Esports is one of the biggest growth markets when it comes to online betting. The world of professional video gaming is on the verge of becoming a billion-dollar industry if you believe the latest Esports Report from Newzoo. Gamers in all four corners of the globe are battling hard to qualify and compete in tournaments and one-off events in many of the leading massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) including League of Legends and Dota 2.
Given the influx of Esports tournaments and events around the world, a growing number of online platforms are beginning to offer betting markets on Esports match-ups. Not only that, some platforms are now permitting in-play Esports betting, underpinned by the live streaming of such events; Thunderpick is one such platform that is bringing real-time social functionality to Esports bettors.
If you are new to Esports betting and you’re intrigued as to what kind of bets you can place on live Esports match-ups, the rest of this article will shine a spotlight on the available betting markets most commonly offered by online sportsbooks:
Moneyline Betting
Moneyline betting is one of the most common type of betting markets of sports events around the world. American Football’s NFL uses moneyline markets for punters to place wagers on which team they believe will win the contest. The Esports industry utilises the very same markets.
Handicap Betting
Handicap bets are designed by bookmakers to try and level the playing field between opponents. Players or teams that are heavy favourites tend to start with negative scorelines, while underdogs will begin with positive scorelines. Players or teams with negative starting handicaps must win by more than the handicap set for a handicap bet to win.
Totals Betting
Totals betting is equally as popular as handicap betting in the world of Esports betting. In Dota 2 and League of Legends, the ‘over’ and ‘under’ totals markets are generally based around the number of ‘kills’ made in a round or match. Meanwhile games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive operate totals markets based around the number of ‘rounds’ in an overall contest.
Outright Betting
Outright betting in Esports markets relates to wagers placed on the overall outcome of an Esports tournament or one-off match.
If you are unsure of how to get started with Esports betting, take some time to view some of the various live streams available at the next major eSports tournament via platforms such as Twitch. Watch plenty of matches to get a firm understanding of the dynamics of each video game before placing a single wager.
