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Esports has been a big thing in video games for a while now. For the uninitiated, for those of you finding this article on Google, ‘esports’ is a catch-all term for professional, competitive gaming. The roots of esports go back to the early 2000s. However, they truly became popular in the past ten or so years.
Today, esports are just as popular as some sports, which has unsurprisingly drawn the attention of bettors. This prompted some to ask, is it possible to bet on esports live? It is important to distinguish live casino gambling from live sports betting.
Difference Between Live Casino and Live Sports Betting
Live casino games refer to games played with real dealers. It works simply: players gather in a live chat while a real-life dealer broadcasts themselves on a stream. They spin wheels, roll dice, or deal cards while interacting with the audience.
On the other hand, live betting is something completely different. Rather than a bookie broadcasting themselves in real-time, a live sports betting app lets you place bets on the match while it is going on. The bookie might broadcast the match on a livestream and let users place bets in real-time. But can you live bet on esports?
Live Betting and Esports
As with any sports competition, many online sportsbooks have also embraced the live betting option for esports. This means all you have to do is wait for the competition to start, and then you can start placing bets in real-time. But what are the most popular esports-related betting options? In this article, we will review some of the most-watched and celebrated esports events today and discuss your betting options.
League of Legends World Championship
The success of League of Legends is undeniable. Riot Games first released the free-to-play game in 2009. Since then, it has continuously grown in popularity, attracting new players and spawning many offshoots. One of the more recent spin-offs is Bandle Tale, a game some LoL fans may be excited about.
With the popularity of League of Legends, it should not be surprising that the LoL World Championship is one of the most popular and watched esports events each year. When an event garners that much attention, the bettors will follow suit.
Teams worldwide compete for the championship title, and sportsbooks follow closely. They then set up odds, allowing fans to wager, both before the tournament and in real-time. This means, that no matter what kind of betting you are interested in, bookies that cover LoL Worlds have you covered.
CS:GO Majors
The relatively recent announcement regarding a sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has caused a stir with many fans. While many are excited about the upcoming game, some may stick to CS:GO. The game was released in 2012, making it all the more impressive that it has a community as vibrant as it did 11 years ago.
The CS:GO Majors are the biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments. They are particularly popular in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia and the United States of America. Of course, many sportsbooks also cover the event and set up odds based on team performance in previous tournaments. Which brings us to a very relevant point.
While these are the most popular betting tournaments, we recommend you also follow some of the lesser tournaments leading up to these big names. Doing so will garner much more info about the teams, players, their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, you will likely make better decisions when betting.
FIFAe World Cup
The popularity of football (aka soccer, or association football) is undeniable. There are around 3.5bn fans of the sport worldwide. Many of them have developed a passion for football beyond simple fandom. They want to experience what it feels like to run the field.
This is where the FIFA games come in. An annual series of games licensed by FIFA that let you experience the world of pro football in your own home. The games’ developer and publisher, EA Sports, broke away from FIFA recently to launch their own EA Sports FC 24. Like many casinos that are the best to bet at to let you wager on proper FIFA matches, they also let you wager on the FIFAe World Cup.
For those unaware, the FIFAe World Cup is an annual esports event where FIFA players compete in the latest game in the series. For fans of both football and video games, this is the perfect place to start your journey into esports.
FAQ
What are live betting sportsbooks?
Live betting sportsbooks are online bookies that let you follow the game in real-time and place bets as the match goes on.
How do live casinos differ from live sportsbooks?
Unlike live bookies, live casinos feature live dealers broadcasting themselves in front of an audience in real time.
Do live betting sportsbooks cover esports?
Absolutely. Esports are one of the latest additions to the world of sports betting. Many bookies follow the events and set up some quality odds.
What are the most popular games to bet on?
Some of the most popular games in esports are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2 and many sports and fighting games.
Do many casinos double as sportsbooks?
Yes, many online casinos have a sportsbook option, and vice versa.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
