Betting on eSports is hugely popular and readily available at hundreds of bookmakers online. Since 2016, our job has been to guide you to the best ones! By thoroughly reviewing eSport betting sites, we provide top lists of personal recommendations, which are based on trustworthiness, selection of markets, bonus value and more.
Best eSport Betting Sites in 2023
Top 10 eSport Betting Sites of All Time
- GGBET – Most eSport Betting Bonuses
Launched in 2016 with a full focus on eSports, GGBET quickly became the eSport betting site everyone was familiar with. To this date, it is a first-class bookie offering a plethora of markets in a ton of eSport games. One of its unique characteristics is its number of bonus offers up for grabs. Compared to other eSport betting sites, GGBET has significantly more deposit bonuses, free bets and cashbacks. There is always something to grab! - Lootbet – Weekly eSport Ladders
An eSports betting site running since December 2016, Lootbet has always had eSport bettors as the main target group. It offers a user-friendly interface where over 20 eSport games can be filtered and where plenty of odds and markets are up for betting whenever matches in these games are held. Its most distinguishing feature is weekly and quarterly ladders where bettors compete for free bets and cash prizes. You earn points based on the sum of each bet multiplied by its odds. - Cyberbet – Solid eSports Betting Site
Similar to GGBET and Lootbet, Cyberbet launched with only eSports as a product back in 2018. Today, this Curacao licensed bookmaker offers a casino and betting on other sports too. However, they have remained true to their roots, always providing a ton of markets in a wide range of eSport games. Live streaming is commonly available as well, making it easy to place live bets without missing any action. - Pinnacle – Best eSport Odds
While it isn’t true for every match and market, Pinnacle stands out for its favorable odds. The company has lower margins than the average eSports betting site, which means that they are able to offer better odds. Because of this, bonus offers aren’t common to come across. Being one of the first to offer odds on eSports all the way back in 2010, Pinnacle is an old and trusted site with plenty of betting options. - Betway – Best eSport Markets
In difference to most eSport betting sites, Betway has its very own team of odds compilers that come up with their own markets. As a result, it is often possible to find a ton of different betting options that you wouldn’t find elsewhere. This is especially true for major eSport tournaments and championships that are running. The site launched in 2006 and is one of the most recognizable in the eSport industry. - LeoVegas – Fastest Withdrawals
All things considered, LeoVegas is hands down one of the best eSport betting sites in the world. It offers plenty of betting options, a top-notch mobile app, world-class customer support and royal treatment to high rollers. What really makes it special though is its super-fast withdrawal times. Cashouts can be instantly processed by simply speaking with the support. Unfortunately, the list of countries that LeoVegas allows players from is quite short compared to other eSport betting sites. - Mystake – Every 4th eSport Bet Is a Free Bet
Launched in 2020, Curacao-licensed Mystake is the newest eSports betting site on our top list. It has its own section for eSports which is cleverly designed for easy navigation. A wide range of betting options are available for most games and live streaming is also embodied in the live betting experience. Making the site stand out is an always-running promotion where every 4th eSport bet gives you a free bet. The value of this free bet is the average sum of the three bets that were placed to qualify for it. - Unibet – Top eSports Betting App
Loved by eSport enthusiasts all around the world, Unibet is an international eSports betting site that’s been operational for over two decades. It’s a famous brand with many top-quality features, such as valuable eSport bonuses and competitions, an easy-to-use interface, and plenty of eSport bets with great odds. It is also home to one of the best eSport betting apps, available for iOS and Android. The app is cleverly designed and offers all a bettor could wish for, including live streaming of matches. - Stake – Best eSports Betting Community
Created with players at heart, Stake offers a more social eSports betting experience than most bookies. Several chat rooms with thousands of players in them are incorporated into the user interface. On top of this, there’s a huge forum where sports and eSport challenges are held on a regular basis. While Stake is a crypto betting site, it does facilitate the process of buying crypto via debit cards, making the site easy to use. Only withdrawals to crypto wallets are supported though! - BetUS – Best eSports Betting in USA
Launched all the way back in 1994, BetUS is a trustworthy eSports bookie focused on American players. It offers a ton of betting options in all of the most popular eSport games (10+), live chat support all around the clock, and easy deposits via debit cards, phone payment and cryptocurrencies. On top of this, a massive welcome bonus of $3,000 with fantastic rollover requirements is up for grabs.
Top 3 Sites for Live Betting on eSports
| eSport Site | Live Betting | Live Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| GGBET | Yes | Yes |
| Cyberbet | Yes | Yes |
| Mystake | Yes | Yes |
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Latest Blog Posts
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Criteria Used to Score eSport Betting Sites
As eSport enthusiasts and critical individuals with many years of experience in the online betting industry, our goal is to provide you with the most satisfying eSports betting experience. To do this, we abide by strict criteria when reviewing eSport betting sites. Our main ones are as follows:
Trustworthiness
Safety is the alpha and omega whenever money is involved in something. While most eSport betting sites are legitimate and perfectly safe, you want to be sure there is no risk of being treated in a questionable way.
