Esports Betting at LeoVegas

With players around the globe, massive prize funds and a highly accessible format, esports have taken the gaming industry by storm. Participants can play from anywhere in the world – all they need is a good computer setup and a decent internet connection. Multiple streaming services allow fans to watch tournaments unfold in real-time with minimal lag.

Esports is a term that covers various types of competitive online gaming. The biggest titles include League of Legends, StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone and many more. Teams are composed of players from various countries and backgrounds, and millions of people enjoy watching them play.

How does esports betting work?

For a video game to be considered for esports betting, it has to meet certain criteria. Primarily, it has to involve two or more competitors, as well as clear rules for participants and an organised league to help it develop a fan base and an identity.

Esports tournaments are arranged by leagues, held in public venues across the world and watched live by fans in arenas, as well as through live streaming services. At LeoVegas, you can browse the available markets and bet on the outcomes of many esports games. There are various genres of esports, including multiplayer online battlefield arena (MOBA), first-person shooters (FPS) and sport simulations.

Bet on esports at LeoVegas

If you’ve ever placed a bet on a traditional sports event in the past, you are likely to find esports betting odds to be just as accessible. It’s also important to note that being an expert gamer or an avid follower of annual tournaments is not a requirement. However, as with all types of betting, the more research you carry out, the more insight you can get into different types of esports, different teams and their abilities in the arena.

As well as following the esports betting tips we provide at LeoVegas, you can research how different games are played and where the tournaments will be held to gain more of an understanding on how to proceed. You can also look into the matchups that are made at the start of a tournament and how these panned out previously to inform your wagers. Although it is still considered to be an emerging industry, esports is growing in popularity with every passing year and betting on the outcomes of major tournaments is straightforward at LeoVegas.

Esports bet types

There are many ways to place a bet on your favourite esports. You can wager on a particular tournament winner at the International Trophy, bet on the exact score of a team during a tournament round at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), or even attempt to predict a single map winner in League of Legends. The markets start with very simple wagers but include many more complex stakes, and you can also find the odd specialist esports bet.

Esports betting odds and basic bets

Placing a bet on esports is very much like betting on any other type of sporting event. The basic bets are win or draw. You take a look at the odds, do a bit of research, and bet on the team you think will win the match or whether there could be a draw.

Tournament winner bets are a very popular choice because they can be placed well in advance of a competition being held, and you are just wagering on the team you believe will be the outright winner.

Group winner bets are based on a particular bracket or group you think could be winners in the contest. It’s a similar bet to the tournament winner, but it refers to the teams that will win at certain stages of the contest. Group of winner bets are also an option to take into consideration – these involve wagering on the group that contains the potential overall winner of a tournament. For all the biggest tournaments, you can also wager on the specific matches that make up a game.

Placing an esports bet live in play

Live esports betting is very fast-paced, and the wagers open as soon as a game kicks off. Once the action is underway, you can see how the game appears to be unfolding, view the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and bet on who you think might win or lose. This is a popular option with gamers who have a good knowledge of particular titles, as they can quickly spot a trend emerging and take advantage of better odds than those set before the match started.

Placing a specific bet on esports games

In almost any sport, there are key events that can happen during the course of a game, and esports are no different. It definitely helps to have a good basic knowledge of the game. In League of Legends, you can bet on the team you think will take the first creature such as a drake or baron, while in Counter Strike: Global Offensive, there are bets called Knife Round, which are based on which team has the first knife kill.

Less general wagers can be placed on the overall map winner, which team will win the first map, and first blood, which refers to the team that gets the first in-play kill.

Major tournaments for esports betting

Multiplayer online games such as League of Legends and Dota 2 are very popular among esports fans, and the EMEA Championship is always a major event. There are lots of team-based bets available, as well as tournament winners and individual battle results. First-person shooters such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are played at the CS Asia Championships, along with games such as Halo. These are ideal for people who like to bet on esports game specifics, such as first map and first in-play kill.

Finally, sports simulators, celebrated at the Olympic Esports Series tournament, are another of the biggest draws on the esports market. If you’ve ever bet on team sports such as football or basketball, you’ll find all of the same win, lose and draw-type bets, along with first scorer and other sport-specific wagers.

