Top 5 eSports Betting Sites In 2018

The world of eSports betting has exploded in the last few years. With huge tournaments hosted across the world with 7-figure prizes and millions of fans, eSports is definitely here to stay. With that popular rise has also brought the attention of bookmakers. While there were only a few bookmakers who were interested in eSports a few years ago to test the market, today there are many of the world’s largest betting sites onboard.

1. Betway - £30 free bet

Betway / Via betway.com

Betway has been around for a decade and began as a traditional sportsbook but quickly established themselves as an innovator in online betting. The company branched out to go beyond just bookmaking and offered dedicated portals for poker, casino games, etc. and it did not take long for them to become one of the first mainstream betting sites to create a dedicated section for eSports.

Games and Odds

One of the things about Betway that puts them ahead of almost every other eSports betting site out there is the fact that they have a huge selection of eSports games that they offer to bet on. Not only do they have the two biggest games in eSports right now, LoL and DOTA 2, you can also find plays on CS: GO, Hearthstone, HOTS, World of Tanks, and Starcraft 2.

There are typically good odds on Betway, especially for League of Legends, but with so many game offerings there are times when you may only find the largest tournaments and most famous teams to bet on.

Type of Bets

Betway is one of the bookmakers on the market today that allows multiple types of bets. In addition to traditional match bets where you choose the winner and loser of a match, there are a lot of additional betting types as well. Some of the options that Betway provides include:

•Handicap Matches

•Win-Draw-Win

•Outright

•Correct Score

•To Win

•Enhance Multiple Bets

Special Offers

Something that can't be overlooked with Betway is that they do offer a wide range of special offers to bring in new bettors. The most notable of these is that Betway offers basically a free bet on certain bet types. You can place a 5-fold accumulator bet (you bet on 5 matches) and if one of your teams lose, they will give you your money back on your first bet.

Betway also offers deposit matching for new bettors as well which means they will match up to £30 on your very first deposit as a free bet.

In Conclusion

As one of the biggest names in online betting, it's no surprise that Betway is one of the best sportsbooks for eSports as well. With decent odds, multiple ways to place bets, and a very newbie-friendly approach for first-time bet placers, Betway is a great option if you want to try eSports betting without taking any risk. Unfortunately it's not available for all countries, simply check out its website and you'll see it right away!

2. William Hill - Bet 10£ get 20£ free bet

WilliamHill / Via williamhill.com

If you are from the UK, you have undoubtedly heard of William Hill. While they continue to grow globally, William Hill started in Britain in the 1930s for horse race bets. Within 30 years they expanded to include other sports and that expansion continues today as they have recently added eSports betting for games like League of Legends to their portfolio. Despite being new to the scene, they are still an attractive sportsbook option based on their brand history alone.

Games and Odds

Because William Hill is so new to eSports, they do not offer as many games to bet on that other sites, such as Betway, do. Typically with William Hill, you will see the Big Four of eSports that you can bet on: League of Legends, DOTA 2, CS:GO, and Starcraft 2.

One thing to note about William Hill is that with many tournaments and matches you will find good odds but you typically won’t find odds very early. Most of the time odds won’t be released until the match is just a day or 2 away from being played so you need to constantly check the site to see what is available on any particular day.

Types of Bets

William Hill is still testing the market with their eSports betting platform and as a result, the types of bets that you can place on the site are on the traditional side, your standard straight odd betting. There are no handicap bets available which means you can have extremely wild odds when there are teams that are clear favorites.

In Conclusion

If you are looking for standard match-win betting with solid odds that are set close to the event without a lot of deviation, there’s nothing wrong with William Hill. With 15,000 betting shops scattered around the UK, William Hill is going to be one of the best options if you are from the UK. They still have areas that will be improved on over time, such as additional bet types, but for most people to enjoy a bet on their favorite time, you won’t go wrong with William Hill, also if you bet Bet 10£, you get 20£ free bet!

3. Bovada - 50% welcome bonus up to 250$ (Accepting US players!)

Bovada / Via bovada.com

Are you from the United States? Do you want to legally bet on League of Legends or other eSports matches? Then Bovada is going to be one of the best options for you. The company started out in 2007 and has a gaming license from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission that allows fully legal betting from the United States. While Bovada’s eSports section is a new venture for the company, it is one of the premier options for Americans.

Games and Odds

Like most online betting for eSports, Bovada does not have a huge selection of games to choose from but you can count on the largest games being available. There are plays to be made on Counter Strike:Global Offensive, DotA 2, SC2, and, of course, League of Legends matches.

Odds on Bovada are some of the best in the world and you do not see too many wild fluctuations, making them a great sportsbook for serious bettors that want to make long-term wins while betting on eSports.

Types of Bets

There are not a lot of different types of eSports bets to be made on Bovada right now, likely due to the company’s recent foray into eSports gambling. Most bets are traditional math-winner bets but that is typically what most people are looking for anyway.

That said, they have branched out slightly and they do offer a few different props for eSports betting. For most bets, there will be props that allow you to bet on specific map wins which can be a good way to bet if you know a team is notorious for starting out slowly and giving up the first map of a series often.

