Esports Betting Sites
Expert esports bookmakers reviews and real ratings. The best esports betting sites allow you to bet on today’s top CSGO, LOL, and Dota 2 events in a safe and transparent manner. They offer a wide variety of betting markets, reliable payment methods, and, above all, competitive odds. To help you out easily identify the most […]
Expert esports bookmakers reviews and real ratings.
The best esports betting sites allow you to bet on today’s top CSGO, LOL, and Dota 2 events in a safe and transparent manner. They offer a wide variety of betting markets, reliable payment methods, and, above all, competitive odds.
To help you out easily identify the most trustworthy esports bookmakers, we put together a simple, but comprehensive list of features that we consider essential to any reputable and praiseworthy esports betting site.
Top 8 esports betting sites – March 2022
Here are the Top 8 best overall esports betting sites in for 2022.
- 🥇 Rivalry: Best for Gamers ~ Recurrent Campaigns ~ Good Odds
- 🥈 Thunderpick: Numerous Offers and Promotions ~ VIP Programm
- 🥉 ArcaneBet: Good Esports Coverage ~ Mobile Friendly
- 4️⃣ Betway: Good Reputation ~ Lots of Payment Methods
- 5️⃣ LootBet: Dedicated Events ~ Esports Supporter
- 6️⃣ 888: Established Brand ~ Multitude of Payment Methods
- 7️⃣ 22Bet: Safe & Reliable ~ Good Odds
- 8️⃣ GG.Bet: 24/7 Support ~ Live Streaming
Best esports sites by category:
- 🏆 Best for CSGO Bets: Rivalry
- 🏆 Best for Dota 2 Bets: 22Bet
- 🏆 Best for LOL Bets: GG.Bet
- 🏆 Best for Valorant Bets: Thunderpick
- 🏆 Best for betting on Overwatch: Betway
- 🏆 Best for Fifa Betting: Pinnacle
- 🏆 Best for Starcraft 2 Bets: Loot.Bet
- 🏆 Best for betting on Rainbow 6: GG.bet
Key factors we consider when writing our esports betting sites reviews:
- The odds offered for real-money esports betting
- The license they hold and overall reputation
- Variety of esports bets and markets covered
- Player bonuses and regularity of esports-centered promotions
- Payments methods offered and how easy is to withdraw your winnings
- How helpful and responsive their customer support is
- Unique features and distinctive functionalities
Compare betting sites odds with our unique oddschecker tool
There’s no doubt about it. When it comes to esports betting sites the most crucial thing for a bettor is to figure out where to find the best odds.
Well, there’s no easier way to check where the biggest odds for CSGO, Dota 2 or LOL are, than by having a look at our odds comparison tables in each game section.
Even minor differences in odds can result in major differences in payouts.
Here’s an example of how the estimated returns on a 10 Euro bet on the same team, in the same match can have a considerable impact on your estimated returns.
And see how easy it is to find the esports betting sites with the largest odds by using our tool.
Choosing to bet on Vodafone Giants at Rivalry in the situation above is cleary the most profitable option.
We let the bookies speak for themselves!
When we built our tool we decided we’ll let the bookmakers speak for themselves when it comes to odds provided.
Our proprietary oddschecker tool analises the current esports matches, aggregates them and shows them side by side so you can make an informed decision on where to bet with the highest returns possible.
Simple data, in a side by side table is the simplest way to identify the best bookie for a particular bet.
Currently, the tool gathers data on odds from 8 betting sites, but we’re constantly looking to expand our selection and add more to the list.
Why betting with a regulated bookmaker is imperative
When dealing with real-money betting, safety is crucial! And online safety depends on three key factors:
- Licensing
- Site Encryption and Data Protection
- Odds and Match Fairness
Regulated vs non-regulated
Not all esports betting sites today are committed to ensuring a safe environment for their players and because of this, it’s important to always go for regulated operators.
A regulated esports betting site holds an internationally-recognised gambling license such as the ones issued by the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority or the Isle of Man Gambling Comission.
These bodies hold the betting sites accountable for a multitude of factors such as accounting procedures or how handling customer complaints is being handled.
It’s always better to choose a regulated bookie over a non regulated one.
There’s less of a chance to come across ambiguous terms and conditions or having your personal information such as card details, address, and so on at risk.
Betting Site Encryption
A SSL encryption or the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is the thing you need to be on the lookout for.
The digital encryption ensures that the data being sent between your browser (Firefox, Safari, Chrome) and a server (the betting site) is secured safely across the network so no third-party can see or retrieve it.
It’s actually quite easy to spot a betting site with a secure encryption – just look for the tiny lock icon in your browser’s address bar.
Clicking on it should tell you if your connection to the site is secure and the data you provide to the site, including your personal information, is safe.
Additionally, you can also check if the site’s web address contains “https” instead of “http”. That will tell you that the page you’re on is encrypted.
