each bonus will need to be turned over a certain number of times. Usually, you find that this amount is around 30x the bonus claimed. So, if you get a $100 bonus, then you will need to place $3,000 worth of bets before you can withdraw the bonus money.

These wagering requirements will also come with time limits to clear the bonus in full. Again, these range and the longer the better to give you the best chance of clearing the bonus. You will often get around 7 to 30 days before the bonus will expire.

Finally, you need to make a note on the contribution of each betting market. Some welcome offers will not include eSports, although most do. You can check all this within the T’s and C’s for the betting sites bonus.

Deposit Bonuses

Deposit bonuses are going to the most popular of this type of offer and this is going to cover the majority of betting bonuses. These work by the betting site matching your deposit amount and then applying this match as a bonus balance.

You can then use the bonus on pretty much anything you like within the betting site. It works in the same way as a cash balance would, but you cannot withdraw the bonus until you have cleared the balance as per the wagering requirements above.

The bonus that you get will be a percentage of your deposit. Most sites have a 100% match, so if you deposit $50, you will get an additional $50 bonus as well.

It’s easy to sit back and just take the largest bonus on offer – some of these will be worth hundreds of dollars – but most of the time the biggest bonuses have the strictest wagering requirements. A lot the time most players will be better off taking a smaller bonus that is easier to clear.

You can use your bonus balance on eSports betting markets. You will need to check to see if wagering is eligible with bonus money on these markets, but most betting sites allow this.

Free Bets

A free bet is where the betting site will give you an amount of money to wager on a single bet for free. These range in terms of value, but usually hover around the $10 mark. It’s worth noting that these days, free bets are quite rare, so if you find one, snap it up.

Once the free bet has been paid into your account then you are free to place this bet as you choose. Some betting sites will require that any winnings from the free bet be applied to your account a bonus balance. Some sites will allow you to keep the cash up to a certain amount.

We recommend that use these free bets to take a look around the betting site and see how the eSports sections work in terms of placing and settling bets. Sometimes they are hard to clear, which is frustrating, but given that they are free, you’ve at least not lost anything as a result.

No Deposit Bonuses

A no deposit bonus is rare these days, but you can still dig out the odd one if you look hard enough. Just as the name would suggest, these bonuses do not require you to deposit on the site and instead, will give you a bonus regardless of this.

The bonus is much smaller than the deposit matches. You can usually expect around $10 or so, but you can use this as you wish. These are hard to clear though and often require you to make a deposit and/or wager through a large amount of money in comparison to get your bonus as withdrawable cash.

But they are the best way to test any new betting site and then see how well their eSports betting section works.

The Legality of Betting on eSports

One of the most common questions we see about betting on eSports is about the legality of it all. The key thing to note here is that eSports itself is not linked to online gambling in that, they do not decide if people can or cannot bet on their games.

The decision about if they are hosted or not comes down to the betting site. As long as the betting site holds a valid license and they offer eSports betting options, then their license will cover that of eSports to make sure it’s a fair practice.

The short answer to the question of if eSports is legal to bet on is yes. The long answer, which takes into account a dedicated eSports site that we address in the next section, is a little less clear.

Established Betting Sites v Dedicated eSports Sites

There are two platforms where you can bet on eSports. The first is a dedicated online betting site that covers dozens of sports from around the globe. The second is that of a dedicated eSports betting site, that only covers eSports.

A dedicated betting site is going to be much more established than a singular eSports betting site. They often have a much bigger player base, a huge infrastructure set up around safe betting and responsible gambling features at the heart of the site.

A dedicated eSports betting site is set up to solely focus on eSports betting and usually has much greater coverage of games and tournaments from around the world. Most integrate Twitch and YouTube streaming, so you can watch straight from the site.

However, there is one big difference between the two that you need to be aware of. An established sports betting site will have to have a license to open their virtual doors. This might be from a governing body in their area, such as the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority or Curacao Gaming Board. It’s their role to keep players safe and to make sure player funds are safe.

A dedicated eSports betting site does not have this and this makes them extremely vulnerable. Lots of transactions are for items called “skins” which can be bought, sold and traded on their sites, without any real authority or secure platform for them to be traded.

These unregulated sites can be safe and we would guess that most players won’t see any issues using them. However, if something were to go wrong, there is no governing body or help for the player, which is pretty damming.

Our advice would be to avoid these dedicated skins-based eSports betting sites at all costs and instead head to the established, regulated betting sites. The range of games and markets may be limited in comparison, but at least you can guarantee that your money will be safe, should anything go wrong.

This YouTube video gives a good breakdown on what you should look out for, when betting on eSports as a beginner:

eSports Skins Gambling

Skins gambling is one of the most controversial parts of the online eSports sector. A skin is a commodity that can be bought in a lot of online games, with the most popular being that of Counter Strike.

Players can buy skins (weapons, guns, knives etc) for cash and then use these within the game to place bets against other players. The issue is that these skins have liquidity, meaning that they can be converted back into cash.

Whilst the initial set up for this platform was to trade more than wager, the nature of it has turned into a massive money-spinner for the makers of Counter Strike and other games. With over 21 million copies of Counter Strike being bought, equating on over $567 million in revenue, the figures soon start to add up.

As skins betting is not seen or recognised as online gambling, it means that players of any age can access this within the game. It’s meant that a huge number of players under the legal gambling age limit are now considered to be problem gamblers as a result.

It’s also a market which has no outside regulation at all. As we spoke about in the section above, there is no fallback for players of any kind, should things go wrong.

Skins betting should be avoided at all costs for this reason alone. It’s likely going to get drawn to the attention of the makers at a higher level sooner rather than later, but for now, skins betting is still legal.

Live eSports Betting

eSports is unlike almost all traditional betting types. It’s a new generation of betting if you will, and with that comes new technology. Whilst live betting is not particularly new, live betting on eSports is what has made it as accessible as it is.

You see, almost all games are live-streamed these days and platforms like Twitch and YouTube see millions of people log on to watch the world’s best. The betting companies were quick to recognise this and in turn, have made live betting a feature that now goes hand in hand with eSports betting.

Not many betting sites offer streams though and this is because there are so many platforms out there already. They do run markets alongside the main games, and this is one of the best features about betting on eSports.

Payment Methods for Betting on eSports

Some of the most reliable payment methods that can be used for eSports betting are as follows:

• Bank Transfer
• Bitcoin
• ecoPayz
• Klarna
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Revolut
• Skrill
• Trustly

Even though all of them are quite good, you need to check them in detail before you pick your favorite one.

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