Esports – organised, competitive video gaming – has grown from LAN parties into a global industry with professional leagues, arena finals and audiences in the millions. Fans follow teams in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant the way others follow football clubs, and wherever there is a loyal following, there is demand for betting.
This guide covers why esports deserve a place in a modern sportsbook, how the markets and odds work and what to watch out for.
Why esports belong in your sportsbook
- A year-round calendar. Leagues, qualifiers and tournaments run almost every day, with no real off-season.
- A digital-native audience. Esports fans are at home with online payments, mobile apps and live streams.
- Made for live betting. Short rounds and maps create a constant flow of in-play markets.
- Free broadcasts. Platforms such as Twitch and YouTube stream matches live, so bettors can watch what they bet on.
- A hedge against empty schedules. When traditional sports stopped in 2020, esports carried on online and helped sportsbooks keep their menus full.
There is also a cross-sell angle. Esports bettors are typically young and highly engaged online, and fast-paced casino products such as crash and instant games are a natural next offer to test with them. A sportsbook that serves them well can become their main destination rather than one of several apps on the phone.
Finally, esports fill the quiet hours. Simulated football and basketball tournaments played on consoles run around the clock and can be offered whenever the main sporting calendar thins out, which keeps the betting menu busy late at night and between seasons.
Popular esports betting markets
Most esports markets will look familiar to any sports bettor:
- Match winner – the moneyline bet on which team takes the match.
- Map or game handicap – one team starts with a virtual lead or deficit in maps or games.
- Totals – over or under on maps played, rounds or kills.
- Outrights – tournament winner or a top-three finish, priced before the event begins.
- Props – game-specific events such as first blood, the first team to ten kills or the pistol-round winner.
- Combos – accumulators linking selections across several matches or tournaments; every leg has to win.
- Live betting – odds updated round by round as the match unfolds.
How esports odds work
Decimal odds are the most common format. The number shows the total return per unit staked, stake included. Take a match priced at 1.50 for Team A and 2.80 for Team B:
- A $100 bet on Team A returns $150 if it wins, a $50 profit.
- A $100 bet on Team B returns $280 if it wins, a $180 profit.
Lower odds mean the bookmaker rates that side as more likely to win. To turn odds into an implied probability, divide 1 by the price: 1 ÷ 1.50 gives 66.7% for Team A and 1 ÷ 2.80 gives 35.7% for Team B. Together they add up to about 102.4%. The 2.4% above 100% is the overround – the margin built into the market that the bookmaker expects to keep across all bets.
Skin betting: the unregulated corner
Alongside cash betting, a grey market grew around “skins” – cosmetic in-game items, especially from Counter-Strike, that can be traded and sold for real money. Skin gambling sites let users stake those items on matches or casino-style games, usually without a licence, age checks or any player protection.
In 2016, Valve moved against third-party sites using Steam accounts for gambling, and regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission have made clear that betting with items that can be converted into money counts as gambling. For licensed operators the conclusion is simple: offer esports betting in cash, with full KYC and age verification, and stay well clear of skin-based products.
The titles that drive betting volume
Counter-Strike 2
Valve’s tactical shooter replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in September 2023, continuing a series whose previous instalment launched in 2012. Two teams of five – terrorists and counter-terrorists – fight over bomb sites across a series of rounds, which makes the game ideal for round, map and pistol-round markets. Majors and other top-tier events attract the most betting interest.
Dota 2
Valve’s free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), released in 2013, grew out of Defense of the Ancients, a fan-made mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Two teams of five heroes fight to destroy each other’s base. Its annual championship, The International, has offered some of the largest prize pools in esports history – more than $40 million in 2021.
League of Legends
Riot Games’ MOBA launched in 2009 and is free to play, with paid cosmetic content. Each player controls a champion with unique abilities that starts weak and grows stronger by earning gold and experience, while the team pushes to destroy the enemy Nexus. Regional leagues and the annual World Championship keep it among the most-watched esports.
Valorant
Riot Games’ tactical shooter, released in June 2020, combines round-based Counter-Strike-style play with characters who have special abilities. Its international competitive circuit has made it a fast-growing part of the esports betting menu.
Hearthstone
Blizzard Entertainment’s digital collectible card game, launched in March 2014, is set in the Warcraft universe. Players build 30-card decks and spend mana to cast spells and summon minions. Betting volumes are smaller than for the team shooters and MOBAs, but its one-on-one format suits simple head-to-head markets.
Esports and the Olympic movement
Esports were not part of the Paris 2024 Games, but the International Olympic Committee voted in July 2024 to create a separate Olympic Esports Games. Recognition of that kind brings new audiences and mainstream attention, which tends to support betting demand over time.
Launching esports betting
A credible esports product needs more than a handful of match-winner markets. Before you launch, make sure you have:
- An odds and data feed with deep coverage of the titles your players follow.
- Integrity monitoring, as lower-tier esports matches carry a known match-fixing risk. Bodies such as the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) work with tournament organisers and betting operators to flag suspicious activity.
- Strict age verification, given how young the audience is.
- Live streams or match trackers to support in-play betting.
- Trading and risk tools that let you set limits and margins by title and tournament.
Our sportsbook software combines live sports coverage with always-on esports content and margin control by sport and tournament. You can also explore feed providers such as Betradar, or ask our team how to add esports to your betting offer.
Written and reviewed by the iGaming Software Solutions Editorial Team.
