Best Video Game Wager Sites
It’s difficult to think of a more rapidly growing entertainment industry than e-sports gambling. This comparatively new form of wagering has rocketed into a multibillion-dollar industry within the last decade. This became possible because of the blend it is, attracting several groups of bettors.
First of all, this includes those who closely follow video games and virtual tournaments, using the chance to earn some money while they’re at it. It’s one thing to make a bet with your close friends over the game to make it more interesting to follow, cheering for your pick. And now imagine the stakes when the whole world is taking a guess and willing to risk money in hopes of getting back even more. Obviously, the sites that started offering such a chance couldn’t go unnoticed.
Bet money, play real players and win cash. It's a prestigious video game betting league. These resources are in place so that games can be scheduled when need be. Sometimes players will be available in chat sometimes they won't but ALL players are notified about a scheduled date you set. You are perhaps one of the many people around the world who utilize PayPal to wager on the outcome of prestigious video game competitions. There is a lot of merit to PayPal and Bitcoins. While PayPal is.
And that’s where a large group of other punters comes from. Seeing the rise of e-sports, well established online casinos decided to capitalize on it, usually adding a game or two to their sportsbooks. Others understood that this form of betting deserved a separate section that would later expand with the addition of new titles. Either way, people with experience in sports betting were eager to apply their knowledge to this fresh trend.
Not all successful esports sites we have nowadays can boast a long history, a great deal of them are startups that were created in recent years with video games betting in mind. Some of them even manage to be superior to their well-established counterparts. Others are no match to the industry’s giants or simply not worth your time, and that is exactly what this guide and our reviews are meant to help you figure out.
The good news is you’re definitely not late to the table. On the contrary, 2020 has turned out to be a great year for esports, and the COVID-19 lockdown has been a major boost for the industry. Don’t get us wrong, the coronavirus pandemic is nothing to be happy about. However, esports were much better prepared for the changes than regular sports. Even before, these competitions could be held with no live audience, and most fans would enjoy them as a live stream. So, they were able to avoid match cancellations, and consistently more people start looking for esports betting sites while staying at home. Whatever your story is, strap in, you’re about to get a crash course in finding the best sites for wagering on your game of choice.
Best Esports Betting Sites
We have prepared a list of our top choices to save you some time. These sites have every chance to become your everyday companion, so we strongly advise you to check them first and see if they suit you. We based our list on the ratings we gave these esports platforms in their respective reviews, but this turned out to be quite a diverse selection, encompassing all-around casinos and strictly esports-oriented sites, well-established companies and recent startups, unique platforms with advanced gaming modes and the embodiment of a video game betting portal.
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Best Esports Titles Available
Just like with regular sports, it’s highly preferable to be a fan of the game you’re planning to place bets on. That will make following teams and events much more fun for you. Now, if you’re already a video games fan, it may not be enough unless it’s the right game. What we mean is that there are obviously way more titles than in the virtual world than sports in the real world. It would be physically impossible to have high-level or at least decent tournaments for each and every one of them.
Moreover, not all games are suitable for this kind of competition since esports wagering requires the game to be available in multiplayer. Luckily, there is some genre variety, and although there are new entries and potential hits joining the fun every year, it’s easy to see what type of games dominate the scene.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS:GO needs no introduction if you have been even remotely interested in what has been going on in the gaming world. However, it’s actually possible to be completely unaware of this first-person shooter if you are young and not really into that sort of thing. The original game, previously a mod for Half-Life, came out back in 2004, and its sequel we’re discussing here saw the light of day in 2012. This actually makes it one of the oldest titles you will see available for placing bets, but it has a massive base of followers and some of the grandest tournaments.
The game is pretty straightforward, making it a good choice for a newcomer. It’s why it got so popular and universally played in the first place and also why many gamblers choose it over some multiplayer online battle arenas that take some more time to get a grasp of things. Besides, it takes some effort to find esports gambling sites that do not have this FPS title in their catalog, and it may even be impossible.
