If we had a dollar for every question we’ve ever been asked about sports betting we’d be rich. We’d be even richer if we had a dollar for every question we’ve ever been asked about ESPORTS betting though. The amount of questions that come in about this relatively new form of sports betting is unfathomable. We’re actually surprised this influx of questions hasn’t caused our email server to crash yet.
When we think about it, the volume of esports related questions is not that surprising. With “traditional” sports betting, most people understand what the sports they’re wagering on are all about. They know how football is played, for example, or the rules of tennis.
With esports betting, however, a lot of people don’t have the first clue what esports actually are. Even if they do, they typically only know the basics. So OF COURSE, they have questions. Not just about the betting, but about the sport itself.
The , which is why more and more people have developed an interest in it. Since esports are still up and coming, though, the information on it is somewhat limited. That’s why people come to us for answers, and we’re happy to help.
One of the questions we get asked the most is “Where can I bet on esports?” That’s an easy one to answer. Many online betting sites cover esports these days, so you are blessed with plenty of options. That’s probably why we’re also regularly asked, “What are the best esports betting sites?” Here’s your answer to that one.
Here Are The Top Rated Esports Betting Sites in 2023
If you’re looking for somewhere to bet on esports RIGHT NOW, you should go ahead and sign up with one of these sites. They all come highly recommended, and you won’t be disappointed with the service you receive. We’re 100% confident that these are the best esports betting sites at this moment in time.
Want to know more about esports betting first? No problem, we’ve got you covered. For a rundown of the basics, including what esports actually are, you should check out the following two pages.
We have also put together a few separate pages for betting on specific games that are popular right now. These articles detail the specifics about each game and how they are unique in their own way when it comes to betting on matches.
Our goal is to keep up with all of the most popular esports games when it comes to betting in order to help you find the best places online to bet on them. Keep in mind that each individual game has it’s own types of best and strategy for betting, so be sure to check these pages out if you are looking to bet on on these specific games.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
On this page we’ve answered a selection of frequently asked questions about ONLINE esports betting. This includes an explanation of why we recommend the sites shown above. Here’s a full list of the questions we answer here.
- Why do you recommend these sites?
- Why should I bet on esports online?
- Why don’t all betting sites cover esports?
- What esports contests can I bet on online?
- What esports wagers can I place online?
- Can I make money from online esports Betting?
Why do you recommend these sites?
Because they’re the best around! That’s the simple answer, but we realize you probably want more information than that. So here’s a list of some of the factors we consider when deciding which sites to recommend to our readers.
- Licensing and regulation
- History and reputation
- Ease of use
- Coverage of contests
- Banking options
- Speed of payouts
There are other factors we consider too, but these are the main ones. Why? Because they have the biggest impact on your overall betting experience. Our goal in recommending sites to our readers is to ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable experience. So, we obviously need to make sure that the sites we recommend provide exactly that.
Let’s take a further look at the above factors and explain why each one is important.
Licensing and regulation
We only ever recommend sites that are properly licensed and subject to formal regulation. Although this is no guarantee of overall quality, it does at least indicate that a site is safe to use. Sites that go through the process of getting an online betting license from a reputable licensing authority usually intend to operate legitimately and ethically. There are SOME exceptions unfortunately, but they’re very rare.
Sites that DON’T have a license are the real problem. Having no license means that they can operate however they choose, with no governing body to answer to. They’re not regulated in any way, so they’re free to rip off their customers without facing any real consequences. And, sadly, that’s precisely what most unlicensed sites do. These sites need to be avoided at all costs.
History and reputation
We always check a site’s history and reputation as part of our evaluation process for ranking betting sites. This is another good way to determine whether they’re safe to use.
If a site has a track record of treating their customers badly or a reputation for unethical behavior, then they clearly are NOT safe to use. As a result, they have no chance of being recommended by us.
If a site has a good track record however, and/or a positive reputation, then we ARE going to consider them. A good track record doesn’t guarantee a spot in our rankings, but it does get a site on our shortlist.
Ease of use
At this stage of the 21st century, there is no excuse for ANY website to be hard to use. Things were different when the internet was still relatively new and betting sites were just hitting the market. We understand why early betting sites weren’t exactly what we would consider to be “user-friendly.” Things have changed drastically over the years though and now we expect much more out of the sites we use.
