eSports Betting: Tips on Providers, Markets, & More

Esports betting has taken off around the world. The trend has madeheadlines, largely for bridging the worlds of traditional sports andprofessional gaming. As eSports has climbed in popularity over thelast decade, dozens of debates have been sparked about therelationship between traditional athletes and sports leagues versustheir gaming counterparts.

But when it comes to betting, there seem to be a great deal ofsimilarities. Competitive gaming, just like competitive sports,inspires fans to put their knowledge to the test. In many ways,eSports betting has evolved directly in tandem with traditionalsports betting. For example, offersfrom www.Oddschecker.com, which maintains its focus onprofessional sports betting, include plenty of eSports action too.

Even DraftKings, a sportsbook that’s usually associated withdaily fantasy sports, has opened its eSports markets. In fact, it’shelped generate interest in a totally new form of eSports betting:daily fantasy. But for gamers who never dabbled in traditional sportsbetting, it can be a confusing world to step into.

If you’re new to the world of eSports betting and have minimalexperience with standard betting markets, then get started with thislist of tips. We’re covering providers, markets, and other insightsto help you start off on the right foot.

Passion (Usually) Pays

The average sports bettor sticks to their favorite leagues andsports. The same principle usually applies to eSports bettors. Theeasiest way to get started is with one of the games you’re mostpassionate about. Not only will you have a basic knowledge of how thegame works, but you will also likely have a few insights—whetherinto matchups, teams, or even individual players. This might seemobvious, but to excel in betting, you’ll have to do some research.By sticking to the games or genres you like, that labor will be oneof love.

Not Sure Where to Start? Go With Sports Sims

That being said, if you aren’t a fan of heavy-hitters in theeSports world like MOBAs or FPS games, then one of the most seamlessways to get started is with sports simulations. Games like FIFAclosely recreate the real-life magic of football, which means thebets are closely related to their real-world equivalents. This tendsto create less confusion, making it a good place for newcomers tobegin.

Legacy Sportsbooks vs. eSports Oddsmakers

Once you’ve narrowed down which games you want to wager on andwhich leagues you’ll target, you need to find a provider. Asoutlined above, even legacy sportsbooks have pivoted toward eSports.Most bettors register with their first sportsbook thanks torecommendations and welcome deals.

If you’re overwhelmed about where to start, consider joining amore established brand. These providers tend to have guides thatbreak down the basics of placing your first bets. If you’re moreentrenched in the world of eSports, then you can focus on a providerthat strictly offers markets on video games, such as GGbets.

Follow the Data

Savvy bettors rely on data to inform their wagers. Aside fromdata, other considerations will also steer which markets you target, suchas betting on tournaments versus league matches. Every littlefactor adds up—which means you should always be following the data.

Match-centric gaming fans might not have any problem crunching thenumbers themselves, but if this sounds tiring to you, then have nofear. Just like sports bettors stick to analysts, so do eSportsbettors. Now that the eSports betting industry is a bit moreestablished, you’ll have dozens of passionate analysts to choosefrom.

Watch Out for Streamer Betting & Systems Betting

So far, we’ve mentioned a few ways that eSports betting runsparallel to its traditional counterpart. However, it’s important tonote that, as the industry evolves, so will its eSports-specificbets. Two that you should know about are streaming betting andsystems betting.

Streamer betting covers markets offered on live-streamers fromTwitch and/or YouTube. Tread lightly with streamer betting as it’sa new addition to many sites. Systems betting, on the other hand, isthe eSports equivalent of parlays. However, unlike parlays, systembets might still pay out if only one portion is met. Be sure to readthe fine print and only target systems once you’re comfortable.