Real money betting is the simplest form of e-sports betting and works like traditional sports betting. Esports betting is one of the new popular hobbies. Thousands of matches are played every day and bookmakers offer odds on every single aspect of the competition. Esports.net is here to help you navigate the maze of the esports ecosystem and place your first esports bet!

We'll give you all the important information you need to stay on top of betting on esports. In this comprehensive guide to esports betting, we explain how to bet on esports. And we even talk about the most important things you should look out for to find the best bookmakers for betting on esports.

What are eSports and eSports Betting?

First of all, let's clarify what exactly we mean by esports and esports betting. The simplest answer is that esports is any kind of competitive video game played between individuals or teams. The difference with simple video games, of course, is that players are no longer competing against the computer but against other players.

Esports gives rise to several genres and has exploded in popularity over the past decade, with huge esports tournaments pitting superstar esports teams and esports players against each other in front of thousands of screaming fans, and millions of fans watching via live streams like Twitch.tv, YouTube Gaming, or Facebook Gaming.

And of course, competitive gaming in esports, just like any traditional sport, has opened up the world of betting opportunities on esports!

Is gambling eSports like traditional sports betting?

Betting on esports may seem different from traditional sports betting, but once you get used to esports, you'll find that a bet on esports action is exactly the same as a bet on horses, basketball or horse racing.

So how do you make an esports bet and how do you win an esports bet? It's absolutely the same as making and winning a traditional bet! Choose the esports betting market that interests you and look at the esports odds to make sure the bet is right for you. The great advantage of esports betting is that it is more interactive with communities, live streaming, stats, social media and more from the best esports bookmakers that make betting on esports a great betting experience.

Where can I bet on eSports - How to pick an eSports betting site?

Once you have decided which esport you want to bet on, you need to find the best esports betting site for each esport bet you want. There is a growing range of online gambling sites that now offer esports betting, from traditional bookmakers like Bet365 and Betway to dedicated esports betting sites like ArcaneBet and GG.Bet.

Some betting sites focus on the biggest competitions for CS:GO, Dota 2 and LoL, while some dedicated esports betting sites have a constant supply of odds for pre-match and live esports betting for niche games. So be sure to do some research on the site to make sure your favorite game is adequately covered.

How to bet on eSports? - All the different betting options

There is more to esports betting than just betting for real money. Over the years, different types of esports betting have evolved to cover all aspects of the esports industry - from competitions to twitch streaming to skin gambling and trading. Here are all the ways you can get involved in esports betting.

REAL MONEY BETTING

Real money betting is the most basic way of betting on esports and works just like traditional sports betting. You simply pick the tournament or event you are interested in, select your market and game and place your esports bet. After that, all you have to do is wait for the results!

FANTASY BETTING

Just as there are fantasy esports bets for many traditional sports, there are also fantasy esports bets for your favorite esports. The way it works is the same: you first select your players and/or esports teams based on how well you think they will do. They get points/cash for their esports performances in games, be it winning a game or tournament, or reaching a predetermined goal. In the world of fantasy betting, DraftKings is one of the originals and still one of the best.

1. BETTING ON STREAMERS

Betting on streamers on specialized esports websites like Unikrn means betting on certain elements of an esports player's gameplay while he streams on Twitch or other streaming platforms.

2. BETTING ON YOURSELF

This is exactly what it sounds like - you can bet on yourself when you play video games, winning real money if you achieve certain feats in esports games. Umode by Unikrn is a great place for self-betting.

3. ITEM AND SKIN BETTING

Skin betting involves using virtual currency in some form from a betting site. This virtual currency is usually offered in the form of certain in-game items or graphics downloads for the game or characters. You should be very careful with certain skin betting sites as they are traditionally unlicensed and unregulated, and we recommend that you avoid all unlicensed sites.

4. ESPORTS POOL BETTING

At a site like Puntt, pool betting is where all bets on a particular market are pooled together and the total amount (minus any fees) is divided among the winners.

5. SOCIAL BETTING & CHALLENGE BETTING

In social betting, you bet on the results of matches within a group. Similarly, in challenge betting, only two people bet against each other.

How to bet on eSports for the first time

If you have tried sports betting before, it is exactly the same with eSports.

To place your bet, all it needs is to click on the desired odds that will be added to your betting slip. Therefore you have to determine how much you are willing to stake on your eSports bet. Most betting slips will automatically calculate your possible winnings for you. And once you have clicked on the "Place Bet" icon, all you have to do is sit back and wait for your winning result.

Once you find a betting site that offers your favorite game, you can place your first Esports bet. You will need to register a new account with the betting site, which is usually done in a few minutes by entering some personal information. Once you have verified your account, you will need to choose a payment method to make your first deposit. Remember that this is the time when you can take advantage of any welcome bonus offers.

After you have set up your account and made your deposits, you can browse through the site's Esport odds to find a game that promises a good payout. You should be able to toggle between decimal and fractional odds to see how much your bet could pay you. However, don't forget to read up on watertight betting tips before you wager your money, and always play responsibly. Read our article on how much do eSports players make?