We always mark a site down if the ease of use is not up to the required standard. This is for two reasons. First, it gives the impression that they don’t actually care about their customers that much. Second, it makes for a frustrating experience. It drives us crazy when it’s far harder to place a wager than it needs to be!
Coverage of contests
Since the popularity of esports has exploded, LOTS of different competitions started taking place. You’ll probably want to bet on most of them if you take your esports betting seriously. At the very least, you’ll want to have the option to. It can be pretty annoying if you go to a site to check the odds for an upcoming contest, only to find that the site isn’t taking wagers for that contest.
We get that some betting sites aren’t fully into esports betting yet, and we understand why they don’t cover every single contest that’s taking place. We wouldn’t criticize them for that. But we’re not going to recommend them either. For a site to be among the best for esports betting, it HAS to offer good coverage: not necessarily EVERY contest, but at least the major ones.
Banking options
We like to see a plenty of options for making deposits and withdrawals, as it’s important that customers have choice. Some people like to use credit or debit cards, while others don’t. Some people like to use e-wallets, and some prefer to do direct bank wires.
The best sites offer all those options and more. Plus, they go out of their way to make the process for depositing and withdrawing as painless as possible.
Speed of payouts
All gambling sites should pay their customers in a timely fashion. This is one of THE most important factors we look at when ranking gambling sites in any category. If we win, we should be able to expect our money within a reasonable timeframe. There’s no reason why anyone should be asked to wait more than a couple of days.
Any of the sites on our list don’t mess around when it comes to paying their customers. If you win, you’ll get your money. And you’ll get it without having to wait too long.
Related Questions
- Do YOU use your recommended sites?
Yes. We didn’t just randomly pick our recommendations!
Actually, this is a fair question. There are lots of other websites that rank and recommend gambling sites, and some of them DO just pick their recommendations randomly. Or, perhaps even worse, they only recommend the sites that pay them the most money. Either way, they probably don’t actually use the sites they recommend.
We do though. In fact, we use a TON of different gambling sites. We like to make sure that our recommendations are kept accurate and up to date, so we’re constantly testing out the various different options. This enables to see which sites have improved, and which sites have been left behind. It also means we know the best places to do our own betting. And, at this moment in time, the sites we recommend on this page are where we bet on esports.
- Should I join ALL these sites?
That’s up to you. You don’t HAVE to join them all, that’s for sure, but there are a couple of benefits to having accounts at more than one site.
First, it allows you to shop around to find the best odds for each wager you place. This can make a significant difference to your overall results, so it’s worth your time. Second, it allows you to take advantage of more bonuses and rewards.
- Are there any other sites you recommend?
Not specifically for esports betting, no. However, we do recommend some other sites for betting on traditional sports. Most of these also cover esports to some extent, so they’re worth considering if you’re looking for some more options.
Why should I bet on Esports online?
Betting online is the easiest and most convenient way to place your esports wagers. Not to mention, it presents an opportunity to earn extra bonuses and rewards too. Once you take all these advantages into account, this question answers itself really.
There’s also the fact that betting online might be your ONLY option. It almost certainly is unless you live in the United Kingdom or Nevada, or are willing to travel to these places every time you want to place a wager.
We know that some (but not all) bookmaking shops in the UK take esports wagers, but we don’t believe that’s the case in any other countries right now. The only other land-based options available are the casino sportsbooks in Nevada. As of right now, that option is still very limited.
Nevada sportsbooks have to apply to their regulators for EACH event they want to take wagers on. Most sportsbook aren’t doing that for many contests, if any at all. Believe it or not, it actually took until nearly the end of 2016 before the . That’s incredible really, as people have been placing esports wagers online since way before then.
Related Questions
- Is online Esports betting legal?
It’s difficult to answer this question definitively, as the relevant laws around the world vary. What we can say is that we’re not aware of any law ANYWHERE that explicitly makes it illegal to bet on esports online. Based on that, we don’t think you need to worry about breaking the law.
For the most part, the laws that apply to online esports betting are essentially the same as those that apply to online sports betting in general. This is a subject we cover in detail in our article on sports betting laws.
- Is online esports betting safe?
Yes, as long as you stick with reputable and trustworthy sites. The places we recommend are certainly safe to use, as we wouldn’t recommend them otherwise!
