ESports betting: features, advantages and prospects

History of eSports

For a long period of time, eSports was little developed and did not represent much interest for fans of virtual games and bookmakers. The first tournaments started in 1995,but it was not too serious. Of course, the reason for this was the quality of the games, which until about 20 years ago resembled a terrible spectacle with the lack of any dynamics and even more graphics. The Internet also made its contribution, the development of which every day increased the popularity and demand for the virtual world.

But if we talk about the very first competitions, the history of tournaments dates back to 1972. However, it is worth noting that the then and current formats were significantly different. Now competitions are not much different from big sports and are beginning to gather a large audience of fans. Previously, the process was similar to the Olympics, and the winner was determined indirectly, not based on the results of a personal confrontation.

Over time, game developers began to modernize projects, providing participants with interesting options for spending time. At that time, this was all. Gamers simply purchased disks with the game and individually passed it. Network mode and multiplayer have gone a long way to improve, and only now you can play over the Internet with other real people.

While the technical side "limped", and organized CS or FIFA tournaments more resembled yard entertainment, no bookmaker was confident in the prospects of eSports. But this discipline started just like bookmakers — first there were ground-based game libraries where you could play against each other, then everyone waited for the development of the Internet and started playing from home. Now in many countries, eSports is an official sport, and this is saying a lot. In addition to the popularity and demand for huge prize money, which, for example, in the Dota is noticeably higher than in many tennis tournaments.

Therefore, from an unknown, uninteresting and incomprehensible entertainment, eSports has become a multi-million dollar business that has clearly established rules and many tournaments. Every month, week, and even day, there are a lot of confrontations. This is what the betting companies noticed, which gradually began to include eSports in the line. At first, this attracted little bettors, because the field was unexplored, there was almost no news and statistics. But now eSports is very popular and gives a lot of privileges to betting fans.

ESports features

The appearance of a relatively new segment in the betting market has attracted a lot of attention from bettors, because usually the confrontations in virtual sports take much less time, which allows you to earn great money for a minimum period of time. However, thoughtless forecasts did not give profit, because eSports has several different directions:

• MOBA. Arena in multiplayer, where one team tries to destroy the other, using an individual hero who differs in certain characteristics, skills and abilities. The most popular representatives of this direction are Dota 2 and League of Legends.
• FPS. Games have an active gameplay, where it is important to demonstrate skills in tactics, speed and skills. The best options are Counter Strike, Call of Duty, and Battlefield.
• Strategies, step-by-step RTS. Here you need to show superiority in urban planning, economy, and military skills. The most popular are Star Craft 1 and 2 parts, Company of Heroes.
• Simulators. Even now, the Need for Speed and Asphalt competitions are still popular.

We should also mention FIFA and PES-football games, which are now very popular due to the pause in real tournaments. For fans of earning money on bets, this option is especially attractive, because the matches are held fairly quickly, and the list of matches per day is huge. In some bookmakers, FIFA and PES are now listed as a separate sport in order to immediately select the ongoing Championships and filter out other areas of eSports.

Types of eSports tournaments

ESports has quite interesting features, which are not only in the genre and direction. Understanding all the subtleties, you can easily earn money, but otherwise, eSports can only bring disappointment. You can bet on luck in principle, but even in major tournaments, you can not expect a 100% victory of the favorites.

The most interesting thing is the competition formats, which depend on the desire of the organizers, because there is no single standard. This is what often confuses the audience, and also brings a lot of trouble to the bettors, who often do not understand the importance of the meeting, how many rounds in the series and other features.

Therefore it is worth paying attention to the following guide on the main tournament formats and variations:

1. Types of matches or series. In eSports, however, as in other disciplines, each match continues until the set number of wins. This format is called Best of, abbreviated as BO. The abbreviation is followed by a number that indicates the number of required wins. BO1 determines that the team must win against the opponent only once and, accordingly, a defeat will end the confrontation.
2. Group stage. This component is present in almost all tournaments, helping to weed out weak teams to determine more worthy participants in the playoffs. The number of groups depends on the organizers and specific tournaments, but mostly it is a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10. The rules specify the number of teams that go further (often the first 2-4), and there are also positions that allow you to play for knockout.
3. The formats of the group stages. Separately, you can select the organization of the group, which is divided into the following main options: Round-robin, GSL, Swiss system.

