Esports Betting UK
With esports betting, UK players at online sportsbooks can bet on the outcomes of video games such as CS: GO, League of Legends, Dota and other esport games. This form of sports betting has become a player favourite that many – but not all – online sportsbooks now offer. Learn all about it here!
Best Esports Betting Sites for UK Players
Browse our list of the best esports betting platforms and sign up at your preferred platform to get started!
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What is Esports Betting?
Esports betting is simply the act of placing bets on esports games. With electronic sports, esports for short, competitions are hosted using various video games. The competitions are often large, organised tournaments where professional players play multiplayer video games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty, League of Legends and Dota. These tournaments can be played by individual players or teams and with esports betting, bettors can place bets on the outcomes of the tournaments.
Electronic sports have a long history with the first video game tournaments being hosted before the 1980s. At the same time, the rise of online video games and global tournaments has turned this sports category into a global phenomenon during the last decade. And the rise of esports betting has followed closely behind, with huge growth in popularity in the last few years. As more players have become interested in the game, more and more online sportsbooks are now offering the possibility to bet on e-sports. Or is it maybe the other way around? No matter who came first, players and sportsbooks are all reaping the benefits.
Popular Esports Betting Games and Bets
What to bet on with esports betting will depend on which games/tournaments are ongoing. Some sportsbooks only cover major tournaments and championships, while others offer bettors the chance to bet on small and local competitions. CS: GO, CoD, Dota 2 and League of Legends are definitely some of the most popular and most commonly offered games to bet on, but there are also so many other esport franchises. The most popular tournaments include the League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2’s International, Evolution Championship Series and Intel Extreme Masters among many others.
Obviously, the bets available will depend on the game in question, but odds can typically be placed on the winning team or individual (outright) and specific events that might happen during the tournament. This can include markets such as number of kills, first kill, first map, handicap and more. It is worth noting that esports teams often have unique names such as “Misfits Gaming” and “MAD Lions”.
Esports Betting Tips
If you are new to esports betting, it can feel a bit daunting at first. Luckily, you don’t have to be an expert on any of the games to join in on the fun. No matter if you have played lots of video games before or not, you can start betting on esports. Some sportsbooks will even offer betting tips, predictions and highlighted bets to help you along. Here are some of our best esports betting tips for both new and seasoned players:
- Read game rules and introductions. You don’t have to learn everything about the games, but you should read some brief introductions so that you can understand what is going on.
- Start with one game/league at a time. Dip your toes in first and then keep betting on more games as you familiarise yourself with them.
- Watch esports streams. If you are a visual learner, you can learn a lot about the different games and players by simply watching their streams from tournaments or on Twitch/YouTube. In addition to learning from it, it’s fun!
- Start with outright bets. Again it is safe to start with the basics, so place your first bets on outright (the result/winner).
- Check betting predictions and odds. Just like with any other sport, you can get a lot of help from looking at tips, predictions and recommended odds. Do this alongside your own research to make clever decisions.
As always, you also have to remember to play responsibly and not bet for more money than you can afford to lose. And last but not least, have fun!
How to Get Started with Esports Betting Online
If you feel intrigued by this modern way of sports betting and want to take part in the action, it is really easy to get started. Online esports betting works just like any other sports betting online and most online sportsbooks offer it these days. Simply follow these steps and you are on your way to becoming an esports expert:
- Sign up at an online sportsbook that offers esports betting UK
- Fund your account with some money to play for
- Open the sportsbook and click on “esports” (most sportsbooks offer this as a highlighted category or listed under all sports)
- Browse and click on bets you want to place
- Play your bet slip and wait for the results
Pre-Match or Live Esports Betting?
When finding and placing your bets, you can normally choose between pre-match or live events. With pre-match betting, you can place bets for upcoming games that will be played later the following day, week, month or year. With esports live betting, you will place bets on an ongoing game. Live betting will therefore give you a quicker result and you can often add more precise bets based on the outcomes so far. It is fully up to you which type of bets you want to place – or if you want to mix and match a bit.
How to Find the Best Esports Betting Sites in the UK
An essential part of esports betting is finding an esports betting platform to sign up and play at. And we are here to help with exactly that! The easiest way to find some great betting sites is by using an objective, third-party website like Kabono that reviews and recommends various sportsbooks. We vet and review each platform thoroughly and only list and recommend the very best (and safest). Therefore, you can trust that all sportsbooks listed in this guide and at Kabono are fun and safe for British players to join. They are all great options, which makes it up to you to find the best alternative for your preferences.
In this guide, we list the very best esports betting sites UK players can sign up at. For more information about each platform, you can click to read our reviews. Here we don’t only look at the sports betting options specifically, but also payment methods and bonuses offered, customer support and more. Check out our esports betting site list at the top of this page or try one of our latest favourites:
New Esports Betting Sites Listed on Kabono
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Esports Betting FAQ
In this guide, we have introduced you to the fascinating and lucrative world of esports betting. Below, we’ve gathered some of the most common questions that we receive about the topic. If you have any questions that are not covered here, please get in touch!
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How does esports betting work?
With esports betting, players simply bet on the outcome of esports tournaments and competitions. It works just like betting on football or any other sport, with the exception that the game being played is a video game and not a physical match.
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How are esports betting odds calculated?
The odds at online sportsbooks come from advanced sports betting software that combines bets from other players and other variables. It all works thanks to maths and technology that deals with all events placed and money to be paid out.
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Is esports betting legal in the UK?
Yes, as long as you bet at an online sportsbook that is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, it is totally legal. We only list sportsbooks (and casinos) that are licensed by the UKGC.
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Is it possible to get an esports betting bonus?
Yes, sportsbooks sometimes hand out bonuses specifically for esport betting. More commonly, you can get free bets that can be used on any sport you wish.
Are you ready to get started with esports betting?
Check our list of the best esport betting sites in the UK at the top of this page and find your preferred sportsbook from our recommendations and reviews!