- How much money do I need to bet online?
Not much at all. The minimum deposit at most esports betting sites is quite low. $10 is about standard, and it’s even lower than that at some places. The minimum stake is usually a single dollar.
Why don’t ALL betting sites cover esports?
Good question! It’s hard to know for sure really, especially when considering how popular esports betting has become. Possible reasons include the following.
- Lack of resources
- Uncertainty about the industry
- Legal issues
A lack of resources is an unlikely reason for the big sites not to get involved with esports betting. They’re typically owned by huge companies that have plenty of resources to call upon, so they can easily spend the money they need to add esports to the markets they offer. They can also afford to bring in the experts they need to price up those markets.
The smaller sites don’t necessarily have that luxury though. Many of them operate on very small margins, and some don’t make much profit at all. The cost of adding esports to their betting markets may not seem worth it to them at the moment. It’s not as easy as throwing up some odds and lines and then suddenly making a profit. This is something they really should take time to consider.
Some sites are perhaps just unsure about whether the esports industry is going to continue to grow. We could understand this a couple of years ago, but it seems certain that esports are here to stay now. They’re firmly in the mainstream, and the industry is . So any site that’s holding back, for this reason, is probably making a mistake in our opinion.
Legal issues we can understand. If a site is operating in a region where the legal status of esports betting is unclear, it’s natural that they might not want to get involved. This is definitely a legitimate reason for some sites not to offer esports betting just yet, but it hopefully won’t be for much longer. With the rate that the industry is growing, we’d like to think that lawmakers around the world will take notice soon.
Maybe that’s being a little optimistic though!
What esports contests can I bet on online?
This varies at different sites. As we mentioned earlier, they don’t all offer the same coverage. The better sites do tend to at least cover all the major contests though. Here’s a list of the tournaments and leagues that you’ll find at most of the leading sites.
- The International
- Dota 2 Asian Championship
- Smite World Championships
- Halo World Championships
- StarCraft II: World Championships Series
- Major League Gaming Pro Circuit
- World Cyber Games
- Evolution Championship Series
- Intel Extreme Masters
- Call of Duty Championship
- League of Legends World Championships
- Frankfurt Major
- Shanghai Major
- Capcom Cup/Capcom Pro Tour
You can read more about these contests, and others, in the following article.
What Esports wagers can I place online?
This depends on two things. First, it depends on which site you’re using. This is because the available betting options vary from one place to another. Second, it depends on which contest or game you’re betting on. Some wagers are only available for specific contests or games.
One wager that you’ll always be able to place is the match winner wager. This is where you simply bet on which team or player will win a specific match. It’s available at all esports betting sites, and for all contests.
Related Questions
- What are the best esports wagers to place?
No wager is “better” than another really. It depends on the circumstances. One wager may work best in one type of situation, while another type of wager may work better in a different type of situation. What’s important is that you always think carefully about which wager represents the best chance of winning some money.
- What are in-play esports wagers?
These are wagers that you can place AFTER a contest has started. Most of the wagers that are available before a contest starts are available in-play, and there are usually some additional options too. These include wagers such as the next player to earn a kill, or the next player to complete a map.
Can I make money from online esports Betting?
Yes. You absolutely CAN. Will you though? Well that’s a different question entirely. It depends on how much you know about esports, and how much effort you’re willing to put in to your betting.
If you know plenty about esports, or are prepared to learn, then you definitely stand a chance. It won’t be easy though, so you’ll need to work hard. You’ll have to try to develop some winning strategies, and you’ll have to do a lot of research and analysis when making your betting decisions.
Think you have what it takes? Awesome! We’re here to help you succeed. We may not have a perfect blueprint for making money from esports betting, but we do have some useful tips to offer. Check out the page listed below to find out more.
There’s just one final thing to mention before we finish up. If you ARE interested in trying to make money from esports betting, then the time to act is NOW.
We believe that betting on esports will only get harder in the future, as the bookmakers and betting sites will become more and more knowledgeable about the various different games and contests. At the moment, their knowledge is somewhat limited. They’re certainly not as knowledgeable about esports as they are about the traditional sports, which means it’s definitely possible to take them on and win.
So what are you waiting for? You should get started TODAY, while the opportunity is still there. Use our list of recommended sites for an even better chance of success!
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