Safe sites should offer a minimum 128-bit SSL encryption but some can even offer a 256-bit one.
In simple terms these numbers stand for the amount of zeros and ones that generate the encryption key.
It might not sound like much but it’s estimated that it would take over 100 years to crack a 128-bit key.
Want to learn more about secure connections? Check this Google help page!
Odds Fairness
Safe websites might not mean anything if the fairness of the odds offered is not ensured.
Now when it comes to esports odds, the license the bookmaker holds should be your main indicator of a legit betting site.
The second one should be the site’s odds provider. Betradar for instance is one of the world’s top esports odds providers with a good reputation and active partnerships with the top sports organizations today.
For esports, OddsMatrix is real-time betting odds that are tested daily against tens of thousands of real players.
The third element you should consider is any active partnership with independent esports organizations such as ESIC.
ESIC or the The Esports Integrity Commission is an integrity body that oversees member events across a variety of different esports titles.
Among its members one can find a plethora of government bodies, companies and gambling bodies.
Intel, the Nevada State Gaming Control Board and the New Zealand Esports Federation are examples of ESIC Members.
The Safest Esports betting sites
| No. | Site | Licenses | Encryption Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 888 | UKGC, MGA, | 256 |
| 2. | Betway | Western Cape Gambling Board | 256 |
| 3. | 22bet | Curacao, UKGC | 128 |
| 4. | Rivalry | Isle of Man | 256 |
| 5. | Bet356 | Gibraltar, UKGC | 2084 |
| 6. | Lootbet | Curacao | 2084 |
Who offers the most varied selection of bets and events
Fair odds and safe sites are not very useful if there’s no matches to bet on.
So it makes sense that the next thing that should be taken into consideration when analyzing an esports betting site is to check the variety of matches and bets offered.
Again, here things are rather straightforward. The more – the better.
The top esports betting sites by category
Any respectable bookmaker should, at any time, cover a couple of events belonging to the holy trinity of esports: CSGO , Dota 2, and League of Legends.
These esports titles are responsible for the largest and the most important tournaments of the year. Some, such as LOL, even have ongoing leagues, with weekly matches throughout the year.
So if you’re looking for the best betting sites for CSGO or the most reliable bookie for your Dota 2 bets, look no further. We have detailed guides covering all major titles.
Top 3 CSGO Betting Sites
| Rank | Site | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rivalry | Beside a wide selection of CSGO tournaments, Rivalry’s offer includes one of the best esports welcome bonuses |
| #2 | Loot.Bet | Longtime sponsors of major Counter Strike tournaments, Loot.Bet offers a reliable and safe experience. |
| #3 | Thunderpick | Thunderpick is one of the few online betting sites that tried and succeeded in creating a game-like experience for their players. |
Top 3 Dota 2 Betting Sites
| Rank | Site | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 22Bet | 22Bet offers a quick registration, a superb welcome bonus to new players and an obvious choice for our 1st pick for places to bet on Dota 2 |
| #2 | ArcaneBet | This bookmaker offers esports and sports wagers in an easy to use, minimalist interface perfect for mobile betting. |
| #3 | Rivalry | Rivalry makes our top 3 again thanks to its extensive coverage of Dota 2 events and odds offered. |
Top 3 LOL Betting Sites
| Rank | Site | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | GG.Bet | This bookmaker gets the 1st place thanks to ide range of games and markets covered and one of the easiest to use interfaces. |
| #2 | 888 | Lots of payments methods, a reputation that goes back decades and helpful support gets 888 the second spot in our top. |
| #3 | Betway | Plenty of customer support option and a generous welcome bonus suitable for esports bettors gets Betway the 3rd place. |
Top 3 Valorant Betting Sites
| Rank | Site | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Thunderpick | This bookmaker was one of the first to include Valorant odds to its offer and it did it great. Today, it covers all major events with some of the best live odds. |
| #2 | Buff.Bet | Buff.bet is a fantastic bookie for esports fans but its limited market availability and its Curacao-only license only earn it a 2nd place. |
| #3 | Rivalry | Rivalry makes the Top 3 again thanks to its continuous solid offer of great odds which extends to Valorant as well. |
Top 3 Overwatch Betting Sites
| Rank | Site | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Betway | Betway has a great lineup of safe banking options and is one of the only sites to cover the Overwatch League events. |
| #2 | GG.Bet | GG.bet offers risk-free Overwatch bets and a great cashback bonus applicable to all esports wagers. |
| #3 | 22Bet | 22Bet reaches the top 3 again thanks to some of the best Overwatch odds available. |
Who offers the largest selection of bets, markets and lines
A good esports bookmaker not only covers a multitude of tournaments but also provides a large variety of betting options.
Moneyline or Match Winners are good for newbies but once you’re getting a hang of betting on esports the appetite for more exotic or complex bets will surely increase.
In our reviews we’re also looking at how varied the selection of bets a betting site is offering.
