The esports betting industry doesn’t just bear importance in the esports world but in the online betting sphere as well. It has already developed beyond experts’ initial expectations. Esports betting sites keep growing in numbers, following alongside growing viewership and investment numbers.
Rank | Bonus | Bet Now | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Betway Esports | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site |
2 | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site | |
3 | Spin Sports | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site |
4 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site | |
5 | Guts Sports | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
However, not all esports betting sites are worth the hassle. Increasing numbers aren’t capable of providing decent user experiences. They either take massive cuts on odds, don’t have the depth, or lack proper customer support channels. Heck, some of them are outright scams. Which is why we have taken the time to put this page together on the best esports betting sites.
That said, it’s of utmost importance to pick a bookie you know you can trust. Unfortunately, finding such bookies is becoming increasingly more difficult with each passing year. The market is overflooded with lousy, subpar esports betting sites that are chasing potential esports bettors away.
Best eSports Betting Sites in 2021 #1 bovada.lv. Bonus: 50% up to $250. Terms & Conditions Apply Best all-around experience Bet Now Read Review #2 betonline.ag. Bonus: 50% up to $1,000. Terms & Conditions Apply Back with big improvements Bet. Best Online Esports Betting Sites Online sportsbooks offer a fun way to add excitement to your esports viewing experience or the opportunity to capitalize on your in-depth knowledge of the game. With esports becoming more and more popular, many sportsbooks are offering esports betting. Betting Sites - Reviews and Comparisons. We aim to only present you the best esports betting sites. There are ton of traditional bookmakers who offer esports betting, which is why you will find not just pure esports betting sites such as GG.bet or Loot.bet, whose focus is mostly and sometimes even exclusively on esports.
If you want the best possible betting experience, only opt for the biggest, most prominent bookies.
First of all, we here at TSG use all of the above-listed esports betting sites! If that’s not a valid reason, I’m not sure what is! Most of us are passionate sports betting enthusiasts, while some of us can’t go more than two weeks without placing one or two esports wagers.
On top of that, our list features some of the biggest names in the online betting niche, massive betting platforms known across both sports and esports spectrums. All of our picks are 100% legit, possess all necessary licenses for online gambling, pack the greatest esports bet variety, and have proper customer service. And don’t even get me started on their generous welcome bonuses…
Ease of use is the key element for all first-time users. Bookies that have mastered the ease of use segment do great when it comes to acquiring new bettors. But what does the ease of use factor represent? Well, let’s divide it into three parts—speed, polish, and intuitiveness.
Real money esports betting sites that feel polished, load fast, and don’t require manuals for page-to-page navigation are the true ease of use champions!
What good is an esports betting site if it only has LoL, CS:GO, and Dota 2 bets to offer? These days, the key to conquering the esports gambling sphere is having a multitude of esports markets, including the less popular ones such as Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Rocket League. Of course, event depth needs to be present too, since the demand for esports betting doesn’t fall after the biggest, most prominent events.
In addition to an abundance of esports markets, the best esports betting sites also have a proper variety of options. We’re talking about additional betting options that go alongside the typical match-winners and moneylines, including but not limited to specials and live bets. The more, the merrier!
Unfortunately, esports specific bonuses still aren’t available on most online betting sites. Those that do offer them aren’t really good at emphasizing them, so esports bettors often overlook them. That said, esports-specific bonuses aren’t as important as the rest of the factors here, but will gain importance as time goes on and more big names start experimenting with them.
Back in the starting days of online wagering, payment methods were a massive hassle. Nowadays, most online gambling sites offering esports bets have numerous payment methods to choose from. There are those that work with only a handful of niche options, such as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. Typically, people want diversity and that’s exactly what we had in mind for our list above.
Having a proper customer support service can make or break new bookies. Bettors want long-term stability and someone who can help resolve any issues they might stumble upon. Customer support staff, as well as customer support channels, greatly affect the overall customer satisfaction levels, and as such, they should not be overlooked!
Even though we’re living in a world where the biggest online review sites are outright scams, it doesn’t mean online reviews don’t matter. They do matter, as they still have the ability to build (or destroy) the reputations of anything available on the internet, including esports betting sites. Take online reputation with a grain of salt, though, and it can be tampered with very easily.