It is worth considering each of the formats in more detail. Round-robin involves all teams playing against each other. However, the type of series or match may be different, such as in the Champions League. Round-robin is a very popular system that especially attracted the audience and bettors, because it provides a huge number of matches. However, there is a drawback — some of the confrontations do not solve anything, and many of them can be negotiated if the fate of one of the teams for the playoffs is decided.

The GSL system works well in groups with four teams (the number is given for example and there are no restrictions here). Four teams are divided in pairs, and the winner from each pair plays with each other. The same format is used for losers who are fighting for the lowest places. This system is very popular for Dota 2, and also quite interesting is always the DreamHack CS:GO tournament, where instead of the usual groups there is a game of departure, which is similar to the GSL system.

The Swiss format is optimal for cups and tournaments with a huge number of participants. Initially, the players are divided into pairs by lot, determining the winners and losers.

It is also worth noting that the playoffs are the dream of many teams and players not only in eSports, but also in real disciplines. The Olympic system is usually used for the event. The classic tournament grid involves a confrontation between two participants, one of which goes to the next stage, and the other is eliminated. In the playoffs, you need to play one or two matches, and is also used in different single or double elimination tournaments. There is also triple elimination, but this format is used very rarely, offering a high level of randomness.

What to look for in eSports betting

Now you can start analyzing and making direct bets. But you should pay attention to the following nuances:

• single and team disciplines;
• maps;
• collective game;
• online competitions and LAN Championships;
• ratings of teams and players.

First of all, eSports disciplines should be divided into individual and team disciplines. Why is such a nuance important? Almost everyone, because if the team has a weak player or a new gamer, it is difficult to demonstrate a quality level, adhering to the established tactics. In single confrontations, it is somewhat easier — the duel takes place only between two participants, and everything depends on the skills and professionalism of each. For betting, it is better to choose single tournaments, although experienced bettors are not limited to this and always find a lot of interesting options, even in a difficult team division.

As for maps, this factor is also very important. This nuance is especially noticeable in CS:GO. Many top teams can lose to outsiders because of an inconvenient map. Most novice bettors believe that professionals perform equally well at all locations represented in the tournament, but this is far from the case.

Of course, the skills and abilities do not go away, but for a great game on any map, you will need at least 20 hours of training per day. These are unrealistic figures, so when forecasting, you need to pay special attention to the strengths and weaknesses of the teams. Practice shows that there is an opportunity to earn more on outsiders, but with proper Analytics.

As for team play, in any sport, teamwork is the first and most important indicator of success. Now, due to the demand for eSports, the practice of transfers has become more popular. Strong players move to different teams, forming very strong teams together with the rest. In this case, the important thing is not the star quality of the team, but the motivation and desire to work on mistakes. Therefore, At the time, the expensive and powerful Kinguin team in CS achieved almost nothing, being content with winning small championships. At the same time, the bettors lost a large amount of money, because no one doubted the strength of the team.

Even a careful study of the rating of players is unlikely to help qualitative analysis. Although in General, practice is definitely necessary, because with the current huge amounts of prize money, only the lazy are not motivated. It is also recommended that you pay attention to the format of tournaments in order to place bets. Online and LAN competitions are very different, because sitting at home in a comfortable environment is much easier to focus than to cope with the nerves in front of a multi-million audience. Even professionals don't always manage it.

Therefore, for successful bets, you should take into account a lot of different factors that will increase the chance of profitable activity and save you from possible losses of money. However, eSports in this regard is not much different from real disciplines, and even Vice versa — familiar line in general may have slightly different options for making forecasts.

What is the line of eSports disciplines

Novice players are too frivolous about betting on eSports, comparing it with real disciplines. In General, this is correct, but not quite. For example, for real football in FIFA, similar markets are offered, but instead of 90 minutes, only 5 are played, after which new confrontations begin. That is, it takes a very long time to wait for Liverpool to win in the Premier League, and in some virtual League, the process can take from 4-6 hours to several days.