So, in CS:GO, there are two teams, terrorists and counter-terrorists. The former have to plant the bomb, the latter have to defuse it, and whichever team succeeds by the end of the timed match wins. Unless, of course, the whole team is killed off before the time is up. The point is, the matches are very dynamic, all the players are highly skilled, guaranteeing there are always tension and intrigue. Check our article with the best sites suggestions for betting on this famous title.
CSGO Free Bets and Betting Bonuses
Just like with regular online casinos, most esports sites offer free bets and welcome bonuses to attract new customers. The most common offer is a match bonus that will depend on how big your first deposit is. So, LuckBox offers up to $100, which is generous enough. Unikrn beats that offer by promising a 300% match bonus up to $300, but all pale before EGB’s welcome bonus that can reach as much as $600. Other bonuses may come in the shape of a risk-free welcome bet, meaning you get your money back to your balance should your wager lose (CyberBet), or freerolls as offered by DraftKings. CSGOEmpire gives each new member a free gift case that may contain skins, money, free bets, and more.
Dota 2
You may not be familiar with the game Defense of the Ancients 2, but you have more than likely encountered mentions of DOTA 2, which are, obviously, the same thing. Launched in 2013 and being an official sequel to a popular fan-made mod of WarCraft III, it was equipped with everything to become a global phenomenon, which it did. This fantasy battle arena is another frequent position you will encounter on sites for esports betting.
Before you can make conscious predictions based on the game and experience, it will take some hours either playing it or learning through letslpays, streams, and tournaments recordings. We’re not trying to discourage you, just giving a fair warning. If you find this game and the whole genre your cup of tea, getting familiar with the gameplay will be most enjoyable.
The basics are like this: we have a square map with two teams starting in their home corners, where their “Ancients” are located. The goal is to reach the opposite corner and destroy the core structure of your opponent (while not letting the rival team do the same, obviously). There are several paths on the map with other things going on, so don’t expect the match to be over in a couple of minutes. Simply rushing to the enemy’s base at the very beginning won’t work, but it never gets boring, watching how the teams are working towards completing various objectives.
If you are ready to go place some Dota 2 bets, we’ve got it covered with our overview of potential bookies.
League of Legends
This is another title no esports gambling companies would ignore. It’s also another MOBA-game, and its premise and gameplay are very similar to those of DOTA 2. Two teams are starting at their bases in corners of the map and seeking to destroy each other’s Nexuses. There are over a hundred hero characters with their specific abilities and roles, allowing for all kinds of team combinations and spectacle on the battleground.
LoL was released in 2009, and it’s not to say this was a rip-off of the original DOTA. It’s safe to assume that it must have been inspired by Blizzard’s competitive multiplayer game, but it was also of the same genre, which is bound to have lots of similarities, but there are even more game-specific elements you can enjoy exploring. So, having experience with one of the titles will definitely make it easier to get into the mindset for making successful predictions.
There is also an important thing to keep in mind when transitioning to esports from regular sports betting. Popular and more recent games constantly get various updates and tweaks, meant to improve the gameplay and balance everything out even better. This is sure to influence how professional players approach the game, so it helps to keep a finger on these updates and play the game at least from time to time.
And don’t forget to use our guide to discover the most promising LoL platforms.
Overwatch
Considering the game’s rapid growth in popularity and the players’ steady interest in it, you can expect to find Overwatch on the top esports betting sites. Compared to the previous honorable mentions, this is a much younger game, released by Blizzard in 2016. And the very next year, the company launched the Overwatch League, proving its intention to create another popular esports title. The game is a mix of an FPS and MOBA, which is enough to spark an interest in any fan of competitive video games featuring two rival teams.
With an array of gaming modes and the ability to change characters during the game, Overwatch is a feast for both bookmakers and punters. And Blizzard makes sure they bring the best players to the forefront of the OWL, as well as provide fans with matches taking place throughout the year. We didn’t want to miss the action and investigated some of the best options for this game.
Starcraft 2
Despite being at the cradle of esports and having greatly influenced the online gaming arena, StarCraft II is considerably less popular nowadays than the above-mentioned games. However, if you are a fan of this classic real-time strategy, we are happy to tell you that there are enough decent and even spectacular sites taking egaming bets on this old-school title. Make sure to check our article listing those platforms. If you played it back in 2010, when it came out or shortly after that, you can let the nostalgia wash over you while making some good money.