Optionally, you can skim through your bookie of choice to see if it has any ongoing bonus offers. Welcome bonuses are most common. Since many beginners still don’t know much about them, we made a separate section explaining how they work.
When you sign up at an esports betting site you can expect to see some esports betting bonuses. Here’s how they work:
Welcome bonuses based on users’ initial deposits are most common these days. They work in a simple manner, awarding users with bonus funds based on the percentage of their initial deposit. No, you can’t deposit $5000 and get a bunch of money in your bonus budget since all bookies enforce a fixed cap.
For instance, one of the above-featured bookmakers has a 50% initial deposit bonus up to $200. That means you get half of your initial deposit in your bonus budget, with $200 being the maximum amount you can get. It sounds complicated but it’s simple once you see it in action.
No-deposit bonuses offer a fixed sum of bonus funds you can use in any way you see fit. These are typically handed out via coupons or bonus codes that players obtain. When it comes to the fine print, no-deposit bonuses are even more drastic than deposit bonuses, making it almost impossible to cash the money out.
Finally, some online sites offer free bets without requiring you to make a deposit. Some even go out of their way and offer free bets to already registered users as a part of special promotions during key dates in the calendar. Free bets are similar to classic no-deposit bonuses, but offer fixed-stake betting tickets. As you’d expect, they have a strict rulebook when it comes to cashing out the funds, so you’ll have to reroll the money before you can treat yourself. Remember to always read the fine print!
This is it! You’ve finally won a heftier sum, and you’re ready to cash it out and give yourself a nice treat. But how long will you have to wait to get your hard-earned cash? If you have to wait a week or more for your winnings, the wait takes the thrill out of the equation. Such a long waiting period takes the fun out of betting and that’s not what you want from your esports betting experience.
Typically, you can expect to have your winnings in your bank account (or crypto wallet) within 48 hours of initializing the cashout/withdrawal request. However, the waiting game could take a bit longer, depending on several factors.
Last but not least, your bookie’s internal transaction also affects the overall payout speed. Believe it or not, some bookies don’t really process your withdrawal request immediately, hoping you’ll change your mind, cancel the request, and gamble away all your winnings. If you’re looking for safe esports betting sites with the fastest payouts, check out our fast payout esports betting sites page.
Esports betting online is as safe as you make it! In other words, it’s safe if you use well-known bookmakers, such as the ones portrayed above. You can rest assured your private data (name, email, bank account info, etc.) is in good hands and far from the reach of hackers. However, if you stroll to the wrong neighborhood (read, if you use shady betting platforms), your personal information will be at risk!
Yes, online esports betting is legal as long as you’re using legit platforms featured at the top of this page. If, however, you opt for the shady approach (read: skin betting), not only will you be partaking in illegal betting activities, but your personal info may be at risk. If you want to stay on the safe side of things, the above-featured list of the safest esports betting sites is your safest bet… pun intended!
All of the above-featured esports bookies possess all necessary licenses needed for facilitating online gambling. In other words, they are 100% legit, and you have nothing to be afraid of. Not only do they possess necessary licenses but they also go out of their way to protect their users’ private data with sophisticated encryption systems that keep the bad guys out.
So, yeah, if you want a 100% worry-free experience, one of the above-listed esports bookmakers is the obvious choice!
If you’re looking to bet on esports matches, esports betting sites are the obvious way to go. However, they’re not the only way to go. You see, there are online sites that don’t feature real money bets. They’re called skin betting sites because they use skins instead of real money.
Skins used on skin betting sites usually come from two games, Dota 2 and CS:GO. In fact, these two games kickstarted the whole skin betting industry, which developed into a real problem that could’ve seriously hurt the esport industry’s integrity.
The worst thing about skin betting sites isn’t the fact they’re illegal, but the fact that they facilitate underage wagering. Yep, you’ve read that right! Skins sites have no security measures that prevent children and teenagers (which are plentiful in Dota 2 and CS:GO communities) from partaking in gambling activities. Plus, these sites are known for bearing little to no attention to their users’ personal information, which is a massive security issue.
We do not recommend visiting skins sites to bet on esports. If you’re interested in betting on CS:GO, LoL, Dota 2 or any other matches, safe esports betting sites like the ones featured at the top of this page should be your first option.
