The Best Esports Betting Sites for 2023
Whether it’s CS:GO, Call of Duty, Fortnite, League of Legends or any other pro video game – look no further for the best Esports betting sites for 2023.
Our team of industry experts have reviewed each betting site from our shortlist based on a comprehensive set of criteria, ensuring that each site offers great welcome bonuses, a range of games, speedy payouts, and more. Start betting below or read on for all you need to know about Esports gambling.
Our Recommended Esports Betting Sites
What is Esports Betting?
Esports is a term used to describe competitive video gaming played at a professional level. To bet on an Esport is to wager on the outcome of a certain game. You could bet on who the most valuable player will be, or the final score. Just like traditional sports betting, Esports gamblers use real money in order to place a bet.
Games may be played individually or in teams with tournaments. These are often streamed worldwide and offer players gigantic cash prizes. Esports isn’t a new concept, but the betting industry has recently seen a huge surge in its popularity.
How does Esports Betting Work?
Betting on Esports is no different to betting on a physical sport. To place a bet, simply select a sportsbook, find the Esports category, and make your wager. Most major sportsbooks will offer markets for popular Esports games such as League of Legends, CS:GO, Dota 2, Call of Duty or Overwatch. The types of markets on offer are fairly similar to traditional sports and have been known to include popular wagers like series winner and match winner.
Can You Bet For Free On Esports?
You can get free esports bets by claiming bonuses from your bookmaker. A sportsbook may offer free esports bets as a welcome bonus, a deposit bonus or a matched bonus. You can then use these free bets to win real money. You can find out more in our guide to free bets.
Popular Esports to Bet On
- League of Legends
- CS:GO
- Call of Duty
- Fortnite
- Dota 2
- Overwatch
League of Legends Betting
League of Legends (usually referred to as LoL) is one of the biggest Esports out there. The aim of the game is simple: two teams of five players compete to be the first to destroy each other’s base (known as a Nexus). In addition to this, players will need to battle enemy minions, destroy turrets, and keep monsters at bay to get there. The game was released in 2009 by Riot Games, and today sees a passionate fanbase with millions of active players. LoL is an ideal option for bettors looking to wager on Esports as its huge popularity means there are plenty of bet types, markets, and matches to choose from.
Did you know: Riot, the developer of League of Legends, pay salaries to each professional player individually if they participate in local leagues or huge tournaments.
Top Leagues and Tournaments
LoL World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship is a huge, annual event in Esports. Millions around the world watch as the best LoL teams battle it out to bag a prize pool that can reach well into the millions. The tournament usually lasts around six weeks, spanning from the play-ins to the finals – all matches can be streamed on the official Riot Games Twitch channel.
World Championship 2019 Statistics
- $2.2m Prize Pool
- Funplus Phoenix Winning Team
- 3.9m Peak Viewers
- 137m Hours Watched
LoL Mid-Season Invitational
Aside from the World Championship, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is the second most important League of Legends tournament. The tournament features a play-in group stage, play-in knockout stage, group stage, and final knockout stage with the chance to wager on each match.13 regions are usually represented including teams from North America, Europe, China, and Korea.
LoL Mid-Season Invitational 2019 Statistics
$1m Prize Pool
G2 Esports Winning Team
1.7m Peak Viewers
43.7m Hours Watched
What is the Most Viewed Esport?
Thanks to streaming sites like Twitch and YouTube, Esports has become a huge spectator sport. Below we’ve listed the most viewed Esports for 2019 based on the number of hours that they were streamed for. All data mentioned has been pulled from escharts.com’s yearly report, you can check out the full findings here.
| Game | Hours Watched |
|---|---|
League of Legends | 478.7 million |
CS:GO | 284.3 million |
DOTA 2 | 282.2 million |
Overwatch | 81.3 million |
Arena of Valor | 72.2 million |
How Much Money is in Esports?
There’s big money to be made in Esports. In the past few years, there have been some life-changing, million-dollar payouts for tournament winners. The prize pools have gotten larger and larger year-on-year, and it’s expected that they’ll continue to grow at the same speed. For a glimpse at how much money is in Esports, take a look at the table below for the top 10 largest prize pools so far.
| Tournament | Prize Pool | Game |
|---|---|---|
The International 2019 | $34.3 million | DOTA 2 |
The International 2018 | $25.5 million | DOTA 2 |
The International 2017 | $24.6 million | DOTA 2 |
The International 2016 | $20.7 million | DOTA 2 |
The International 2015 | $18.4 million | DOTA 2 |
Fortnite World Cup 2019 (Solo) | $15.2 million | Fortnite |
Fortnite World Cup 2019 (Duo) | $15.1 million | Fortnite |
The International 2014 | $10.9 million | DOTA 2 |
LoL 2018 World Championship | $6.4 million | League of Legends |
LoL 2016 World Championship | $5 million | League of Legends |
Esports Betting Tips
Before you start with Esports gambling, it’s always good to have a solid betting strategy prepared. To help put you in a better position, we’ve put together four of our essential Esports betting tips below. Read on and get your strategy sorted:
Play the Game for Yourself
No matter your experience level with online gaming, it’s always beneficial to play the game for yourself. Games can often have complex rules to get to grips with, and the fastest way to learn the ins and outs is to experience them first-hand. Luckily most Esports games are available to download for free, so it should be fairly easy to jump into the action.