Other Games
If you wish to proceed to betting on the tiles we have mentioned so far, you can read our reviews dedicated to the specific games. We have analyzed the best legit sites that feature the most lucrative offers, competitive odds, and an abundance of supported leagues and betting markets depending on the game.
So, what else can you bet on? To put it simply, if there are tournaments for the game, you should be able to find a place that offers odds for those. It’ just that some games are much less covered than the others, and you want to make sure the site can be trusted. A healthy approach is to check our reviews of the best esports betting sites and see if any of them feature the game you are searching. There is a good chance they do, since Unikrn, Loot.bet, and BuffBet each offer over 20 titles. Those include some other popular egaming representatives, some of them being:
- Rainbow 6
- Hearthstone
- Call of Duty
- PUBG
- Fortnite
- Rocket League
- NBA2K
- King of Glory
- Valorant
- FIFA
Simple math tells us that there are other up-and-rising games we haven’t mentioned, and seeing how esports evolves, there’ll be even more in the coming years.
Esports Markets Variety
To be listed among the most successful esports betting sites, it’s vital to offer as many wagering opportunities as possible. First of all, this can be done by having a lot of titles and supporting leagues of various sizes, not only the major ones. And then, depending on the game, bookmakers can offer numerous betting markets. That means that instead of guessing the team that will end up victorious, you will be offered odds for smaller outcomes. These are called betting markets, and the more of them you get, the richer your experience for the match can be. And the richer you can be after the match is over.
The more popular the game is, the more markets it will have seems to be the general rule. In CS:GO, you get to guess the team to make the first kill or win the map, the winner of a pistol or a knife round, the advantage one team will have over the other, maps and kills handicaps, the final score, and lots more.
You will also get a lot of suggestions to bet on with MOBA games. Some of these are guessing the team to draw the first blood, win the map, slay the baron or a dragon, destroy the first tower or inhibitor, accumulate a certain amount of resources, be the first to reach a certain number of kills, and so on. Sites like Unikrn or Loot.bet offer a couple of dozens of such markets, while some sites like LuckBox, Betway, and ArcaneBet will go way over that. For certain matches, this number even goes beyond a hundred.
So, if you see that the site only offers a couple of games, don’t cross it out just yet. Maybe the company decided to focus on those titles and is offering a long list of betting markets with good odds.
Esports Markets Variety
Most sites offer welcome bonuses to make you choose a certain provider of online video game betting services. Those usually come in the form of matching your first deposit at a specified percentage. It’s a good idea to look for a site where you can start with some bonus money or free bets in your pocket.
The things to consider are the offered percentage, the maximum bonus amount, the minimum deposit amount to qualify for it, and the bonus requirements. The latter should be studied carefully because they are often very difficult to complete, and you may have a very short time to do so. Otherwise, you risk losing the bonus, which is not nice once you have it.
The most common offer is a 100% match up to $100, and that’s what you can get at LuckBox and Loot.bet. The most impressive incentive is currently offered by Unikrn, promising up to $300 for depositing a hundred. And you may still join in time for the LootBet Ladder, a weekly event with rewards up to $300, and the ultimate prize being $3000.
Esports Gambling (Skin Gambling & Betting)
The US citizens must be eager to learn that there are other ways to gamble, not necessarily involving esports sports real money betting. That can make the site legal and accessible in most of the states. One of such forms is skin betting, which lets you deposit, wager, and win in-game cosmetic items. However, keep in mind that most operators hosting such betting events are shady at best, and so it’s strongly advisable to only use licensed companies. For example, if you have some CS:GO skins you would like to invest, you can head to GG.bet, CSGOEmpire, BUFF.bet.
Another form of gambling that is much safer and legally offered by some US esports betting sites is so-called fantasy betting. You may be familiar with the term from regular sports, and the idea is the same. You make a line-up of players from various teams to create your own fantasy team. Depending on how those esports players perform during real events, you will score points and compete against other fantasy teams drawn up by your competitors. If that sounds interesting to you and you want to get some new experience, consider visiting DraftKings or ESP for that.