Bet on esports – first-person shooter games

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2 tournaments are held at major events such as IEM Cologne. For challenger tour matches, it’s different because there are fewer betting markets, and these are released closer to the event. Look for outright winner, match scores and match winner bets. Team games such as these often have over/under bets, which involve a prediction of which teams will score above or below a set number of points.

Esports betting tips for Dota 2 games

Dota 2 games are fast-paced environments and teams that participate in this esports game attract noteworthy talents. There are plenty of wagering options available for fans of the game, such as match winners, handicaps, the team to destroy the first tower, the team to slay the first Roshan and more.

More esports bet opportunities

Esports covers a range of genres and many different titles. If you enjoy sports games, then FIFA, iRacing and Rocket League could be great options for your next bet on esports. Alternatively, why not go for a game that does not fit into any niche, such as Valorant, Fortnite or Super Smash Bros.?

What Esports Games Can You Bet On?

LOL Esports Betting

For those of you that aren’t Esports fans already, ‘LOL’ stands for the game League Of Legends in this context. It is by far one of the most popular games from an Esports point of view, and can take a lot of credit for the growth of the sport. As with most Esports games, it is played in a battle format, which pits two teams of five against one another until a winner is declared. There is plenty of strategy to it as well, as the team must work together to progress from their starting corner on the map to the opposite corner. In terms of the betting for League Of Legends, different events include the World Championships, European Masters and LJL, with individual betting markets of Match Odds and Map Handicap.

CS:GO Betting

CS:GO stands for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. As far as first-person shooter games go, the Counter-Strike series is the most popular in the Esports industry. Global Offensive sees teams play on opposite sides while looking to complete objectives and destroy the opposing team. In-game money is earned, which can then be spent on better weapons and equipment at the beginning of rounds. Each game lasts 30 rounds and the first team to win 16 of these rounds is declared the winner. Matches are often settled in a best of three or best of five format. Extra betting markets for CS:GO at LeoVegas include Correct Map Score, Map Betting and Total Kills.

DOTA 2 Betting

Released in 2013, DOTA 2 is a very complex game that often has huge prize funds available to be won. It goes hand in hand then, that it is also one of the most played games worldwide, with around 9 million players as of December 2019. Similar to LOL it is a battle based strategy game, with two teams of five looking to destroy the enemy stronghold. As a map-based game, there is again the option to bet on Match Odds, Map Handicap and Total Maps.

Overwatch Betting

Another first-person shooter game, Overwatch is very different from a graphics perspective due to the fact it is in more of an animated style. It is a 6v6 team game with a number of different playing modes such as Escort and Assault. With more than 20 different characters to choose from, costumes and victory poses can be bought as part of the game. You can bet on Overwatch via Match Odds or the Map Handicap, among others.

FIFA & PES Betting

In terms of competitive sports games, FIFA is the main football game that is played. It’s a yearly game that surrounds the most popular sport on the planet. In terms of how to win, it’s a pretty simplistic format in the same way that a normal football match is. Score more goals than your opponent and you’ll win the game. This is very much the same for Pro Evolution Soccer matches too, which are also available via the football betting page. Popular markets include Full Time, Total Goals and Double Chance.

FAQs – How does esports betting work?

How often can I watch esports tournaments?

You can watch esports matches and major tournaments all year round, as there is always something happening in the busy calendar. League of Legends tends to break its events up into spring and summer; then, the play-offs begin again in January of each year. In October, the leagues prepare for the World Championship. In between these larger events, there is the IEM season.

Where is the best place to watch esports live?

Twitch is a platform that most people who enjoy esports go to for games and live events. It streams many major tournaments. You can also catch games on YouTube and other streaming services.

What are tournaments in esports?

Tournaments are simply organised competitions in which established teams meet up in a physical location, such as an arena, and compete with one another. At the end of the event, one team is named as the overall winner. Some tournaments last for a few days, whereas others involve lots of different elements and will go on for weeks. The smaller, shorter events may only attract four or five teams, while at the larger international meets, there are often more than 30 teams in attendance.