You can guess that online casinos have expanded into the realm of gaming. There are new possibilities for people who want to experience the excitement of betting on esports. We’re going to discuss the top five esports games that are now available in online casinos, and why they’re favorites in online gambling.
This article was prepared with the participation of the editor of the Austrian online gambling portal Gold-Chip.at.
1. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)
There are tons of people playing CS:GO, and we’re sure that some of you may have played or still play it as well. It’s an active community and that’s why it’s largely popular. The tournaments for this game are high-profile, and there are various betting options in online casinos.
CS:GO is ideal for betting on it in online casinos because of the gameplay and the requirement of strategy and collaboration to win. You can make everything a betting option, but the most common ones in online casinos are:
- In-game events. CS:GO features specific events you can bet on, such as reaching a certain number of kills, planting the bomb first, or successfully defusing it. Online casinos offer wagers on which team will achieve these objectives.
- Under or over rounds. You can also bet on the number of rounds played until the game is over. If there’s a larger or lower number of rounds than anticipated — you never know with CS:GO.
- Betting on handicap. You can bet on teams after the handicap has been applied because it evens out the odds. It also increases the betting options for you, but you can’t bet on which team will receive the handicap.
- Match winner. This is rather obvious, you can bet on which team will win the match. It’s the most popular type of bet. Usually, online casino bettors bet on this because the odds are higher.
- Map winner. You can also bet on the map the team will win in a specific match. The odds here should be higher as it’s more difficult to guess which map a specific team is going to win.
So, there you have it, there’s a little bit for everybody. If you’re looking to bet on CS:GO, some online casinos offer these betting options. Make sure you go with the right one for you, i.e. the one you can guess the best.
2. Dota 2
Dota 2 is a giant in esports betting. It’s a multiplayer online battle arena that was released in 2013, and it’s still played by millions of people, there are millions of people watching the gameplay of this game.
One of the most popular Dota 2 tournaments is The International. This is the largest tournament for this game in the world, and there are teams participating from all around the world. This tournament had the highest prize money in the history of esports.
Dota 2 holds great betting options:
- Map winner. It’s the same as for CS:GO, you’d be betting on which team will win a specific map within a series of maps. These are usually good odds when betting in online casinos.
- Match winner. Betting on who will win the match is the most basic way to bet in online casinos regarding Dota 2 matches.
- Player performance. You can bet on the statistics of a specific player in Dota 2. You can bet on how many kills, how many assists, and how much gold the player gets.
- Objectives. Objectives happen in the game, e.g. the first tower is destroyed, or there’s a first Roshan kill, or a player achieves a number of objectives. You can bet on all of these things.
- First blood. This is when you bet on who is going to get the first kill. The odds can be pretty high, but depending on the team playing, some people already know who goes for the first kill.
- Total kills. You can always bet on how many kills the team is going to make, or how many will be made overall in the match.
3. League of Legends (LoL)
League of Legends is an esports game that’s popular because it’s the second game that’s similar to Dota (notice we’re not saying Dota 2). It was released in 2009, and it’s gained popularity rapidly.
LoL has been embraced by online casinos with more versatility in betting options because of the exciting matches. Here are the options:
- Match winner. It’s the basic betting type, the odds can still be high here depending on which team you’re betting on.
- First blood. The odds for first blood go much higher, as it is very difficult to tell who is going to secure the first kill.
- Total kills. This can apply to kills achieved by one team in one match, one team in one map, or the total kills from both teams in all matches or in one map.
- Map winner. You can bet on who is going to win on a specific map during a specific match.
- First to X objectives. The game is much like Dota with the first tower, but there are barons, dragons, etc. So, you can bet on who gets there first.
- Handicap betting. You can make strategic bets on numerical advantages or disadvantages given to a team or player to even the odds.
- Player performance. Betting on specific player statistics in LoL is more or less the same as in Dota. You can bet on the creep score, kills, assists, etc.
4. Fortnite
Fortnite was a shock in the gaming world because it’s a one-of-a-kind game where you can build and shoot. It reached online casinos pretty fast because of its rapidly growing popularity. Fortnite is available in online casinos because there are regular competitions, it’s exciting and unpredictable, and it’s a build-and-shoot game.
Fortnite, unlike many esports, isn’t traditionally integrated with online casinos in the way that games like League of Legends might be. This is because Fortnite’s gameplay structure (large-scale battle royale) makes it less suited for specific in-game events or handicaps that online casinos often use for betting.
However, there are still some Fortnite betting options:
- Outright winner. Picking the team or player you think will win the entire tournament.
- Top placement. Betting on a team or player to finish within a specific position (e.g., Top 5).
- Match winner. Betting the winner of a specific match within a larger tournament.
5. FIFA
You know FIFA, and you can bet on FIFA. Although it’s not as popular as the regular soccer championships, it’s great because it offers realistic soccer gameplay and has a lot of global tournaments. There are several betting opportunities similar to those in real soccer:
- Match winner. This is the most basic bet, where you simply predict which team will win the match (including options for a draw).
- Total goals. This involves predicting whether the total number of goals scored in the match will be over or under a certain number set by the casino.
- Correct score. This is a more challenging bet where you predict the exact final score of the match. The potential payouts are higher, but so is the difficulty of getting it right.
- Margin of victory. Here, you wager on the range of goals by which a team will win (e.g., win by 1–2 goals, 3–4 goals, etc.).
- In-game events. Many casinos offer bets on specific events happening during the match, such as first team to score, first half/second half winner, number of yellow/red cards, etc.
- Live Betting. Many online casinos offer live betting, allowing you to place wagers throughout the match as the action unfolds. This adds excitement and allows you to react to the flow of the game.
How to Get Started with Esports Betting in Online Casinos
It’s not difficult to start betting on esports in online casinos, but you need to have a few things in mind:
- Choose a reputable online casino. Look for a casino licensed by a recognized authority like MGA or UKGC and uses secure payment methods. Read reviews, check customer support quality, and compare different casinos.
- Understanding the games. Make sure you understand the game before you place any bets.
- Looking into the betting market. Always look into betting options and try to understand one that works best for you.
- Setting a budget. Set a precise budget for responsible betting.
- Watching matches. Don’t bet unless you’re up to date with the latest matches and tournaments you’re betting on.
Conclusion
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, LoL, Fortnite, and FIFA are currently available in some online casinos, and the popularity of other esports games is going to grow. But, these top 5 games are just a thrill to bet on.