Know the Team & Players
It sounds simple, but the key to success is knowing who you’re betting on and why. Try to research the recent form of players as well as any past statistics you can find on the team. The more you know about the teams, the more information you have when it comes to placing an Esports bet.
Watch Live Matches
Just like any traditional sport, watching live matches is the best way to understand the game. Some bookmakers will offer live streaming directly on their sites, but if not, services like Twitch or YouTube will be your best bet. Following your favorite game will also help you to analyze gameplay strategies and be familiar with common match outcomes.
Stick Within Your Budget
When it comes to video game gambling, or any type of betting, it’s good to set a budget and then stick to you. Betting more than you can afford to lose is always a huge risk that could hurt your bank balance. Ultimately, the key to long-term success is to be calculated in your betting and to never let your passion cloud your judgment.
How We Rate the Best Esports Betting Sites
When it comes to Esports gambling, we want every bettor to feel confident in the sportsbook they’ve chosen. That’s why each site that we recommended undergoes a comprehensive review process. Before a site makes our shortlist, it will need to live up to all of our key criteria:
Reputation & Security
Esports may have gained enormous popularity over the last few years, but it’s still important to find a reputable betting site. We perform a full background check on each sportsbook to make sure that you’re investing in a legitimate and trustworthy operator. This includes checking the site’s licensing and certification, as well as how well they protect a user’s personal information.
Esports Availability
Esports tournaments can sell out stadiums around the globe, but not all sportsbooks have caught up with the trend. Some sites will list the major tournaments under their ‘specials’ category or have temporary landing pages. We only recommended sportsbooks that have a dedicated and permanent Esports section that’s kept up to date with regular competitions.
Ranges of Games & Tournaments
A variety of games is key to any great Esports betting site. We want to see all the big names like Dota 2, CS:GO, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and more, as well as the odds on the rising stars of the Esports scene. Beyond that we also check to see if all the major tournaments and qualifying events are listed too.
Banking & Payouts
When it comes to Esports gambling, having a variety of deposit and withdrawal options is essential. We’ll be looking out for traditional payment methods such as VISA and Mastercard, as well as more niche methods like e-wallets and cryptocurrencies. Finally, we’ll look into payout speeds to assess how quickly a bettor receives their winnings.
Bonuses & Promotions
The cherry on top of a great sportsbook is the range of promotions it offers. A generous welcome package will help new bettors to make the most of their bankroll through deposit bonuses, cashback offers, and free bets. Beyond that, we like to see regular promotions that suit all styles of betting.
App & Mobile
Esports betting apps are a huge convenience. We look for sportsbooks with dedicated apps or that have a mobile site compatible with iOS, Android. On top of that, we look for extra features such as live streaming on mobile, push notifications with odds updates, plus the overall speed of the mobile site.
Best Esports Betting Sites in 2023
Esports Betting FAQs
What does Esports stand for?
Esports stands for electronic sports. The word Esport is used to talk about video gaming at a professional, competitive level. The Esports scene has audiences of 100s of millions, with games like Overwatch, League of Legends Dota 2 and CS:GO.
What Esports can I bet on?
You can bet on the most popular games such as League of Legends, CS:GO, Overwatch and Dota 2. Esports is still a growing market within sports betting, but most good bookmakers will offer bets on all of these games. In-play betting is also available on Esports.
How can I watch Esports?
Some sportsbooks will stream matches live to their site, or alternatively you can head to streaming sites such as Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook Gaming.
Is Esports betting legal?
Each country will have its own regulations to follow, but generally Esports can be bet on in the same way as any traditional sport. Just be sure that you’re using a fully licensed and legitimate sports betting site.
What are the best LoL betting sites?
It all comes down to personal preference, though we’d recommended any from our Esports shortlist. Here you should be able to find plenty of markets for LoL as well as competitive odds and great 24/7 customer support.
Where can I bet on CS:GO?
CS:GO is one of the largest Esports around, so most popular sportsbooks will carry betting markets for the game.
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