Esports are taking the world by storm, and the same goes for the world of betting as well. In many ways, players and teams of games like CS:GO and Dota 2 or Fortnite and League of Legends are very similar to popular clubs like the Golden State Warriors or Manchester City, competing in their own divisions and tournaments for glory – and it’s therefore logical that a burgeoning esports betting scene has developed to match the growth of the scene in general. As a newcomer, it may be tough to navigate this landscape – which is why we’ve put together this short summary for you to figure out where it’s the best to start out!
What is esports betting?
Just like it says on the tin, esports betting allows you to wager on the outcomes of different esports matches and competitions across the world, testing your knowledge and luck as you try and turn a profit by figuring out the events of the game of your choice. Just like in the case of traditional sports, most esports betting sites also allow for special kinds of betting like prop bets, live wagers and many other kinds of opportunities to test your mettle.
However, since it is an emerging market with many different actors, it’s important to keep an eye out on who you entrust with your hard-earned money. Not every site has proper licenses and there is no guarantee they’ll actually pay you out – therefore you need to be careful when considering your choices. Many of the big-name traditional betting sites now also offer esports betting options, but there are quite a few dedicated esports-oriented ones as well which are properly licensed and therefore worth checking out.
How to select your esports betting site
In many ways, choosing an esports betting site is similar to the way you select a traditional bookie. What kind of games do they offer? Do they cover all the tournaments? Are their odds similar or better than what the rest of the market offers? Do they have a welcome bonus, and is it one that is actually worth my time? Is it a rickety website straight from the oughties or something sleek and modern? The user experience matters a lot as well. In fact, esports-focused (“endemic”) betting sites often have little gamification elements and the like to further support the notion that they’re targeting gamers at heart. They also often offer bets for smaller games like Hearthstone or Vainglory which are not on the radar of traditional betting sites.
If you’re looking to try out what the endemic esports betting sites have to offer, you have a fairly wide selection of choices as long as you take care in identifying the good eggs. For instance, Rivalry, one of the first actors in the space with a clear commitment to taking regulations seriously, boasting an Isle of Man license alongside many country-specific ones. They even offer a free-to-play experience called Thunderdome for the fans who are currently outside their jurisdiction. Esports betting site reviews also tend to rate Unikrn, ArcaneBet and GG.bet favorably.
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