There are a huge range of esports odds and markets on a number of games to choose from. Including tournament winners, match results and even game specific markets, such as how many kills a player will get in a match.
That is why we have developed this guide, featuring some of the best sportsbooks that offer markets, to help you get to grips with esports gambling:
This is the most similar form of betting to conventional options. Sports betting is simply to bet on an esports match or tournament with real money. If you bet correctly you will get your stake and some extra cash back, bet incorrectly and your stake is gone to the bookmaker’s pocket.
Markets are usually offered on the winner of a match, specific match results or overall tournament winners, with some sportsbooks offering more in depth options that are often game or player specific.
A growing market, esports fantasy betting is fairly small at this point, but gaining some traction.
It mirrors conventional fantasy sports, where players choose a roster using salary cap restrictions set by the online casino, and score points based on performance.
Fantasy is not available for all esports, and in some titles it is only available in free options where no money changes hands. It is, however, a rapidly expanding market and could become standard across all titles in the next few years.
In-Play esports bets are wagers you make while a live game is taking place. This gives you the chance to see how a game is going before betting on a winner.
In some esports titles there are also gameplay options to bet on, such as the next team to score a point, the total kills in a match or accomplish a certain objective.
It’s important to know how the esports game you are betting on works. Whether playing or watching, it is sensible to get used to the intricacies of a game before betting on it.
There is information available on most high-profile esports teams and players. It’s best to read this information and watch some previous games to make an educated judgment on who you think will win a certain match.
Shorter odds offer the worst value, but also the lowest risk. However, that isn’t to say that betting on the team with the lowest odds is a sure-fire way to win. Sometimes, you may find good odds on a team you think may win due to form. This is where tzhe above research comes in handy.
We only list trustworthy and secure online casinos, use this resource to pick your favourite. This way you can be sure you and your real money will be taken care of.
Win or lose, it’s important to have a set budget and stick to it. Cash out at the right time, and never bet money you can’t afford to lose.
The following games are most popular for esports wagering in USA:
Other notable games include the FIFA and F1 esports sports titles, which are popular for a wide range of fans. While, PlayerUnknown’s (PUBG) Battlegrounds, Mobile Legends and Free Fire command huge prizes and viewing figures.
Keep reading below to learn more about the top esports games, including the best players, teams, prize pools and bets to take…
View our team's review process for finding the best esports casino sites.
Fortnite is a battle royale game that rapidly gained worldwide acclaim, thanks as much to its celebratory dances as its gameplay.
The aim is to outlast 100 other players on an island where a dangerous circle is forcing you closer together. Players must find weapons to take out opponents and build structures to keep themselves safe.
Fortnite is a very popular esport, but rarely features top level LAN events, so it is rarely offered for betting at the majority of high profile online casinos. When Fortnite betting is available, you can mostly find outright bets such as the player/team with the most kills, and the winning player/team.
In the future there is also likely to be wide scope for in-game betting, such as players killed by the storm, next player to be killed and so on. Some bookmakers have experimented with similar markets but these are not commonplace yet.
Esports is a recognized competitive sport that can be played by professional gamers in tournaments that command both cash prizes and global viewers into the millions.
Watch our video below, to give you a glimpse into the world of the lucrative phenomenon that is esports. You’ll see actual footage and bet types of the top esports games:
Some top United States esports teams include:
The esports revolution came into fruition on Twitch, and this is still the most popular place to watch esports. However, as the industry grows, more options are becoming available for esports fans in USA.
Many tournaments are shown live on YouTube, with others also airing on Facebook Gaming. Some competitions are exclusive to a single platform, so if you can’t find an event on Twitch you may have to look at these options, but many events are streamed across multiple locations.
GINX is USA’s first 24 hour esports channel. For a small fee, you can watch esports from around the world at any time. Programming includes live events, news and shows on gaming lifestyle. This is a great way to get familiar with esports before starting to bet.
Students at Stanford University take part in the first known video game tournament, playing Spacewar to win a subscription to Rolling Stone.
Atari hosts Space Invaders Championship in the USA. The largest scale video game tournament of the time attracted over 10,000 players.
Nintendo hosts its first World Championships.
The first EVO fighting game event is held, with the tournament continuing annually to this day.
Quake II launches, and goes on to become one of the first major online esports.
StarCraft is launched, becoming massively popular in South Korea and kicking off the esports boom.
Counter-Strike launches becoming a major esport that is still popular today in the form of CS:GO.
EVO Moment 37 takes place, instantly becoming one of the most iconic plays in esports history.
The Championship Gaming Series kicks off, with broadcasts on DirectTV and Sky.
The Championship Gaming Series folds and is credited as a massive failure, destroying trust in the esports world by mainstream broadcasters.
Twitch is launched as a dedicated esports channel and becomes the unofficial home of esports broadcasts.
The Dota 2 International becomes the first-ever esports tournament to give away $1 million to the winners.
Valve adds skins to CS:GO, inadvertently starting up a new way of esports gambling that would prove controversial down the line.
Blizzard founds the Overwatch League, the first major franchised league in esports.
The League of Legends World Championships final is held in the iconic Birds Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing, China.
The Fortnight World Cup, takes place giving $3 million to winner Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf in the single biggest payout to an individual player in esports history.
The International 9 Dota 2 tournament has the largest ever prize pool in esports history sitting at 34,330,069.
Our experienced team reviews the very best esports casino and betting sites based on the following criteria:
We only recommend sites that use state-of-the-art encryption and firewall technology, to ensure you and your money are safe at all times.
To make our list, an online casino or sportsbook needs to be certified and licensed by a reputed regulator such as the UK Gambling Commission.
For esports sites, this includes real money betting options. We expect a wide range of payment methods available to online gamblers in USA.
Some sportsbooks offer more esports games and betting markets than others. We only shortlist sites with a varied selection of the best esports odds.
Esports is a competitive market. To stand out, a site needs to provide good welcome bonuses and regular promotions for existing customers.
Yes. Esports, or video game, betting is legal. As long as you are betting at a legitimate sports betting site that is based outside of USA.
You must be of legal gambling age, which is 18 or 19 depending on which United States region you are in.
Yes, all of our top recommended sportsbooks are safe and secure when betting on esports and other sports.
They are approved by reputable online casino testing agencies such as eCOGRA, and certified by local governments.
Our experts have reviewed and rated the following as the top 5 sportsbooks to bet on esports in USA:
Much like with any sport, you can bet on esports odds and markets such as the moneyline, game spread, game totals, and even parlays.
It will of course depend on the esport you choose to bet on, as each will have individual markets.
Like with sports betting general, it is limitless how much you can win betting on esports gambling.
If you are up to date with the latest news and follow the betting markets closely, you can potentially make thousands through esports gambling.
In terms of prize money at tournaments, Dota 2 is the biggest game globally. Fortnite is another hugely popular game.
These are some of the biggest esports games in USA:
Yes, competitive esports was classified as a sport in October 2017, by the IOC.
While there has much debate before about its legitimacy, China recognized it as a sport back in 2003.
Esports is not currently in the Olympic Games. But, as of 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized esports as an official sport.
With the ever-growing interest in esports, it is certainly a possibility that in future it will be a part of the Olympics. Esports will even be given demonstration events at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