FAQ
Are Esports rigged?
Like with anything that involves money, there are people who will try to trick you, deceive you, or simply refuse to let you withdraw your funds. The first thing to do is to make sure you are dealing with a licensed betting service provider. Simply doing a quick Google search would be the next step, and if there are accounts of the site involved in fishy operations or outright scam, you will easily find them.
Is Esports betting legal?
The answer depends on your place of residence. Some countries allow gambling in esports, provided it is done according to the regulations and a gambling license is in place. Other states may limit certain forms or ban esports wagers completely.
What is the best bookmaker to bet with?
We can only make some suggestions, but only you can answer that question for yourself. Based on our reviews, Unikrn and Loot.bet scored the most points across various categories. So, you can start with those sites and see if everything about them suits you.
Where can I bet on esports?
There’s really no lack of websites offering you such an opportunity. The good ones will have an optimized mobile version or even a dedicated app. The key is in making sure you are dealing with a legit bookmaker offering a great experience.
Can you bet on Esports in America?
It’s still complicated, sports betting has been legalized only within the last couple of years, and only in a handful of states. Esports, however, is considered a different thing altogether, and most sites won’t even let the US citizens access them. The safest options that are considered legal are fantasy betting and some of the unique modes Unikrn offers.
Can you bet on Esports in Vegas?
Yes, video game bets are legally accepted in the state of Nevada. This is your safe haven if you wish to indulge in this method of gambling. Other states are constantly reviewing their stance on esports, so you may want to check the current laws and look forward to a positive change in the closest future.
The worldwide popularity of video gaming is at an all-time high, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing an unprecedented number of new games released each year.
The leading publishers and developers are constantly trying to stay ahead of the competition by creating bigger and better games, and there are also plenty of smaller, independent developers trying to make their mark on the industry.
Many of the games released each year fail to gain any traction, but there’s usually at least a couple that end up being huge hits. One of the latest success stories is Fortnite from Epic Gaming. Released in 2017 as a “player versus environment” game, it absolutely EXPLODED when a “battle royale” version of the game was introduced a few months later.
To call Fortnite Battle Royale popular would be a MAJOR understatement. The game has been labeled a cultural phenomenon, with player numbers increasing at an amazing rate.
Despite being so new, there are already widespread calls for the game to enter the competitive gaming scene and establish itself as an esport. Our view is that this is going to happen soon, and we’re not the only ones who think so.
Several of the top esports betting sites have made clear their intention to offer betting markets on organized Fortnite competitions. This is BEFORE such competitions have even been announced! We’re certain that it won’t be long before betting on Fortnite Battle Royale is possible, and it’s the following sites that we expect to be leading the way.
Rank | DE Betting Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Betway Esports | Up To€150 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#2 | 22Bet Esports | 100% Up To€122 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#3 | Spin Sports | 100% Up To€200 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#4 | 10Bet Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#5 | Guts Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Although these sites don’t currently offer Fortnite betting, they will do so as soon as the professional contests start up. You might want to consider signing up with one or more of them in the meantime anyway, as they’re all top-quality esports betting sites.
They have open betting markets on all the popular games such as League of Legends, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, so there are plenty of betting opportunities to be found. And because we rate these sites so highly, we’re confident that you’ll enjoy using them.
What makes these sites so good? It’s a combination of factors, but it’s ultimately down to the simply excellent all-round betting experience that they provide. They’re reputable and trustworthy, and they know how to look after their customers.
There’s more information on how we go about ranking esports betting sites below. We also provide some additional information on the Fortnite game and its incredible popularity.
Ranking Esports Betting Sites
The sites included in the above list are not there solely because they’re expected to offer Fortnite betting. If that was the only criteria to make the cut, the list would be MUCH longer.
The popularity of Fortnite makes it likely that the vast majority of esports betting sites will open betting markets on the game once it’s active as an esport.
When we create lists such as the one above, our goal is to ensure that they feature only the very best sites. It’s important to us that our readers can trust our recommendations, so we don’t just pick a few sites at random. We diligently go about researching and testing the various options before deciding which ones deserve the highest rankings.
