The last couple of years have seen the rise of esports betting, with many betting sites eager to get in on the action and offer great incentives for gamers.
While some might shy away from putting money on games due to concerns over fairness or volatility, the ease of use and range of offerings of esports betting sites make it very attractive to sports fans. If you’re in the U.S., here’s a breakdown of the best betting sites for esports…
Rec games and mobile esports betting
With the world of esports expanding to include more traditional sports, many traditional sportsbooks have got in on the act and begun operating in the space, aiming to attract the non-digital sports fans who might be tempted by the idea of betting on their favourite teams and players.
The most popular games in esports – such as CSGO, DOTA 2, and Heroes of the Storm – often times don’t feature in the main sportsbooks, so their fans will often have to search for alternative sites that focus on those games.
Similarly, mobile betting applications have begun to emerge in the space, making it easier for esports fans to get their fix when they’re away from their console. The ability to bet on mobile devices has made it much easier for people to get involved with esports even if they don’t have a PC or a console at home.
Online casinos and new opportunities
Online casinos are another way that esports betting has emerged, with many high-quality establishment brands getting in on the action and offering great games and cutting edge technology, aimed at drawing in a new audience.
While some might still shy away from online casinos for ethical reasons, the increasing popularity of esports brings with it an opportunity for online casinos to flourish. If you’re looking for a new betting destination, take a look at some of the best online casinos for betting on esports.
Top-rated betting sites
Now, you might be itching to get your hands on some betting, but you might be wondering where to invest your money. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the top-rated betting sites for esports, based on various metrics.
Betting sites are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best. Check out our top-rated betting sites for esports below.
Bet365
Bet365 is one of the biggest names in the sports betting space and has recently gotten in on the action with a huge number of esports betting markets. The English Premier League (EPL) is also available to international users, which provides some great versatility for those who want to bet on soccer.
As the world’s #1 soccer betting website, we feel confident that Bet365 is the safest and most convenient option for English Premier League fans who want to bet on their favourite teams. If you’re a fan of any other sports, you can also use the site to bet on your favourite teams and players in a range of other sports.
Betdaq
For fans of the Far-east, Betdaq is the ultimate destination for esports betting. The site offers great value for money and a large range of games, making it the clear choice for fans of mobile games. Unfortunately, the minimum deposit is quite high – $100+ – which might deter some potential users.
Betdaq is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Far-east sportsbook Oddity Enterprises Limited (“Oddity”), which operates under licenses granted by the Isle of Man Gaming Tribunal. As such, we consider it to be a bit of a grey area when it comes to fair-play standards, although all the betting activity on the site is considered to be fair play under the rules of the Isle of Man. With all the different laws governing sports betting in different parts of the world, it’s probably a good idea to do some research before depositing money on any site, especially if you’re not from the U.S.
BetOnSports
BetOnSports is another popular choice for sports bettors and offers a great variety of sports, including football, soccer, tennis, and even ice hockey! It’s one of the few sites that offer the full A-Z of sports, making it very useful for those who want to bet on everything.
The only downside to this site is that the odds are usually worse than they are on most other gambling sites, which means you’ll need to place larger bets to win money. Luckily, you can also use their in-house betting APP to place bets directly from your phone.
Bwin.com
Bwin.com is another popular choice amongst esports fans and offers a large variety of games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Starcraft II, and Hearthstone. While most other sites like this one limit themselves to only a couple of games, Bwin.com offers more than 20 titles, giving you plenty of choice. There’s also a mobile version of the site, which makes placing bets even easier on the go.
One of the major draws of Bwin.com is that it is one of the few sites that offer CSGO skins as an incentive to play, while many other sites choose to rely on more traditional methods of motivating players, such as higher rollovers or bigger jackpots.
BetOnline
BetOnline is one of the biggest names in the online gambling industry and is also licensed to operate in the U.S. So, even if you’re not located in the U.S., you can still use the site to play. What’s more is that you aren’t required to put down a minimum deposit to use the site, as many other places do.
One of the things that makes BetOnline popular amongst gamers is that they offer fantastic promotions, such as $10 free bets if you open an account using the code “BLACK”. The minimum deposit to open an account with this code is just $10, which is much easier to put down than the usual $250+ that most other sites require. The minimum bet is also incredibly low, at just $2!
Gambit.com
Gambit.com is yet another popular choice amongst gamers and offers a large variety of games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, and Starcraft II. What’s great about this site is that, like BetOnline, it does not require you to be located in the United States to play. If you are, however, located in the U.S. and want to place bets, you will need to visit one of their many brick and mortar locations, as their online betting platform is not available to non-U.S. users.
With the ability to play games on the go becoming more and more common, mobile betting sites like Gambit.com offer the ultimate convenience for those who want to bet on their mobile device. If you’re looking for a site that allows for mobile betting, but don’t want to play on a mobile device, you can also use a web browser on your tablet or smartphone to access the site.
Interactive betting
Now, you might be wondering what kind of odds we’re talking about when referring to the “best” betting sites for esports. Well, most sites like this one only give you the option of backing your favourite team or player, which means there’s a lot of competition between the different sites. What makes this site unique is that it also gives you the option of placing your bet on the game action itself, giving you an edge and making it more exciting for bettors.
For example, let’s say you’re a CSGO fan and you want to bet on the odds of the different teams competing in the next tournament. You could place a bet on who wins the match, or you could place a bet on which team scores the most goals. In order to place the second bet, you would need to open an account with this site and make a deposit, at which point you would have access to the second bet option. However, you would not be able to make the second bet if you’ve never made the first.
The best part about this option is that you aren’t required to pick a team or player to bet on. You can simply place a “general” bet on any game that interests you, making it ideal for fans of games that don’t have a strong community and a wide open betting landscape, such as Hearthstone or Starcraft II.