It is worth taking a closer look at the markets for the most popular eSports games:

1. FIFA. Continuing the topic of football, it is necessary to appreciate the opportunities for earning. The game is one of the most favorite and easy to understand, because it is possible to bet on the victory of one of the teams, handicaps, totals and even an accurate score. You can also make a forecast for the result by halftime and who will score the first goal.
2. League of Legends. One of the most popular subjects for betting, however, is not the structure of the markets. To win, it is important to navigate the game and know the difference in dynamic markets between the game before the first blood or a series of murders, as well as to navigate the maps — where one of the teams feels better. If you do not want to understand and go deeper, you can try a clean victory for a certain participant, but it is very difficult to guess due to serious competition and lack of proper analysis.
3. CS:GO. The most tenacious and popular game in the world also has a dynamic market with a good painting. No less popular for “contra” handicaps and totals, which can be quite well earned.

Depending on the betting company, the line, the painting and the odds for different matches differ. Therefore, you should carefully choose the exchange with the best offers and opportunities for earning. Now there are enough proven BM and there are even some that are focused exclusively on eSports, providing a huge range of profitable solutions.

Generally speaking, the most popular types of eSports betting are as follows:

• long-term or outright;
• on individual fights;
• the odds;
• totals;
• combo bet;
• special.

Outright bets are quite popular and mean making a forecast for a player or team to win the tournament. This option has high odds even on clear favorites. This puts off newcomers, but professional bettors often invest money for the long term. However, it can hardly be called long-term, because the average tournament lasts 3-7 days.

Betting on the outcome of a single game is absolutely no different from standard betting on real sports. In eSports, it is only important to make predictions for single matches, because the series are held on different maps and you can not notice this, losing a lot of money. The odds for a final win or loss are low, but you can find generous quotes even for favorites.

Much better value bets with a handicap, which allow you to reduce risks, while providing fairly high coefficients. For example, the favorite always gets low quotes, and the outsider gets very large ones. To level the odds, a handicap is used, expressed in the number of goals scored, points scored, and other offers from the BC. If you bet in FIFA (-2) on the favorite, you will need to win with a difference of 3 goals. If it is 2-0 or 3-1, a refund is made. The handicap value just needs to be added to the team's result, which will mean the final result for calculating the bid.

Express trains differ from single forecasts by having 2 or more events in the coupon. Some bookmakers try to encourage active and risky bettors who make a bet of 5 or more matches, adding a certain percentage to the total coefficient. This allows you to increase the amount of winnings if the forecast is played.

ESports is also characterized by special bets, which are provided in a huge number in real sports. For example, in CS: GO, this can be a forecast for the number of kills by one player, certain weapons, and even the number of bombs cleared. In major tournaments, the most popular bet is to win in the first round.

It is also worth highlighting such additional bets for other types of eSports:

• First Blood-a bet on the first kill in a certain round or on the map. This can be a forecast for a specific player or team actions in General.
• The first to pick up an Aegis is used for Dota 2. When Roshan (one of the most powerful neutral units in the game) loses an Aegis, teams try to quickly pick it up to improve their abilities. Many bettors are waiting for this, having made a bet on a rather interesting event.
• Who will be the first to break down the tower or barracks? The bet is also timed to Dota 2 and League of Legends.
• Ratings of the best players. This option applies to long-term bids based on statistical data. But in some major tournaments, this type of forecast is also available for the total of one match among all the players participating in the team match.

ESports offers a lot of variations for earning money, especially given the huge number of tournaments and matches that are regularly held every month. Every day, bettors can improve their own assets by placing bets on thousands of events from different virtual sports.

Difference between eSports and real sports in betting

Having knowledge and experience in classic betting, eSports will not present any difficulties for making predictions. But it is important to understand that real organizations, sports clubs and associations invest a lot of money in certain tournaments. That is why teams strictly adhere to the established rules, and for deviations from the requirements are followed by fines. In eSports, this is also available, but it is not yet so seriously regulated.

However, if you want to make money on eSports in the same way as traditional betting, you need to bet only on those disciplines that have knowledge and understanding of the process. If a bettor has been interested in football for a long time, he will not immediately understand what a bet on First blood is or what more — "Who will kill the Baron first". With a detailed examination of FIFA, the player will immediately be able to unlock the potential, because this is the same football, but with a shorter time frame for one match.