As mentioned above, we favor these esports betting sites because we use them on a regular basis. We’ve already grown accustomed to them and know for a fact that other bookies offer a subpar experience. Whether we’re talking about esports market diversity, event depth, or payout speed, you can rest assured it doesn’t get much better than the above-listed esports betting sites!
This question baffles us, too! The only reasons we can think of are a lack of resources and the inability to acquire necessary licenses and influential partners. Less popular online betting sites might not have enough resources to invest in a whole new category.
Plus, the esports betting industry is as complex as they come, meaning it requires partners with the proper know-how to make the platform (and the category) work properly. While the demand for esports wagering is still at an all-time high, some bookies are straight out ignoring it, hoping it will turn out to be nothing more than a short-term trend.
Thus far, all we’ve been talking about are esports betting sites. But what about their sports betting counterparts? After all, this website is called The Sports Geek, not The Esports Geek.
If you’re interested in sports betting too, feel free to check out our sports betting sites guide. It offers a ton of valuable info on everyone’s favorite pastime and will bring you up to speed on everything you need to know before you make your first bet. Sports betting, just like esports, doesn’t require too much time but can yield solid returns and be a highly entertaining time-waster.
When talking about the most popular events to bet on, Dota 2 The Internationals immediately come to mind. They are the most lucrative events out there, bringing forth massive prize pools and worldwide viewership. Alongside The International, we also have to mention League of Legends World Championships as the most viewed events. League of Legends betting is still going strong so it’s no surprise LoL Worlds belong here.
When it comes to CS:GO, there are popular events throughout the year. We’re not just referring to CS:GO Major Championships but other events like ESL One, Pro League, Intel Extreme Masters, BLAST, and similar. The CS:GO esports calendar is a hectic one, but we’re guessing that’s why people love placing bets on CS:GO matches.
Another tricky question that doesn’t really have a proper answer. Let’s be real here, do we even need more esports titles? Take Fortnite and PUBG as the perfect examples. Both are relatively new but went from zero to massive popularity in no time. This pushed their esports scenes into existence but was unable to generate long-term sustainability.
From our perspective, the esports industry is already oversaturated. There are two main MOBA games (LoL and Dota 2), three popular FPS titles (CS:GO, CoD, and R6S), accompanied by a few marvelous mixtures (Overwatch and Rocket League). Combine that with the likes of Super Smash Bros., FIFA, and the good old StarCraft II, and you’ll realize there’s not that much space left for new contestants.
Recently, the esports betting industry has been booming. With that being said, multiple traditional bookies, as well as exclusive esports betting sites, are offering odds on esports tournaments, matches and other aspects of esports. Our team has compiled you some of the best options when it comes to esports betting websites. We review everything from the best free bet to the security of the esports betting site.
Our esports betting sites list, as well as our individual esports betting sites review pages, focus on many different rating aspects, our esports betting experts have compiled the best sites for any esports punter.
We’ve chosen a mix of both exclusive esports betting sites and traditional bookies like Betway. These sites will identify for you which is best suited for you as a punter.
Check out the best esports betting sites:
The terminology of ‘Free bets’ refers to a ‘welcoming bet’ offered by a sports bookie to introduce a player to their bookie instead of a competing one, in essence, it’s a method to attract you to use Betway instead of Bet365 esports for example.
Also, you should always read the fine print, so we’d advise you to do that before placing any bets.
Here are some of the terminology you’ll need to learn when opening your bet on your favorite tournament.
For example, Betway esports, offers $30, £30, €30 free bets on signups, however, there are some things you need to do to complete the free bet. To activate it, you must:
Some esports casinos will offer different types of welcome offers when new and exciting tournaments arise, For example, League of Legends Worlds, the SuperBowl of the esports world.
Modern ‘sports’ betting bookies aren’t as generous as they once were, however, with the rise of esports, we may see a rise in free bets once all the esports betting sites start betting with free bet offers.
When choosing a proper esports betting website there are certain aspects that you should look for and certainly not overlook. These can range from a wide variety of things but we shall begin with the most basic of the bunch – licensing.
Proper licensing from a respected gambling regulatory institution is an absolute must. It is the only way that one can be sure that the esportsbook in question is fair and complies with rules and regulations set by the government. A website that does not feature any licensing whatsoever is not to be trusted with your banking and personal information, let alone your money. Companies licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao and Gibraltar are generally reputable and trustworthy.
