When we talk about betting, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Probably sports betting, right?
Well, not for long since there is a new kid on the block determined to take away the fame of any other sport. We are talking about eSports or competitive gaming betting.
We live in a world where the gaming market is so big that it features entire tournaments with prize pools bigger than some of the traditional sports we know and love. Now we know that eSports tournaments are quite popular, but did you know that the eSports betting market is just as big?
Yes, you can bet on certain teams to win the game, which has become a new trend that will revolutionize betting forever. According to eSports betting experts such as jackshouse.com it is now possible to bet with crypto and the market keeps on growing.
That’s why we decided to talk more about eSports betting, see its potential, its future path, and some of the best strategies that every beginner needs to consider before placing a bet.
The Rise of the eSports Betting
The growth of the eSports betting industry will be a thing that people talk about for years. The market grew from practically zero to around $10 billion industry in 3-4 years (up to 2021) and it is expected to reach $35.56 billion by 2031.
Want more recent statistics? Well, the global eSports market is expected to reach more than $13 billion by 2025.
What are the most popular games that people love to bet on?
Well, there are many eSports titles that are perfect for betting. Some are not yet developed and still haven’t reached that stage, while others dominate the industry.
For example, CS:GO dominates the eSports betting scene capturing 56% of all wagers. No competition here.
The second place is reserved for League of Legends with 24% of total bets, and the third place is for Dota 2.
There are also other games like Valorant, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Rocket League, and more that offer competitive gameplay and a way to place a bet on the outcome of tournaments.
eSports Betting Strategies
Before you jump in and start placing bets on teams and games you don’t really know or understand, here are some tips that can help you sharpen your betting strategy and increase your winning chances.
Bet on Games You Play
Betting on eSports is all about understanding how the games are played. That is why you should play the games before betting on them. This implies that if you want to gamble on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Dota 2, you must first learn how to play them.
Knowing the ins and outs of a game might be the difference between a winning and losing wager. eSports players have long emphasized the need to continue to play the game in order to remain competitive, and as a punter, you should strive for the same thing.
Have a Budgeting Strategy
Having a financial plan or budgeting strategy is not directly linked to whether an eSports bet will be a winning one or not. However, it is likely the most significant aspect of any eSports betting attempt, and it will have an indirect impact on all of your eSports betting outcomes.
A financial strategy consists of two components: a monthly betting budget and a staking plan. Both of these factors are critical if you want to transform eSports betting from a recreational hobby into a lucrative adventure of thrill and income.
A Staking Plan
A staking plan is a strategy that revolves around the amount of money you deposit on each wager. We've gone into great detail on staking plans in previous posts on this site, so we'll simply go over the essentials here.
Staking plans may be fixed or changeable. With set staking plans, you always bet the same amount of money or a proportion of your monthly budget on each stake. Variable staking plans provide a technique for determining how much money you will place on each stake.
Do Your Research
The most important aspect is having all of the information you need to make the correct esports bet.
In the end, obviously, there is always a part in luck, even though some factors can be related to statistics taken from patterns collected from past games.
Learn All the Bet Types
Depending on the game, there might be different bet types.
- Draw: You are betting on the match's outcome being a draw.
- Group of Winners: You are betting on the group that includes the tournament's overall champion.
- Group Winner: You are betting on the winning group of the competition (if teams are divided into groups).
- Handicap bet: When a sportsbook establishes a predefined margin (known as the line) that provides an unfavorable team a slight edge (typically in the form of rounds) and essentially puts the game on even terms.
- Outright Winner: You are placing a futures bet on which team you think will be the overall winner of the tournament in question.
- Over/Under: You bet on the number predicted by a sportsbook for a specific statistic in a given game (usually the combined score of the two teams, but also factors such as total kills and first to market); whether the actual number in the game is higher or lower than the bookmaker's/sportsbook's odds.
If the competition divides the participants by area, you are betting on which region the winner will come from.
- Total Rounds: You're betting on whether the whole match will go more or fewer rounds.
Special bets
- First Blood: You wager on the team that gets the first kill of the game (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends).
- Knife Round: You wager on the squad that gets the first kill in the Pistol round (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive).
- Map Winner: In this case the bet is on which side will be victorious on the designed map (games can vary, such as DOTA 2, League of Legends Counter-Strike: Global Offensive).
Of course, the betting strategy also depends on the particular game. Since there are many different titles in eSports it’s like comparing soccer to basketball betting. Some games require different betting strategies, but these are the basics that will help you at the beginning.