How to bet on Esports
Esports has developed into a massive global industry with skilled players competing against each other in various online competitions, in much the same way as the traditional sports such as football, basketball and tennis. The common perception of Esports as being a phenomenon which occurs mainly in the bedrooms of unemployed young people and teenagers couldn’t be more wrong; this is an industry which is huge, still growing and very investable. The worldwide audience for Esports is almost 400 million and the general consensus is that it will soon be rivalling the biggest traditional sports leagues with regard to merchandising, sponsorship and even ticket sales.
What is Esports?
The term Esports is short for ‘electronic sports’ and effectively it takes online gaming and turns it into a spectator sport. In many respects it is just the same as watching a physical sporting event, the only real difference being that players are competing in a virtual environment. In a similar manner in which sports fans enjoy watching the top footballers or athletes compete at the top level of their game, spectators enjoy watching the top video gamers in online competitions.
Esports encompasses many traditional sports games such as FIFA and NBA2K but it also features games such as Dota, Counter-Strike and League of Legends. Players have the choice of either streaming themselves playing in order to earn money or take part in larger competitions and organisations with the chance to win big cash prizes. Players are able to engage with fans via their social media channels or even in-person at competitions. Fans can follow their favourite teams in worldwide tournaments and even place bets on the outcome, most UK betting sites offering a wealth of markets on which the punter can wager on certain outcomes.
In many ways, Esports is unique in that the success of a player is in no way determined by how strong, thin, fast or strong they are. It is of no consequence whether they are 4′ 6″ or 6′ 2″ tall, both can excel at the very highest level here whether male or female. Not only that but where traditional sports are constrained by physical and spatial limitations, Esports games are far more fast-paced and scalable due to the fact that they rely on digital platforms.
Betting on Esports
Almost all of the main bookmakers offer a wide range of markets on Esports and these work exactly the same as those for the more traditional sports such as football, tennis and baseball. For the ‘beautiful game’, you can watch Esports tournaments from around the world and find similar betting markets to the physical game such as outright winner, first scorer, anytime scorer, final score, half time/full time etc. The only real difference is that you are watching a virtual match, not a physical match. The same applies to all other Esports offerings – you place a bet in exactly the same manner as with other sports and any winnings are paid out the very same way, there is absolutely no difference.
All online bookmakers such as thepools offer a welcome bonus upon joining and in many cases these can be used on Esports. Again, the terms and conditions are exactly the same for this ‘sport’ as with physical sporting events and any winnings will need to meet the wagering requirements as set out in the T&Cs.
Traditional sports betting fans will find the markets very similar here, at least for the games such as FIFA and NBA2K, however some of the other offerings such as Dota will be less familiar and punters can engage with other Esports fans on the numerous forums and social media channels in order to become better informed.
Many online bookmaker comparison sites offer the latest information regarding the best free bets available on Esports and these are an excellent way to get started, many of the main betting operators offering a wide range of promotions aimed at Esports fans.
Which Esports games are most popular for betting on?
You can place bets on any Esport game and the choice of markets is growing enormously, however League of Legends is by far the most popular of all the offerings here with a worldwide annual audience of millions. This isn’t a sports related video game such as FIFA, it is a multiplayer online battle arena which will be unfamiliar to those who are more used to betting on the likes of football, rugby or basketball.
Before placing bets on these tournaments, it is important that you simply join the growing ranks of spectators and just enjoy the experience before taking a punt. Become familiar with the tactics employed in the most popular games and read betting tips from other more experienced punters at the various forums and social media channels. The information is all out there to enable you to enjoy relative success when betting on Esports.
The future for Esports
Esports has enjoyed huge growth over the past ten years and that growth is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. Indeed many believe that it will overshadow traditional sports within the next ten years and as such, bookmakers will certainly be paying greater attention with enhanced markets, more competitive odds and greater coverage.
With increased coverage and more fans joining the fray, advertising, television rights and sponsorship will further boost Esports and this in turn will turn it into a mainstream sport, thus attracting more spectators. Social media has already played a massive part in turning Esports from little more than a sideline into a rapidly growing phenomenon. When will this huge growth come to an end? It’s hard to say but it won’t be any time soon!
