Best 13 eSports Betting Sites for 2024 [Reviews & Bonuses]

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What exactly are Esports?

Esports are a type of Video game competition and are also known as electronic sports. Esports are frequently organised multiplayer video game tournaments between professional players, either individually or in teams. Esports are distinct from regular video gaming in that they are competitive (human-vs-other humans) and frequently have an interesting spectator component, like traditional sports.

Professional or amateur gamers typically compete against one another in esports events for a large financial award.

So what are Esports betting sites?

Betting sites are online bookmakers where punters can search for a sport or event and place bets on the outcome of said event. Esports is no different. They may not be physical sports like football and basketball, but they are still big enough events to be bet on by viewers. Over the years the esports obsession has grown into a worldwide phenomena and now there are countless betting sites around the world that allow you to bet on the esports events. This means that fans and punters are truly torn for choice when it comes to finding the best betting site to place their esports bets.

Is betting on eSports legal?

In the UK, we’re fortunate because this has been a question that has troubled many countries. With the rise of gaming, there has been a huge debate as to whether eSports gambling falls under sports betting or gaming regulations. In the past year alone, we’ve been watching other countries as they struggle to regulate this whole niche. With the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), eSports gambling has been managed well in recent years.

Back in 2016, the UKGC took the responsibility of this area and started to introduce regulations to make it as safe as possible for consumers. Alongside Denmark, Malta, Italy, and Spain, the UK now offer legitimate websites where eSports is available.

Of course, you will need to be 18 years of age to even think about betting on eSports. With eSports betting occurring on legitimate platforms, your identity and age will need to be verified before you create an account or withdraw from this account. For those found to be underage, the account will be closed, and you’ll find it hard to recover any funds left in the account.

In 2016, as part of a wider discussion paper, the UKGC concluded that eSports betting counts as gambling. As such, the websites offering this service will need to follow all the same regulations as any other sport. Essentially, the UKGC and the 2005 Gambling Act work together to achieve three goals:

• Keep all gambling open and fair
• Prevent disorder and crime
• Protect vulnerable persons such as children

What eSports can I bet on?

Ultimately, this depends on the platform you choose. While some betting websites only cover the most popular games, others will attempt to cover all sorts of eSports events.

What are some popular games played in esports betting? Here is a list of some of the most common games bet on in the Esports category. It is not an extensive list as there are countless other games played at these huge events. These are a range of different types of video games played and watched by the vast majority of esports fans.

• NBA 2K
• Hearthstone
• League of Legends
• CS:GO
• Dota 2
• Fifa
• Call of Duty
• Rocket League
• Halo
• Fortnite
• Overwatch

In the UK, the list of eSports available for betting seems to be expanding each and every year. As more people watch the competitive streams on YouTube and Twitch, it opens the door to more competitions and more betting opportunities. For example, even games like FIFA have seen eSports betting markets.

If you have a specific game in mind, check that a prospective bookie offers this sport before you create an account only to be left disappointed.