GLHF Bets: ESports Gambling & Betting

ESports gambling was practiced among a few individuals, most notably among friends, many years ago. But today it is becoming very popular, and it is growing at a much faster pace than it was anticipated. In fact, with the advancement of technology, almost everything goes viral these days, and eSports betting is no exception.

Many experts believe that eSports is the new face in the gambling industry with a dominant force. Each and every day, millions of players around the world risk millions of dollars. This is just to give you a hint of how popular eSports gambling is. In this article, you will learn all about betting online related to eSports.

Things to consider before you start placing bets

As with any other games or sports that involve betting, it is really important to have a thorough understanding of the game. This does not mean that you have to be an expert. But it’s obviously not a good idea to put your money on the line without a hint of what is going on, or what strategies are involved.

As is the nature of gambling, there is a good chance that your betting decision would be great but if you know your way around the game, it increases your chances of winning.

So, the first thing you need to consider is whether or not you understand the game. You can start off by choosing a particular game which is very popular. Or the one you plan on placing your bet.

As already mentioned, it does not necessarily have to be the one that you’re good at, but you definitely have to invest a good amount of time to do research.

Check The Gambling Rules in Your Country

Before you start betting, gather all the answers. Remember that not all countries and states have the same rules related to online gambling.

There are no universally accepted gambling rules, whether it is online or brick and mortar. However, doing some bit of research here will be very beneficial, this may sound a bit intimidating, but it’s totally worth it.

The easiest way to establish this information is by visiting the website and click on the information section in the footer. All the relevant information related to the sports book will be included in this section.

Read Reviews

Reading through the reviews can be very helpful too. This is what most people resort to when they want to know about any service or product. Find out what other users think about and have experienced from the site. This will help you determine if the site is reliable or trustworthy.

If the site is any good, you will find a lot of reviews and activities. In case there are very less or no reviews at all, you can be sure that the site is either new, or they’re not good enough to stay in the competition.

Issues with the law

Leave the site immediately if you find that there have been any significant issues recently regarding the players or participants, and the jurisdiction. Most importantly, make sure that the sports book does not have any problem with the authorities, and that they have all the prerequisites such as the license.

Test with Small Amounts

Lastly, you have to check the site and test it yourself. Someone once rightly said “seeing is believing,” and it’s absolutely true. If the website you have chosen has all the requirements as described above, it’s time to test it out. Start by placing a small bet.

Customer Support

Along the same lines, try contacting the support team while testing out the website. You can simply bombard them with any question. If there is something that you find hard to understand, just fire away the questions. If they get back to you without much delay, and you find that the answers they provide are satisfying, it’s a green light.

But if they don’t reply to you on time, and you think that their response somehow lacks authenticity or sincerity, go ahead and try another site.

Why bother risking your money when you can’t even trust the sports book? There are lots of other websites that offer better service, better user experience, and better prices.

Is their promotional value any good?

When it comes to eSports betting, an excellent and irresistible promotional value is another very important factor. Many seasoned bettors don’t place their bets or gamble 24/7, but when they do, they make the most out of it.

These aged players grab the right opportunity at the right time that is when the operators provide a big fat bonus. You can try the same technique too.

But what kind of promotions and bonuses are we talking about here?  The most common and overused bonuses and promotions that sports books offer are free bets, cash back, and deposit bonuses.

The number of bets available and these offers are not the same with all operators. They vary a lot. Look out for the best opportunity, but also make sure that the site is an authentic and reliable one.

ESports Tournaments

If you plan to participate in an upcoming tournament or so, gather all the information related to it. There are hundreds of contests and tournaments worldwide which are held weekly, monthly, or yearly. Take your time to go through the terms and conditions too. This will help you make a better betting decision.

What are the different types of betting in eSports?

There are different ways of eSports betting you can try. The most common and popular types of betting are discussed below.​

eSports betting with real money

To explain eSports betting in simple terms, just think of it as a type of betting which is done during Premier League, Horse race, golf tournaments or NBA games. This type of betting is based on the traditional sports betting model.

The only difference is that here the betting is done mostly online when an electronic sports (eSports) contest or tournament takes place.

CS:GO is one of the major eSports events where millions of dollars are put at stake. Here you can place your bet and win a cash prize on individual matches, or even bet on other outcomes such as the overall champion/champions of the whole tournament.

Skin or item betting

Next up is called skin betting. It’s a fast-growing betting category. But this type of betting is most popular with people who are into games and most of these people are dedicated and expert gamers. It’s the most common betting type within the eSports community. If you are a gaming fan, you probably know what this means.

In most of the trending online games, there are certain items that cannot be owned by the players for free. Gamers have to pay a certain amount of money to gain access and own such special items. And most of those unique items can be transferred to other players.

As its name suggests, this type of betting does not involve cash betting. Instead, players will bet on those unique and exclusive in-game items such as customized weapons, or character’s outfits popularly called “skin.” You can bet skins on things like the coin flip games, card games such as blackjack or poker, lotteries, roulette, or other popular eSports.

So, you don’t really have to be an expert Call of Duty player or Dota champion to participate. If you’re good at any one of those online games listed above, you can win your favorite hero’s skin.