When determining trustworthiness, we factor in not only our own experience at the eSport betting site but also research what other bettors have to say about it. We make a background check on the organization the bookie is owned by and pay attention to its gambling license; if it can be validated and how reputable it is.
eSports Coverage
This is the center of attention. First and foremost, we look at the number of games and the tournaments and matches that can be bet on in these games. Secondly, we pay attention to the markets. How many betting options are offered for each match? Is it only match winner or are there over/under, first to score, handicap odds, and other markets as well? Are there outright odds for tournaments?
Other things we factor in when it comes to coverage are the eSports live betting possibilities, live streaming options on eSport matches, the layout of the user interface, and betting features such as early cashout.
eSport Bonuses
eSports Betting Bonuses can come in many shapes; deposit bonuses, free bets, cashbacks, challenges and competitions. But they all have one thing in common; providing extra value to players and extra value means better chances of profiting.
When rating eSport betting sites on their bonuses, we look at the types and frequency of the offers. We also pay attention to the terms and conditions they come with; what the wagering requirements are, if a maximum cashout value applies and more. Additionally, we factor in how loyal players and high rollers are rewarded.
Customer Support
Customer support is not important until you need it, but when you do, it can mean the world. We thoroughly test eSport betting sites on their live chat support to see how it racks up. We ask a range of easy as well as tough questions and pay attention to how the agents handle them; how fast the response times are, what the level of knowledge is, and how friendly we are treated.
In our rating, the availability of customer support is also a factor. However, these days most eSport betting sites have 24/7 support.
What Is eSports Betting?
eSports betting is the act of placing real money bets on video games. It’s an acronym for “electronic sports betting”. In its most basic form, bettors wager money on the team they think will win in a competitive match played in a video game, such as CS:GO, Dota 2 or League of Legends. If their prediction is correct, they win real money based on the odds of the prediction.
eSports betting is not only limited to betting on a match winner though but there are plenty of ways to place bets. For instance, betting on the player who will score the most in a match. The practice of eSports betting has a factor of luck in it but is also a skill-based form of gambling where those who are passionate can get an edge over the bookmaker that is offering the odds.
What Is the Difference Between an eSports Betting Site and a Regular Bookmaker?
In the early days of eSports betting, spanning from 2010 – 2018, many eSport betting sites were only offering odds on eSports and nothing else. Similarly, regular bookmakers did not offer odds on eSports at all, but only odds on traditional sports such as soccer, tennis and ice hockey.
Today, the lines are blurred. Regular bookmakers and eSport betting sites are often the same things as both of them tend to offer betting on a wide range of products, including competitive video games and traditional sports.
The main difference is that top eSport betting sites have eSports as their main focus. This means that you can find more markets and more bonuses for eSports, as well as a site design made with eSport bettors in mind. It is also common that games that are less popular and mainstream will be offered exclusively on the best eSport betting sites and not at all at regular bookies.
How Do I Bet on eSports?
Betting on eSports is no different than betting on traditional sports. This is how you can get started in ten easy steps:
- Visit an eSports betting site of your choice (the best ones are listed here).
- Create a betting account by clicking the signup or registration button.
- Fund your account with money by heading to the cashier of the site.
- Go to the eSports section and choose the game you want to bet on.
- Select the relevant tournament and match to see all odds offered for it.
- Click the markets you want to bet on to add them to a betting slip.
- Choose if you want to play single, combination, or system bets.
- Enter the amount you want to stake on the betting slip.
- Confirm the bet and wait for the results of the matches.
- Make a cash withdrawal if you win or place new bets.
How Do I Claim the Welcome Bonus?
Almost all eSport betting sites offer a special bonus to new players signing up, which usually consists of a free bet or extra money on the first deposit. Claiming this bonus can vary from one eSport bookie to another. However, it is usually done at the cashier as you proceed to make your first deposit.
It’s important to note that all bonuses for eSports betting come with certain terms and conditions and instructions, such as wagering requirements and minimum deposits needed in order to claim the bonus. To understand how a bonus is claimed, it is always best to go to the promotional page of the eSports betting site to read the full instructions.
What eSport Games Can I Bet On?
These days, there are more than 20 different eSport games to bet on, including anything from First-Person Shooters to Real Time Strategy Games, Collective Card Games, MOBAs, Battle Royals and MMORPGs.
Basically, any video game that hosts competitions with noticeable prize pools will be available for betting. The most popular games and tournaments could be bet on at almost any bookmaker, while lesser played games and minor leagues could be found only at the best eSport betting sites.
Three of the most well-known and popular eSport games to bet on include the following:
See All eSport Games
CS:GO
Released in 2012, there are more competitive tournaments held in CS:GO than in any other eSport game. With hundred-thousand-dollar tournaments regularly running and million-dollar ones offered occasionally, CS:GO is hugely popular to bet on.
While almost all bookmakers offer odds on CS:GO matches, the best CS:GO betting sites will allow you to bet on low-tier, regional ones played in various countries, as well as the biggest championships. Markets will also include anything from match-winner to total rounds played, the first team to reach a certain score, the team to win the pistol round and many other interesting ones.
