Think of esports, and you may conjure up images of games enjoying the best console sports games. From retro titles like World Cup Italia 90 on the Sega Megadrive to the latest FIFA release that helps bring you closer to the beautiful game, there have been many hits over the years. Modern gaming has changed, and esports has revolutionised the industry.
The top esports players are full-time professionals, paid handsomely and competing for huge prize money against the best talent worldwide. You can throw your hat into the ring, practice and try to get to that level, or you can watch the top fixtures and competitions through faultless live streaming sites. The leading sports betting websites even allow you to place bets on the outcome of esports games. You could profit from your love of esports and by putting in the research needed to beat the traders.
In this article, we bring you up to speed on the current state of play with esports and sports betting. There’s even information on how you can get a free bet on esports to use on your smartphone or desktop computer. Think of this page as your one-stop for all the information you need on esports betting.
No overnight sensation
It may seem like esports betting has crashed onto the industry, but it has been no overnight sensation. Neither is it a fad that will die out anytime soon. Professional esports have been nurtured, slowly and steadily grown over the years. From the grassroots through to the biggest and wealthiest competitions, esports is the product of meticulous planning and timing.
If you research the industry and look back far enough, you’ll see many leading bookmakers were involved in the early days. They sponsored smaller events and accepted bets on the first few professional tournaments. Things grew from there, and as the reputation, standing and interest in pro esports continued to grow, so too did the number of betting markets available on the competitions covered. In the past, the esports tab of betting apps was little more than a side note to sports betting with few fixtures and few markets.
Today’s esports coverage rivals the top sports and often attracts more wagers than the likes of MMA, golf and tennis. The esports tab is now much easier to find, and inside are all major competitions, teams and players with dozens of markets attached to each. You can place pre-game wagers, gamble in-play and even watch the action on live streaming at the top betting apps and websites.
Below are some of the popular esports titles you can bet on today.
- League of Legends
- Dota 2
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Overwatch
- Call of Duty
- Valorant
- Rocket League
- Fortnight
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
- Smite