Fantasy eSports

This is similar to fantasy sport in traditional sports such as soccer, or NBA, and is not considered as betting. The significant difference between a conventional fantasy sport and a fantasy eSports is that eSports enthusiasts are involved in the latter.

Challenge betting

Also called head to head betting, this type of betting involves cash or other in-game items that are sought after by professional gamers. There are various sites which host this type of tournaments, as an entry or joining fee, players have to pay some money.

Here you can play as an individual, or you can call some of your friends and join in as a team. Players can also organize wagers or tournaments where they will compete with other players. There are lots of different options too. You can check out the options and pick the one that best suit you. However, it’s not recommended for you if you’re not a gamer.

eSports Betting Tips

As a general rule, you need to know that betting or gambling online on eSports is not a get rich quick way. It’s not something you can depend on to make a living. Although there are some pros out there who are making a decent amount of money doing the same, it’s worth mentioning that most professional gamers participate in this just for fun.

Ready to get started? Great, let us have a quick look at some of the most crucial things you need to know.

Betting odds

Understanding betting odds is the most important lesson you have to learn to become a successful eSports bettor. In simple terms, it is a way of determining the amount of money you will get if you win.

Odds on

It means that your winning may be less than the amount of money you staked.

Odds against

Opposite of odds on, it means that your winning will give you more money than the staked amount.

It’s however not that simple, it’s very much easier to win on odds on bets, but the profit is much less. Similarly, winning odds against bets may be harder, but you will get better reward or profit if you win. There are different methods used for calculating odds. Here is how you can learn to calculate and understand betting odds with ease.

Bankroll management

Learning how to manage your money is an extremely important thing that every eSports gambler must master. Although this may sound like a financial lesson, it’s important that you know your limits. If you’ve been into gambling for some time, you may have learned your lesson the hard way.

But if you’re just getting started, pay very close attention to this because, by the time you realize your mistake, it might be too late. Whether you’re doing it for fun, or you’re trying to make a profit, mastering bankroll management will save you from becoming bankrupt.

This involves managing your cash wisely, how much money are you willing to put on the line? How much can you stake on a particular bet? And does it harm your financial situation if you lose? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself.

Gather information and keep track of your performance

It is always safer and easier to bet with a sound knowledge of what you’re doing. You need not spend countless hours trying to grasp each and everything about eSports betting. What matters the most is that you should research only what is relevant.

This means that you have to be specific, which site or operator are you using, or what are the requirements and outcome of a particular contest? And don’t forget the kind of bet you choose. Take all these factors into account, and you will do great.

Maintain a record of your bets, or your performance

Analyzing your performance will reveal your current position or status, whether you’re sinking low or rising higher. If your performance record shows that you’re going down, it means that you have to think of another strategy.

You could be betting solely for fun, but it’s definitely a good practice.

What you need to avoid in eSports gambling

In the past few years, eSports has become very popular, and these games keep on changing and evolving. Whenever a new game is introduced and booms into the market, a new team emerges. The teams keep on growing until they’re thrown out of the equation by another group of gamers. This is what makes eSports gambling somewhat unpredictable.

Some of the most popular games like Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and Battlefield are dominated by a well-known team of world-class professional gamers. And the truth is that betting on everyone’s favorite team may not offer you a good reward.

eSports is still an evolving industry which might keep on changing for many years into the future. A new and less known team might come out of nowhere and crush the most dominant team. But again, that is too much of a risk to bet on an unknown team.

Plain guessing is not a good option, and you have to know the history of the team you want to support.

As footballers go from one club to another for a better offer, the same thing happens in the world of eSports. It’s possible that a team might have lost their best to a rival team. But in reality, each team has a different approach to the game, and they have a different style of playing and strategy.

Even pros take time to get used to the new style of playing when they are new to the team. You should avoid those teams that have recently added a new member.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular eSports bookies?

There are quite a good number of eSports betting operators. But these are considered the best and most popular sites; Bet 365, VulcanBet, Betway, cyber.bet, and arcane bet.

Is eSports gambling illegal?

This is the most asked question regarding eSports betting. While there isn’t an answer that is relevant to all people across the globe, it can be said that the legality of eSports gambling varies from region to region.

Typically, the rules and guidelines regarding gambling, if any, differ from one country to the next. It’s advised that you know the gambling laws of your country or where you are located.

Is there an eSports regulatory body?

As of now, there is no known eSports regulatory body, although entities like the ESL play an important role. However, it is expected that a single regulatory body will emerge in the near future.

How do I know that matches are not fixed?

There has been a lot of case related to unfairness and match-fixing in the past. However, with the increasing popularity of the industry, sports books are in fierce competition to earn trust and reputation. It’s best to stick with a reputed and trusted site to ensure fair play.

What are the methods of payments?

You can pay your deposits on eSports betting using a master card/VISA, e-wallets or other money transfer services. Some smaller operators also accept Bitcoins.

Conclusion

ESports betting is most prevalent in Asia, which sums up to 61%, while the United States holds second place with 23%. Do check the links provided above to get more insights into eSports betting and gambling.