Dota 2
What initially started as a mod to Warcraft 3 in 2003, Dota 2 has grown to become not only its own game but the eSport game famously known for offering the biggest prize pool in a tournament. Its world championship has breached the $40 million mark, which is way beyond any other eSport game.
The first Dota 2 betting site may have been Pinnacle which allowed betting on the game as early as 2011. Today, tournaments are always running in the game, making it possible to bet on Dota 2 at any time with almost any bookmaker.
In addition to match-winner and regular markets, the best Dota 2 betting sites will offer betting options such as the first team to reach a number of kills, destroy a barrack, draw first blood, slay Roshan and many more. With Dota 2, the best betting sites offer some of the widest selection of markets among all eSport games.
League of Legends
Once crowned as the most played game in the world with 27 million daily users in 2014, it is no surprise that League of Legends is highly popular to bet on. While players might have dropped off a bit since, a heap of tournaments and regional leagues, such as the LPL, LDL, LCK, LEC, LJL and many more are playing all year around.
Not only the best LoL betting sites are offering odds on these games, but it is quite common to find betting on them at almost any bookmaker. That’s how popular League of Legends is. Like Dota 2, a wide variety of bets can be found at the best betting sites for LoL. This includes the team to destroy the first tower, slay the first baron, dragon and rift herald, get the most kills, score a penta kill and many more.
Which Payment Methods Can Be Used for eSports Betting?
The vast majority of payment methods that exist can be used to bet on eSports online. However, some are much rarer to find than others. For instance, country-specific payment methods such as India’s UPI, Canada’s Interac and America’s phone payments would only be found at Indian, Canadian and American-centric eSport betting sites.
Among worldwide payment methods, the following are commonly supported:
- Debit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro
- Ewallets: Skrill, Neteller, Muchbetter, ecoPayz
- Prepaid Cards: Paysafe, AstroPay
- Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, USDT
- Instant Bank Transfer: Rapid Transfer, Trustly
What Are eSport Betting Markets?
Esport betting markets are your betting options. For instance, the most common market that you would find offered for every match is betting on the team or player that will win. Another common eSport market would be betting on the team that will win an entire tournament or league – a so-called outright market.
However, there are dozens and dozens of markets to be found on matches. Some are only offered by the top eSport betting sites and some are only available for the most prestigious tournaments. The markets you will find also vary between games, with the most popular games having the widest selection.
Here’s a short list of some of the markets you can bet on:
- Team or player to score the most
- Team or player to draw first blood
- Odd or even score in the match
- Correct score in the match
- If match will go to overtime
How Does eSport Betting Odds Work?
The odds you find displayed at eSport betting sites show you much money you will win if the bet you place is won. In other words, if your prediction is correct.
Odds can be displayed in several ways, such as Decimal, Fractional, American and Malaysian. All of them tell you the same thing, but the math behind them will be different.
As an example, a match might have decimal odds of 2.50. This means that if you bet €/$100 and win the bet, a total of €/$250 would be returned to you (2.50 * 100). In American view, the same odds would be displayed as 150 and in fractional as 1.5/1.
At its core, eSport odds are nothing but probability. When bookmakers decide what odds they should put on a match, they make a prediction of the outcome and turn that into odds. For instance, if they think a team has a 25% chance to win, the odds would be 4.00.
Since all eSport bookies want to make a profit, they wouldn’t offer you 4.00 in odds, but offer slightly less. The beauty of odds is that if your own prediction is more accurate than the one the bookie makes, you can beat it.
Is It Legal to Bet on eSports?
It is legal to bet on eSports in the vast majority of countries. However, each country does have its own laws so if you’re unsure about the legal landscape, it is always best to consult with your local authorities.
While legal for players, the eSport betting sites themselves are often required to follow certain laws when it comes to offering their services to players in certain countries. Many countries issue gambling licenses that the eSport bookies have to have in order to legally offer bets. Here’s an example:
| Country | Legal | License Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Yes | UK Gambling Commission |
| Ireland | Yes | Irish Revenue Commissioner |
| Denmark | Yes | Spillemyndigheden |
| Sweden | Yes | Spelinspektionen |
| USA | Yes | State-specific licenses |
| India | Yes | N/A |
It is very rare for any government to have eSport betting illegalized on an individual level. What this means is that even if the country you live in doesn’t regulate the activity, you can legally bet with any eSport betting site. In such a case, you will find that most of the top-rated eSport bookies are licensed and regulated in Curacao or by the Malta Gaming Authority.
Are eSport Winnings Taxed?
In some countries, yes and in some countries, no. For instance, in America and India, all profits that are made from eSports betting count as income and are taxable. In Sweden, on the other hand, all winnings are tax-free as long as they are made from an eSports betting site that is licensed by the Swedish Spelinspektionen.
To find out whether your bets are taxable or tax-free we highly recommend consulting the tax authorities in the country you live in.
