Video Game eSports Betting: What Is It And How Does It Work?
The betting industry has grown considerably over the last few decades, particularly when it comes to online betting. One of the most popular sports to bet on is eSports which involves video games. But what exactly is it and how does betting work?
eSports Betting: The Basics
eSports, short for electronic sports, is a term used to describe professional competitive gaming between people. These competitions usually involve teams who face off against each other in multiplayer games such as Call Of Duty, Fortnite, Madden NFL, FIFA, and more. The competitions and tournaments are usually streamed live, watched by hundreds of fans, and feature huge real money prizes for winners. The games can be played on Xbox One, PS4, and on PC. The matches mostly take place online but finals are usually held as a physical event featuring a real audience.
There are several similarities between sports like football and eSports, since players are required to regularly practice their game to keep their skills up. It’s been reported that some successful eSports users practice for around 14 hours a day! What’s more, successful teams even have their own managers or coaches who help the team win tournaments, again similarly to regular sports.
Teams are usually part of larger eSports organisations who deploy several teams for multiple games. Some of the most popular UK eSports organisations right now include Optic Gaming, Team Liquid, Fnatic, Evil Geniuses, G2 eSports, Cloud9, and Team SoloMid. However, there are teams all around the world that specialize in various video games such as South Korea’s SK Telecom T1 which are best known for competing in League Of Legends.
How To Watch And Bet On eSports
Most online betting websites such as William Hill, Paddy Power and their sister sites now allow you to wager on eSports. Depending on the website, you’ll be able to bet on smaller events as well as large-scale tournaments including the eGames, Call Of Duty Championship, Evolution Championship Series, Major League Gaming, League Of Legends World Championships, and more.
Betting on this activity works similarly to betting on other sports but, unlike with most sports betting activities, you’ll rarely find any promotions for eSports wagers. To bet on eSports games, you simply need to click on the tournament or competition you want to wager on and then select which team you believe will win. Depending on the tournament, you’ll be given a variety of wagers which include the overall winner and other options.
Once you’ve made your bet, you’ll simply have to wait until the competition plays out to find out whether or not you’ve won anything. On the day of the event, you can even watch the game live which makes the entire event even more fun!
There are several ways you can watch eSports competitions. The best way to do so is by streaming them on YouTube, Twitch or Mixer, all of which are compatible with desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Some eSports events can be watched live on television too but this generally depends on how big the game is.
Now you know how eSports works, why not watch an upcoming event or even place a bet?