CS:GO, League of Legends & Beyond: A Guide to the Most Bettable Esports
The esports sector has become a significant economic entity, with brands and corporations scrambling to become involved in this fast-expanding industry that brings together gaming, entertainment, sports, and technology.
Esports has also caught the attention of the betting industry, which has realised the enormous potential that can be unlocked by embracing esports and including these games alongside more established betting sports such as soccer and horse racing. In fact, the best betting sites offer a wide range of esports betting markets, and there are even sites dedicated solely to esports betting.
Some games, however, remain more popular with sports betting fans than others, either due to their profile or their compatibility with betting. But which games are the most bettable esports?
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Better known as CS:GO, this game is the most successful of the FPS (first-person shooter) titles and consists of two teams competing with one another on various maps. It offers dramatic gaming action, a fast-paced style of play and is relatively simple to get into, so easy for viewers to enjoy. This approachability combined with the game’s high-profile means it is one of the most bettable of all esports, with hundreds of CS:GO markets available around the world every day.
Dota 2 and League of Legends
These two games deserve to be considered alongside one another in the esports betting world, as they are in the same genre and have the same high profile. Like CS:GO, there will always be markets available to bet on in Dota 2 and LOL, particularly around the major events such as The International, the Dota 2 showpiece. There is another advantage to betting on Dota 2 and LOL in that they are very similar games and so knowing one of the two games well can help you when studying the other.
FIFA
FIFA has several advantages for the esports bettor. Not only is it a high-profile game, based on the world’s most popular betting sport, it is even easier to get into than CS:GO. If you know soccer and you have played FIFA, you will have a good foundation, and if you are used to betting in soccer markets, then, with a few adjustments, you may find that betting on FIFA suits you perfectly.
Fortnite
The Battle Royale genre has expanded dramatically over the last ten years, and at the forefront of that expansion is Fortnite, a game that began as a side project but has taken on a life of its own, becoming a global phenomenon. Like FIFA and CS:GO it is relatively easy to grasp, but more significantly, there is a huge and thriving Fortnite ‘ecosystem’ since the game is free to play and available on a wide variety of gaming platforms.
In a little over five years, Fortnite has grown rapidly, and there is now a well-established system of leagues and competitions, some of them offering multi-million dollar prize funds. Playing the game is easy for anyone to do, and this makes it ideal for esports bettors who want to know a sport inside out.
Overwatch
Another relatively new game, Overwatch combines some of the elements of all the games mentioned above, providing a colourful and action-packed team esport with a popular range of characters. The sport is ideal for betting, as the main Overwatch league, based in the US, follows the format of many other US team sports, with clearly defined franchises and set-piece tournaments. If you are a fan of any US sport, then this may help you when you bet on Overwatch.
Conclusion
Betting on esports is expanding rapidly, mirroring the expansion of the esports scene itself, but there are some dangers to be aware of. Although esports betting may seem new and exciting, it isn’t fundamentally different from any other form of betting. Making a long-term profit from esports betting is extremely difficult, even if you are an esports expert, so it is important never to wager with money that you cannot afford to lose, and always set strict limits on your esports betting.