You might think that one betting site is much the same as the next, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The range in quality between the best and worst sites is HUGE. It’s getting bigger all the time, too, as the top sites constantly strive for ongoing improvement.
The idea that it doesn’t really matter where you bet and play online is actually a common misconception among internet gamblers. It’s something we’re doing our best to change, as we know all too well that using the wrong site can be a very negative experience.
Most sites don’t set out to be bad – it’s just that the people in charge often don’t understand what it takes to be successful.
There are dozens upon dozens of online gambling sites that have been launched by operators expecting to make some easy money. They usually find out that running a quality site is MUCH harder than it looks.
Best Video Game Wager Sites Free
There’s a lot that a betting site needs to get right if it’s going to offer a quality service to its customers. Here are just some examples of the areas they need to perform in:
- Safety and security
- Choice of deposit methods
- Ease of use
- Fast withdrawals
- Range of betting options
- Bonuses and promotions
It’s how well a site performs in areas such as these that determines whether they make our list or not. There are lots more factors we consider, too, but these are certainly among the most important.
Please note that we constantly keep this list updated to reflect any changes. You can rest assured that this will always show the very best places to bet on Fortnite and other esports.
The original Fortnite game was released in July 2017. It was developed jointly by Epic Games and People Can Fly, and Epic Games is also the publisher. The game is classed as a “co-op sandbox survival game.” If you don’t know much about the different genres of video game, here’s a quick overview of what this means.
- Co-op is short for cooperative gameplay. It’s a feature whereby players work together as teammates to achieve their objectives
- Sandbox can also be referred to as “open game.” It means that players are essentially free to play and explore the virtual game world as they please, rather than sticking to linear/fixed gameplay
- A survival game is exactly what it sounds like. Players have to try to survive as long as possible and/or achieve certain objectives before “dying”
Fortnite is set on Earth. The theme is that a global storm has wiped out 98% of the population and there are now zombie-like monsters roaming the planet and trying to destroy what’s left of the human race. Up to four players can play together on randomly-generated maps with the goal of completing missions and surviving attacks from the enemy.
The missions usually revolve around collecting resources, building fortifications, and protecting survivors. Players must battle against the monsters by constructing weapons and traps for their characters to use.
Rewards are earned in the form of experience points, skill points, and technology points, and these can be used to improve various aspects of the in-game characters. Resources and weapons can also be earned within the game or found in loot boxes.
Following the subsequent release of Fortnite Battle Royale, the original game is now known as Fortnite Save the World.
If you’re interested in playing it, you might want to check out the following video. It’s a starter guide for beginners to Fortnite, and it’s endorsed by the publishers of the games themselves.
Best Video Game Wager Sites Play
The Battle Royale version of Fortnite was released in September 2017. It’s a free-to-play game supported by microtransactions. These microtransactions allow players to purchase virtual currency within the game, which can be used for additional equipment and upgrades.
Fortnite Battle Royale follows the same theme as the original game. The big difference is that it incorporates the “last man standing” style of gameplay that was initially made popular by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
In this version of the game, up to 100 players compete against each other (alone or in teams) on a single map. The goal is simply to be the last player or team alive.
This relatively simple concept catapulted Fortnite into another stratosphere. It soon overtook PUBG in terms of player numbers and has continued to go from strength to strength since. Here’s the official trailer for the game, to give you some idea of what it’s all about.
Why Fortnite Is So Popular
Every so often, a video game will come along and introduce an entirely new genre that really captures the attention of the gaming community. Gamers typically love fresh ideas, and if they’re done well, then they invariably attract a lot of attention.
Fortnite didn’t really bring anything new to the table, though. The original game was based on genres that have been around for years, and the Battle Royale version clearly took inspiration from PUBG.
PUBG had already established itself as a popular game with a huge following, so how was Fortnite able to overtake it so quickly?
Wits And Wagers Game Questions
It’s never easy to know EXACTLY why a particular video game shoots to the top of the charts, and the same is true with Fortnite. There are, however, a few aspects of the game that have surely contributed massively to its popularity. Let’s take a look at what they are and how they have helped Fortnite reach such heights.