With the world of eSports now a billion-dollar industry, we talk you through the betting basics that will allow you to put your knowledge to the test
eSports is everywhere these days – from YouTube to Twitch, Twitter Gaming and beyond.
And whether you’re a veritable pro or a total newcomer, there’s probably been a time when you’ve watched a game and thought: ‘I knew that team would win!’
So, why didn’t you bet on it? If it’s because you didn’t know you could, don’t worry. We’ve got all the info you could need.
We are Betway eSports and we currently lead the eSports betting scene with a huge selection of games and markets.
So, let’s get you started…
Registering an account and placing your first bet
In order to get started, you’ll need a Betway account. If you don’t have one yet, don’t worry. You can click here to open an account now.
If you already have an account but have forgotten your details, then you can contact our customer support.
Once registered, simply log in to your account with the username and password you chose during registration.
In order for you to place your first bet, you’ll need to put some money into your account after you’ve signed up. You can find out the safest and easiest methods of deposit and withdrawal here.
You can then choose eSports from our category list on the left, followed by a specific game – be it Dota 2, LoL, CS:GO, the list goes on.
We regularly update our games, so be sure to keep checking the list to see if one you are looking for has been added.
Most tournaments and matches will be displayed on the left-hand side under each respective game.
You can then click on the fixtures you see in the middle of the screen to open up the available markets you can bet on.
But which gives you the best value? Well, that’s where the odds come in.
Odds and how to calculate winnings
Odds can be shown in two different formats, decimal and fractional. You can switch freely between the two using the drop-down option on the top-right of the screen.
Traditionally, eSports uses decimal odds, but the choice is all yours.
When you place a bet, we refer to that bet as a stake, and to calculate your potential winnings you simply multiply your stake by the odds of your chosen bet.
So, if you bet £10 at odds of 1.75 (or 3/4 in fractional odds), then your return will be £17.50 – £10 of which is your original stake with the remaining £7.50 all profit.
Betting markets offered
Markets can be seen as events which often occur in-game.
‘Match winner’ is by far the most popular market, which is simply predicting which team or player is going to win the current match.
‘Correct score’, meanwhile, simply means predicting the final score in a best of two, three, five or even seven-game match – for example 2-0, 1-2, 3-2, 4-3, etc.
For ‘first blood’ betting, you are predicting which team will be the first to register a kill in the match.
‘Total’ bets means deciding how many of a particular market – kills, for example – you think both teams combined will record in a match.
As simple as it sounds, the ‘odds/evens’ option means choosing whether the final total of a certain market will be an odd or even number.
Yet there are a much wider selection of markets on offer, some of the most popular of which may need a little more explaining…
Map betting
Map betting refers to placing bets on the outcomes of specific maps that are played during a match.
So, if two teams are playing a best-of-three game, you can select either Team A or B to win 0, 1 or 2 maps.
You are also able to select whether or not Team A or B will win at least one map, or whether or not a specific team will win one specific map.
Handicap betting
Handicap betting offers you the opportunity to bet on the outcome of an event where one team has been given a certain number of goals or points as a head start.
This can essentially be seen as attaching a deficit to a certain team, who start from behind as a result.
For example, a ‘maps handicap’ bet at -1.5 is a bet for a team to win a certain number of maps despite having 1.5 taken off their score.
Counter-Strike is one of the most popular eSports for this type of betting.
Try it for yourself
eSports is already one of the most exciting and exhilarating things to watch across the globe.
And now Betway’s extensive selection of markets across all the most popular games gives, you can put your knowledge to the test and win money all at the same time.
So, what are you waiting for?
READ: Give it your best shot: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 101 – a beginner’s guide
READ: Knowledge is power: Dota2 101 – a beginner’s guide
READ: Summon your enthusiasm: League of Legends 101 – a beginner’s guide
READ: Less WoW, more WOW: Hearthstone 101 – a beginner’s guide
