The eSports world has grown enormously over the last decade. It now encompasses everything from massively entertaining world-class events to jaw-dropping spectator numbers and live audiences tuning in via streaming services. This not only gives fans an opportunity to engage with eSports but also an opportunity to profit from their knowledge and understanding of a game’s intricacies.

As a result, betting in eSports has become a major business too attracting a new generation of younger, more tech-savvy punters looking to leverage their carefully honed gaming instincts. Betting on eSports is now growing more popular by the year and has evolved considerably.

Across the US, Europe, the UK, and Asia, the popularity of eSports betting is growing exponentially as a result of online platforms. Even in Singapore, with eSports being as popular as it is, although online sports betting is limited to a single local, legal offering, many players are turning to offshore sports sites. These provide access to a wider variety of betting options and other perks like faster payouts and better welcome bonuses (source: https://readwrite.com/gambling/betting/singapore/). 

According to sports betting expert Harrison Broom, players should be wary of only playing at sites that have been thoroughly tested and reviewed. However, the perks of vetted sites like these are that many of them come with more expansive markets, including a wider array for eSports. 

Now encompassing a massive range of games and betting types to choose from, eSports betting has spread to many newer options that cater to a wide variety of favourites. Despite the wider appeal these days, there are a couple of titles that dominate the eSports betting landscape. 

Among them are the big hitters like “League of Legends” (LoL), “Dota 2”, and “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive”, which remain dominant. Let’s break these down in terms of the kind of betting markets that are most popular. 

League of Legends is one of the most-watched eSports in the world. It also encapsulates a highly competitive scene that has made it very popular among eSports punters around the world. 

The main markets for betting in LoL include match winner, first blood, and first to ten kills, among others. These options provide a pretty basic entry point for those new to eSports betting while allowing more experienced bettors to utilise their deeper understanding of team strategies and player tendencies to place more complex bets.

The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) in North America boasts some colossal interest among US and Canadian eSports betting fanatics. Similarly, in the UK, the game’s European Championship (LEC) is always a popular event to wager on there. 

Every season, these two events alone draw scores of viewers and punters to online sports betting sites that offer them as a betting option. These precursors eventually culminate in the World Championship, a global event that attracts millions of viewers and eSports punters from around the world. 

On the other hand, the ultra-popular “Dota 2” is renowned for hosting The International, which came to Singapore in 2022, an annual tournament whose prize pool regularly sets records for the largest in eSports. This is down to the popular crowdfunding model for it that sees it attract sponsorships from the broader gaming community. 

This event usually also coincides with a surge in betting activity. Popular markets during these betting frenzies include match winners but can also encompass some more sophisticated outcomes like the total number of kills or even how long the match will last.  

Dota 2 is also a great game to bet on individual in-game achievements. As a result, eSports punters can also have access to handicaps and over/under bets which are also popular in many mainstream sports. In a game that is known for massive shifts, the variety of betting markets it entails makes for some truly thrilling punting options. 

Another staple of the online gaming world, “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” features some amazing fast-paced action that easily lends itself to betting. Major eSports tournaments for the game often become highly competitive and action-packed spectacles. 

Betting markets here typically focus on the winner of each match and each map, as well as the total number of rounds in a game. Additionally, prop bets such as the number of kills with a specific weapon or the player scoring the first kill in a round add layers of depth to betting strategies.

While these games represent beloved franchises now, newer options like “Overwatch” and “Fortnite” are also making huge waves in the eSports betting industry. With a league structure that keeps many Singaporean players and viewers enthralled for weeks on end, many in the country long for a locally developed offering. 

After all, their love for Overwatch is reminiscent of how closely famous football leagues that offer similar structures are followed. It’s that same league-style format that provides some great punting options too as seasons can experience many high and low points.  

On the other hand, Fortnite’s battle royale style makes it a firm favourite among punters. Between the intrigue of following solo players and its riveting and unpredictable nature, it can be a game that offers many unique betting opportunities through the milestones players must achieve in it.  

Betting markets here involve individual wins but also races to milestones, and even live betting—something that is becoming extremely popular in mainstream sports too. With eSports, in-game events such as the capture of an objective in LoL or a sudden death play in CS can shift odds dramatically. 

Between these and a variety of other popular ways to bet on eSports and the growing generation of people who were basically raised online driving it all, eSports betting is becoming a massive industry in its own right. As it continues to evolve, newer and more exciting games, players, unique markets, and punting strategies than ever are sure to come with it.