The differences between betting on real and virtual sports are as follows:

1. Attempt to make a forecast for constantly changing disciplines. In real sports, the rules were created a long time ago and are only occasionally supplemented. Major changes take a long period of time and are usually discussed with all participants in leagues, Championships, and there is also a lot of information for fans. In eSports, this is much more difficult, because the characters, maps, and features in certain games change very often. This directly affects the performance of gamers and teams in General, which is reflected in the bids.
2. Morale and training of players. Professionals work constantly and hard to achieve the best results. But if in real sports there is a balance in training and a more relaxed lifestyle, then eSports players often run out of schedule and allow themselves a lot of days off. This is quite difficult to track, because few people advertise their personal life and attitude to the game. Also, for example, the training of a gamer usually takes place from 14:00 to 24:00, and this time is most favorable for the game, but the tournament takes place from 8:00 to 16:00. This confuses many people, and despite the status of the favorite, a player or team can fail miserably.
3. Changes in the line-up. In real sports, players sign contracts and stick to them. Transfer windows are created for transitions that take place in a certain period of time. There is no such strict framework in eSports, and even though there is a contract, a gamer can leave at any time. Individual indicators are also quite important, but if this is a team game, even a professional can not beat a well-coordinated team of opponents alone.
4. The difference in the amount of information. You can read a lot of news and rumors about football, basketball and other real disciplines every day, and now most athletes actively maintain accounts in social networks, telling about many things. There is frankly little information about eSports, and sometimes you have to settle for dry statistics that do not always bring results. With rare exceptions, the organizers provide a lot of content about the participants and describe the entire tournament.

You can also select the time of matches. In eSports, fights are much faster, which helps you earn more, or lose, which is also possible. If you do not know the specifics of the discipline, as well as with sharply changed rules, team structures and the morale of gamers, even a bet on the favorite does not guarantee enjoyment when viewing and good earnings.

Surebet services for eSports

It is worth paying attention to surebets services, which are often used specifically for eSports, in order to identify at least approximate options for making forecasts, if there is only minimal knowledge. In technical terms, there is no special difference between arbs for real or virtual sports. The only thing that is important to understand is that the services offer the most popular options for bids, and you should not rely on passing special types of forecasts.

Usually arbitration in terms of pure wins, but sometimes there are plugs on handicaps and totals. Despite not the most impressive number of offers, experts recommend trying events even with a percentage of return up to 60%. At the same time, for real sports, such indicators are akin to failure, and it is not often possible to raise money on such matches.

But generally speaking, arbs services are definitely needed by eSports fans. Now they are not very popular, which is good for many professionals who use surebets. Bets on the proposed events are not made in large numbers, so there are no questions in bookmakers.

Given the rapid development of eSports and the current situation in the world, scanners can bring a lot of benefits. You only need to choose the most proven, functional and reliable ones to win.

The advantages of betting on eSports

At the present time, eSports has gained unprecedented popularity, which is fully justified by its advantages. Virtual games bring a lot of fun not only when viewing, but also when making predictions. It is worth highlighting the following advantages of betting on eSports:

1. A rich calendar of tournaments, Championships and individual matches. If you pay attention to the line of events of any major BC, you will notice that the list of matches for earnings is simply huge, and there is a minimum waiting time between games. That is why it is easy to earn more in a few hours than in real sports in a month.
2. Excellent painting and high coefficients. Only in rare cases, clear favorites quotes seriously sink, although when making forecasts in live, you can control the process and try to catch the most generous coefficient.
3. A progressive sport. ESports is constantly being upgraded, and it's hard for bookmakers to build the right line for hundreds of matches a day. Therefore, you can bet on a high coefficient and earn money without problems.
4. Ability to make forecasts at any time. ESports is also in demand because of its availability. Many games are held online, and there are no problems when organizing major Championships in this format. This is especially noticeable now, when the Covid-19 virus has spoiled the plans of many fans of big sports, professional athletes, managers and presidents, as well as organizers.

ESports has a significant list of advantages, but the main ones are the above-mentioned ones. Its rapid development will only accelerate in the near future, so you should pay special attention to different betting games.

What mistakes should be avoided betting in eSports

It is clear that any bets are a kind of risk, even with careful analysis, preparation and excellent Analytics. The development of the game is always influenced by many factors, and some of them are almost impossible to predict, which leads to defeats. Therefore, you should avoid the following errors:

• betting on emotions and favorites;
• making forecasts for several types of games at once;
• the pursuit of high rates;
• multiple bets consisting of events with quotes 1,1-1,3.

Any of the above errors does not bring any positive result to the balance, but on the contrary — allows you to lose everything at one time. It is important not to forget about Analytics, read verified reviews, conduct quality analysis, and then bets on eSports will bring maximum profit.