Special Offers

If you are venturing into the world of eSports betting for the first time, Bovada does have a deposit bonus that they offer. They will match initial deposits up to $250 if they are used for betting which means you can have $375 in your account for a $250 deposit if you are a first timer.

In Conclusion

Ultimately the solid odds are attractive enough for most people who want to bet on esport games but the real feature of Bovada is that it is a legal avenue for US betting on eSports, something that not a lot of sites offer. If you’re an American, Bovada is likely the place for you and the 50% welcome bonus is a nice extra to have.

4. Pinnacle Sports – best odds

Pinnacle / Via pinnacle.com

Pinnacle Sports is well known in the sports betting world and is one of the first betting platforms that adopted eSports betting. What started out as a test market back in 2010, their eSports betting platform now takes more than a million bets every year. While they do not offer betting options on too many games, they are considered one of the most trusted sites for making eSports bets.

Odds

You can view odds on Pinnacle in either decimal format or American format which is convenient, but the real benefit of Pinnacle is that they have small margins. Margins are those hidden fees that sportsbooks add to odds so they can turn a profit. Since Pinnacle keeps their odds low, bets have good value which works to your benefit.

Types Of Betting

Pinnacle offers a wide range of betting which is another reason for its popularity. Since eSports betting is still in its infancy, many sites focus on money line betting. This is straightforward betting where you look at the odds and bet on who you think will win.

In addition to money line betting, Pinnacle also offers a variety of other types of betting, including:

•Handicaps for match winner and kills.

•Props such as First Blood and 1st to 5 kills.

•Parlays to bet across multiple matches or events.

Payment Options

Since Pinnacle is such a huge sportsbook and has been online for a while, when you use them for LoL betting you get to take advantage of all the features the site has in general, including the wide range of payment options that are available. They offer credit card options, bank transfers, echeque, Skrill, iDeposit, and many international eWallet accounts depending on where you live.

In Conclusion

Ultimately when it comes to eSports betting, sticking with an established sportsbook like Pinnacle that has been in the eSports betting game since the beginning has a lot of benefits. From many payment options, multiple betting types, Pinnacle is a good choice if you are looking for the best odds.

5. VitalBet – 100% welcome bonus up to 50$ (Accepting US players!)

Vitalbet / Via vitalbet.com

VitalBet is one of the most popular sportsbooks that have been developed with a very specific focus on eSports betting. While the company is currently backed by legendary Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, it is actually games like Counter Strike: GO and League of Legends that make the site what it is. There are other sports to bet on and they have an online casino portion, but VitalBet does what many platforms do not and places a huge emphasis on their eSports section.

Games and Odds

If you are looking for a ton of games to bet on, VitalBet is not going to give you the most options out there; they focus on the Big Four in gaming right now like most sportsbooks: CS:GO, LoL, SC2, and DotA 2.

That said, VitalBet has a very keen eye for setting odds and you will typically find great spreads without a lot of volatility. Margins are kept fairly low which means you are able to get a lot of value out of your bets compared to some of the other casual betting sites on the internet.

Betting Types

The main focus of VitalBet is traditional match-winner betting, but there are a few different types of betting options available as well. For props, VitalBet allows you to bet on single map wins so if you are confident that a team will pick up at least one map, that is a great option. There are also handicap bets on many maps which allow great value on matches where one team may be a heavy favorite starting out.

US Accept

Another thing to keep in mind with VitalBet is that they do allow US betting as well as many different deposit options such as bitcoin. This makes VitalBet a great choice if you are looking for an ever-expanding sportsbook for eSports that allows betting from the United States.

In Conclusion

VitalBet may not be as popular or established as other brands o the list, but they are not ignoring the rising popularity of eSports at all. VitalBet is a great choice for bettors in the United States that want a site with US Accept, not as good as Bovada, but it’s acceptable if you are looking for second account.

The Verdict – so where should you bet?

The world of eSports continues to grow and sportsbooks are taking notice. With more of the big names in betting jumping on the bandwagon, there are a lot of great choices for eSports bookmakers.

When looking for an eSports bookmaker some of the things you should keep in mind include:

* Your Experience – If you have never placed a bet before, finding a bookmaker that is beginner friendly and offer specials such as free first-bets or sign-up matches is a good idea.

* Odds – Ultimately finding the best odds is one of the most important aspects of long-term winning. You will need a bookmaker that follows League of Legends or other games closely to provide good odds.

* Country Allowance – Some online bookmakers are limited to specific countries so make sure you are using a site that you will actually be able to legally deposit, bet, and withdraw from in your country.

BetWay is one of the best options if you are new to betting because they have free bet options as well as many different types of bets. Pinnacle Sports is the oldest name in the game right now with the best odds which make them a great option for experienced bettors. For UK users, William Hill is an established company with betting shops all over the UK. If you're from the US, Bovada and VitalBet are two strong choices to consider, but we found that Bovada is better.

Whatever bookmaker you choose, you can't go wrong with the mentioned eSports betting sites. If you like watching or playing eSports matches, you should definitely try out betting as well, they lift your whole experience to an entirely new level!

Good luck & happy betting!