If we look at sports over the course of hundreds of years, there is no sport that has quite developed out of nothing to be loved by millions across the globe like esports. esports is now one of the world’s fastest growing sporting activities which is accessible to everyone no matter their age or interests and as a result we have seen a big increase in the number of esports betting offers available to the UK public.

With no athleticism required from participants, esports has truly taken the world by storm. But what do you the bookmakers make of it? Do they offer lots of free bets and incentives like other sports and do they have the depth of markets and attractive Esports odds? Let’s take a look.

Essentially esports centers around computer games, but it isn’t just one game that is played by millions around the world. Year on year new games are being added to the esports spectrum with the likes of Rocket League, Fortnite and NBA 2k added to the rosta in recent years.

eSport Leagues

Typically, this is often played at famous conventions around the world and originates from Asia; especially in countries such as Japan and South Korea. These are the ones that have really revolutionised esports as it expanded across Europe and the USA over the last decade.

The great thing about esports is that it’s usually free to watch as a supporter from the comfort of your own home. Streaming services such as YouTube and Twitch offer thousands of streams so you can enjoy your favourite esports team and game.

In fact, this has become so popular that there are rumours of including esports for the 2024 Olympic Games where Paris will play host to the most famous competition in the world. If this does in fact materialise, you can expect the number of esports free bets from the bookmakers to increase exponentially.

The most popular games involved with esports are based around some of the most popular console games that we know of. This includes: FIFA, Call of Duty, Dota, Counter Strike, League of Legends and many more! These are more specifically broken down into categories such as: Fighting games, first-person shooters, real-time strategies games, sports and online multiplayer.

This growing market however can be fairly difficult to understand and with many bookmakers avoiding the prospect of having esports in their sportsbook categories; here are a few that offer an extensive system of esports games

Best ESport Bookmakers

10Bet are one of the newest betting companies and their range of esports markets is very impressive. They have one of the most extensive and detailed markets in the category which is a massive plus for anyone wanting to bet on esports, 10Bet offers a daily list to build accumulators and also offer in-play markets.

This also includes many esports betting offers centered around the larger events. The great thing about 10Bet is that you can look ahead over the next couple of days and place an esports bet on a specific match on a day.

William Hill also offers a similar system with esports and their ability to cash out during the live event. Their extensive markets also allow the punter to pick out a few matches in which they can add to their accumulator.

All bookmakers offering esports, have an outright winner market on these sorts of esports markets. It can never be a draw therefore there is always a winner no matter which console or PC game is being played. William Hill also offers handicap betting for certain markets as well as specific markets for the particular game. This includes First Blood on first-person shooters where you essentially bet on which player will get the first kill of the game.

The first-person shooters also offer different map winners on their markets as players will have to undergo a number of different e-locations across the game. So, you are able to bet on between the two teams on who will win ‘Map 1’ then ‘Map 2’ etc.

Similar to real-life sports, esports also offers tournament winner markets and group winners before a big event. This is similar to how you will see the Champions League betting market in football and you can bet on an outright winner of an overall competition.

Esports Betting Tips

Because esports is a relatively new and emerging market. Bookmakers have far less data to go on when pricing up markets. esports tips can therefore help you gain a competitive edge when placing your bets. Look out for unusually high odds on individuals and teams when placing your bets, or hunt out odds that are out of kilter with the overall market.

These players or teams with higher odds will often see the underdog become victorious in certain games where tactics based on real-life knowledge is sure to have a major effect on the way the game is played.

This can commonly occur in games such as FIFA and Street Fighter where underdogs aren’t heard of and if they go against a top competitor; the results for an underdog win could be insane and result in an e-sport betting tip really paying off.

As this extensive market continues to grow, bookmakers may feel slightly worried about what they can offer on their site and believe that interest will not come. Over the next few years, the boom of electronic sports is set to reach new heights and with more competitive games coming into our lives, this will no doubt continue. In the meantime, you can take a look at our bookmaker reviews to check which sports betting sites suit your needs in the current environment.

With the likes of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X coming out later this year, games will become more competitive than ever and we will begin to see the likes of streaming services reach new heights in terms of popularity! And don’t forget, we may yet see esports at a future Olympic Games which would do wonders for its global reach.

All these effects will no doubt see the esports betting markets continue to grow for some of our favourite bookmakers. Although they tend not to take a lot of bets on it now; as media outlets express the outbreak of this sport over the course of the next couple of years we will no doubt be seeing more bookmakers put on specific esports offers and promotions.

When they do, you’ll be able to see them across our website for exclusive offers and esports betting tips to cater you. 

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