Professional esports is continuing to grow in popularity worldwide, and esports betting has been gaining traction right along with it. I don’t see this trend slowing down anytime soon with esports continuing to gain mainstream attention.
On this page I explain the options Americans have for betting on esports, touch on some of the popular esports for betting, look at the different bets you can make, and finish with a step by step guide to getting started.
Where Can Americans Bet On Esports?
Your options depend on where you live and which games you want to bet on. Here are the main ways to bet on esports in the United States.
Licensed Sportsbooks
Many of the more than 35 states with legal sports betting allow licensed sportsbooks to offer odds on major esports events, but the rules vary by state and the selection of games and tournaments is often smaller than for traditional sports. You must be 21 or older in most states and physically located in a state where the sportsbook is licensed.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) apps such as PrizePicks and Underdog offer esports player stat contests in many states, covering games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. Rather than betting on who wins, you pick whether players will go over or under a statistical projection, such as kills in a map.
Offshore Sportsbooks
Offshore sportsbooks offer a wide range of esports markets and accept bets from across the country. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, which means Americans who use them have no state regulator to turn to if there is a dispute over a bet or a withdrawal.
Popular Esports To Bet On
There are a wide variety of esports that have professional leagues and events that garner betting interest. That said, the majority of esports betting action takes place on Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, League of Legends, and Valorant.
Other games such as Rocket League, FIFA, NBA2K, Overwatch, Rainbow Six and Starcraft also have betting markets, but it’s the big five games that take the majority of bets.
- Call of Duty – A multiplayer first person shooter video game series that began in 2003. The current version is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (released in November of 2023).
- Counter-Strike 2 – A multiplayer first person shooter game where two teams battle against each other to win rounds on different maps. Counter-Strike 2 is the fifth instalment of the Counter-Strike video game series (released in 2023). It’s the updated version of CS:GO, which came out in 2012, while the Counter-Strike series began way back in 2000.
- DOTA 2 – A multiplayer online battle arena game where two teams of five players battle each other on different maps in an attempt to destroy the opponents “Ancient”. DOTA 2 was released in 2013, but the Dota series started back in 2003.
- League of Legends – A multiplayer online battle arena game where players choose a “champion” to battle against their opponent and defeat the oppositions “Nexus”. League of Legends was released in 2009.
- Valorant – A free-to-play multiplayer first person shooter video game that is similar to Counter-Strike. Valorant was released in 2020.
As you can see, many of these major esports games have been around for over a decade.
Different Esports Bets
There are a variety of bets you can make on esports. The most popular bet on every different esports game is betting on which team (or player) will win a match. Here’s an example using Call of Duty:
Match Winner
This example is from a past Call of Duty League match between the Miami Heretics and Atlanta FaZe:
The “To Win” odds are the second column shown. In this example, the Atlanta FaZe are a -400 favorite, which means a $400 bet on Atlanta FaZe would win $100 (payout $500). Miami Heretics are the underdog with odds of +275, which means a $100 bet on Miami would win $275 (payout $375).
You can also see the spread for maps won and over/under odds for total maps played in the match.
Other Bets
The other bets you can make will depend on the game you’re playing. For example, with Counter-Strike 2 you can wager on the over/under for maps won in the match, over/under for rounds played on each map, the spread for rounds won in the match or on each map, the correct score, etc.
There are similar bets that can be made on Call of Duty, Valorant, League of Legends, and DOTA 2 as well, but all games will have their own unique betting offerings depending on the gameplay.
How To Bet On Esports Online – Step By Step
Whichever option you choose, the process of getting started is similar. Here’s a general guide.
Step 1. Choose Your Option
Decide which type of platform fits how you want to bet. Licensed sportsbooks offer match betting on major esports events in states that allow it, while DFS apps are built around player stats. Review the options above before signing up.
Step 2. Check The Age and Location Rules
Every platform has its own eligibility requirements. Most DFS apps require you to be at least 18, while licensed sportsbooks require you to be 21 in most states and physically located in the state where they are licensed.
Step 3. Create and Verify Your Account
Sign up with your legal name, date of birth and address. Regulated platforms are required to verify your identity, so you may be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a photo of your ID.
Step 4. Fund Your Account
Deposit using one of the platform’s payment methods, which commonly include debit cards and bank transfers. Check how withdrawals work, and how long they take, before you deposit.
Step 5. Find The Market and Place Your Bet
Navigate to the esports section, select the market you’re interested in, and choose your position. Before confirming, check the price or odds and how much you stand to win, using the bet types explained above as a guide.
Step 6. Set Limits
Decide on a budget before the match and stick to it. Most regulated platforms let you set deposit and time limits in your account settings. If betting stops being fun, help is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
Check out our reading betting odds page if you don’t understand the odds.
Most of the matches are shown on Twitch.tv, so head over there and sweat your bets!
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