Another thing that you should look out for are the available options to contact customer support and the attitude that the support staff have towards customers. Ideally, you want a gambling website that offers live chat on a 24/7 basis, with competent agents who can resolve your issues and answer your questions quickly.
Supported payment services are another factor to consider when on the lookout for a gambling website. Nowadays, most websites support a large number of payment methods so you should have no problem in finding one that accepts yours. What you should look into, however, is the processing speed in which the website handles transactions. Your deposits will likely be instantaneous but withdrawals can take a while at certain websites. You should, therefore, look over the sportsbook’s withdrawal policy and see if it meets your standards.
Many players in the CSGO and esports world will know of skin betting, this bet type is a cosmetic transfer bet, whereas normal gambling is in monetary methods, skin betting is in returns for your in-game items.
This type of esports betting market is very popular, however, there are many downsides to this type, it can usually be very untrustworthy, it’s unregulated and can be dangerous. These skin betting sites also don’t have as many precautions to stop under 18s. Regulated esports betting sites and normal bookmakers are trusted and have various methods to stop under 18s betting on esports and tournaments.
Sites like ‘CSGOLounge’ and ‘CSGOSkins’ which are classified as ‘informal betting sites’ – These can be unregulated and insecure so choosing a mainstream website or one which is regulated is a must.
Moving your bet to a mainstream sportsbook mitigates both. You get to work with a frequently heavily licenced and regulated operator–in fact, many of the sports betting operators we list are publicly traded. This provides a level of transparency and assurance that you will never reach informal betting markets like CSGOEmpire. And since you’re handling cash all the time, there’s no concern about price volatility or selling your items.
So, sportsbook betting is more reliable and better overall. Skin Betting comes with many risks.
Due to esports being so dynamic, many bettors want a live esports betting site, these are commonly known as ‘in-play’ bets, sites like Pinnacle, Betway and Buff.bet allow ‘In-play’ bets.
It can be quite tricky for new esports betting players to find the perfect esports betting site when it comes to live esports betting, esports betting sites like Betway, Pinnacle and Unibet are offering all types of live bets and ‘In-play’ odds. Some may say it’s better to stick to a traditional bookmaker but some take their bet to sites like ArcaneBet.
So be sure to look at our individual gambling sites reviews. Companies like Unibet and Ladbrokes are trying to establish themself in the esports betting world and don’t have many advanced options.
Many traditional sportsbooks offer dynamic betting pools, however, no esports betting site apart from Punt.gg are currently offering pool dynamics.
Pool dynamics are betting markets that allow you to pay a fixed price to enter, once the game has finished, the profits get divided up into your pool (Those of having made the correct predictions), usually, these are played by friends.
Almost all of the esports betting sites we review and cover have signed up to regulators such as The UK Gambling Commission, Curacao Gambling Commission and The Gibraltar Gambling Commission. The above commissions are generally the best if you want a secure esports betting site or a betting site in general.
Most focus on the major tournaments, but betting on the minor tournaments shouldn’t be ignored. You can get some heavy returns by betting on the smaller events. Esports casinos like Pinnacle feature some amazing odds for both major tournaments and minor tournaments.
The expansion of tournaments has been ten-fold the last couple years, with IEM, ESL and other tournaments being announced.
Some of the largest esports tournaments to bet on:
When using your favorite esports betting site to place a bet on your favorite esports title, you’ll want to watch the game live or at least read some news related to the tournament, so many of the bookmakers we review have embedded Twitch streams, esports news sections or have their own streaming service like Juked.gg.
For example, here are some of the best esports betting sites that support live-betting and have the best free streaming service which can give the punter more excitement when watching your favorite game.
Using a free live streaming service, this can result in a more successful bet.
We tend to pick these esports betting websites based on our usage of them, most bookies haven’t yet got a grip on the esports betting world, so a limited amount of bookies will be the right choice for esports betting.
Some of the factors are betting markets, payout speed, competitions, live betting and other factors.
Like most things, people prefer different things, so when it comes to picking the perfect esports bookmaker it’s hard. But, if we were to pick a favorite, it’d have to be Betway esports, they have fantastic game coverage, and excellent bonuses/welcome offer programme and above and beyond customer support.
So, at the end of the day, it’s totally up to you, if you’re looking for a more detailed version of any of our esports bookmakers, check out review pages which have very detailed reviews of each sportsbook.