Placing bets on sports games is nothing new. But what is fairly new in comparison is esports betting. It refers to wagering money not on a major league team, but on the outcome of selected video games and the people playing them.
The two worlds have since merged, as organizations such as the NBA have formed video game leagues for basketball players. Part of the reason for this is that the younger generation is not as interested in watching traditional sports as past generations were. So by taking traditional past times and incorporating them into esports betting, the industry is constantly growing while still allowing the NBA and other organizations to thrive.
How To Prepare For Esports Betting
Sports betting isn’t anything like it used to be. Bookies are online now, and betting on video games has become just as profitable, if not more so, than betting on baseball or football.
To get started with esports betting, you first need to choose a site. The best ones are those that stream esports games live, so you can bet on them in real time.
Once you have found a site and registered for an account, don’t rush right into betting. You will have a better chance of success if you do some research before choosing a game. The industry’s most competitive games are easy to research if you know how.
The key is to find websites where a game’s professional players are kept track of. You will be able to find statistics for each player. Use these statistics when placing your bets and the risk of losing decreases.
It also helps to keep tabs on the game you want to bet on. Check for news updates and reports of players moving up the ranks. When new players come along or current players are replaced, having this knowledge will help you place smarter bets.
Last but not least, study up on the game you want to place bets on. If you don’t understand what is happening in a game it will be difficult to enjoy the experience. There are many resources to help you learn about esports and what they entail. This often includes written walk- throughs and even YouTube videos. Ideally, you want to find videos posted by an experienced player, even if they are an amateur.
Live Betting
There are some definite benefits to betting on a game while it is in progress as opposed to before it starts. It is often a safer way to bet, because your decisions are based on what is currently happening in the game. When you watch a game from the beginning, that is when you will notice how a particular player performs. By seeing their strategy right away you can quickly determine if they are worth betting on.
The longer you watch an esport the more comfortable you will become with the game. Pay attention to which players get drafted into which gaming tournaments. This will help you figure out which teams are the most likely to win.
The Top Four Esports Games
Certain video games form the backbone of the esports industry. The top four are DOTA 2, Starcraft 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and League of Legends. Virtually every online bookmaker lets you bet on these games. The ones that don’t, know much less about the industry than they should.
Of these four games, the one with the best track record for success in the industry has been Counter Strike: Global Offensive. With tournaments held all over the world and high profile winners, it is one of the most closely followed games. No other esports tournament was watched more in 2019. That tournament was viewed by 1.2 million spectators.
One of the reasons the game is so popular is that you have a unique option for betting. Cash isn’t your only option and for most people this is one of its selling points. Wagering with skins is the preference of the vast majority of sports bettors.
It works by obtaining skins within the game. In the world of esports, this means that virtual items are used the same way you would use money in the real world. Skins allows Counter Strike players to change their weapons, outfit or equipment.
Players can trade skins much the same way that gamblers can trade their casino chips in for cold hard cash. They can also use them at certain sportsbooks, where their skins get deposited as cash would. When they place their bets the skins they deposited are used as a payment. Winnings are paid back in skins that can then be cashed out and sent back to a player’s gaming account. As of 2016, skin gambling had grossed $7.4 billion simply from players placing bets.
League of Legends is on the same level that Counter Strike is, in terms of popularity. There have been more than 2400 gaming events held around the world, where League of Legends was featured.
In a a comparison of Counter Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends, 38% of all esports players bet real money on League of Legends while 29% of all esports players bet real money on Global Offensive.
Fantasy Esports
Though not nearly as popular, esports are approached by some players the way fantasy football leagues are. In this case you can choose the professional gamers that you think would make a dream team. Most fantasy sports sites put a cap on the collective value of the chosen players. Once you have formed your fantasy team each competitor scores a certain number of points for their game performance. The sum total of each team members’ score determines who wins the competition and the cash prize that comes with it.
The line between fantasy and esports has blurred as of late. Both have their own leagues as well as matches deemed winner takes all.