Under and Over, First Blood, Outrights and Map winners bets with handicaps open up more winning opportunities.
If you’re an avid esports fan who follows a particular team or player you might want to bet on First Kill or Exact Map scores. These are the types of markets with way better odds than a Straight up bet.
These are the bets where the potential winnings are considerably higher if you get the outcome right.
The quality and relevance of player bonuses and offers
All betting sites offer new players deposit or welcome bonuses. Not all bonuses are actually useful for an esports bettor.
Another criteria we take into account when reviewing a new esports betting site is their bonus offer for new players.
This is a major element to consider particularly when registering a new account.
Traditional deposit bonuses might be used for esports bets but that doesn’t mean they are equally useful.
The bonus’ wagering requirements and odds limits might be suitable for football betting but not for bets on Valorant or StarCraft 2.
Time limits can also be an issue. Bonuses with a short validity period might be obsolete by the time your favourite esports tournament begins.
Free bets sound exciting but many operators are restricting them to specific sports such as horse betting.
Best Welcome Bonuses for Esports bets
| No. | Site | Bonus | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rivalry | 100% up to 100$ | Wagering Requirement: 15X; Valid for 7 days |
| 2. | 22bet | Make your first deposit and get a 100% bonus up to 3000 NOK | Wagering Requirement: 50X; Valid for 7 days |
| 3. | 888 | Place Your First $10 Bet and earn $30 in free bets + a $10 casino bonus | Wagering Requirement: 40X; Valid for 7 days |
| 4. | Betway | £10 Free Bet | No requirements |
Traditional sports bookmakers vs esports-first betting sites
There’s no doubt that the best esports betting sites you can choose from are the ones focused primarily on esports.
Rivalry, Loot.bet, GG.bet or Arcane.bet are sites that were built with esports bettors in mind. Betway, Unibet or Pinnacle are sports betting sites that ALSO offer esports betting.
You need to have that in mind as both types come with their pros and cons.
Traditional betting sites usually have a reputation behind them. One that’s built on years of covering all the major sport events.
They can offer a multitude of payment methods, safety features, provide excellent customer service and hold all major licenses.
The esports betting sites on the other hand are mostly new. Some are still in the start-up phase, most of them with a non-existing reputation.
They can’t boast about their years of experience or the licenses they hold.
These are the sites that offer first-deposit bonuses most likely to be beneficial to esports betting.
But, even between these, the differences in bonus quality are huge!
Rivalry, for instance, offers a 100% up to $100 with a 30 day 5x rollover period and bets on odds over 1.5.
By comparison, Arcane.bet’s welcome offer is a 100% match bonus up to €/$30 with a 7 day, 15x rollover and bets at odds of over 1.85 or more.
They are also the ones who regularly come up with offers and promotions centered around esports top tournaments.
Active Esports Betting Site Promotions
| No. | Site | Promo | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rivalry | Quest for more money | Quest |
| 2. | Betway | $5 Free Bet Blast Premier Fall | Tournament related |
| 3. | GG.bet | 15% cashback for deposits deposit | Season related (Autumn promo) |
| 4. | Thunderpick | Thunderpick Gift Cards | Weekens/Events related |
How to find the sites with the best (and fastest) payouts
Good esports betting sites offer multiple payment method options for their customers regardless of the region or country.
Reputable bookies give their players the option to choose between card payments, e-wallets, bank transfers, and even various cryptocurrencies.
A large number of payment providers available also indicate increased safety for you as the regulations concerning online payments are critical, both as a means to protect operators and players and as a way to ensure fiscal compliance.
Established sites, such as 888 for instance, offer no less than 30 different payment providers with instant deposit times and withdrawals as fast as 1 day.
We pay special attention to the payment options and our reviews include complete details of what payment methods are available and the times to deposit and withdraw.
The esports betting sites with the best payout processes
| No. | Site | No of Payment Methods | Types Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 888 | 30 | Credit and Debit cards, Crypto, etc. |
| 2. | Rivalry | 23 | Cards, Vouchers, Bank transfers, e-wallets, etc. |
| 3. | 22bet | 70 | Credit and Debit cards, 25 types of cryptocurrencies, Skrill, etc. |
| 4. | Thunderpick | 25 | Crypto, Card, e-wallets, etc. |
The most helpful and honest esports betting sites
Encountering issues with bets placement, deposits or withdrawals is not unheard of when dealing with online betting sites.
And, with that in mind, there’s few things that count towards a pleasant customer experience as much as a professional and well-trained customer service department.
We know players don’t want to be left hanging when they encounter an issue, or being asked to wait for days for a resolution to their ticket.
That’s why, when we review esports bookmakers, we’re paying close attention to what kinds of support systems they have in place, availability and average response times.
The esports betting sites we recommend in our section tend to offer 24/7 support, live chat or phone support – ideally both – and have a well-written and complete FAQ or Help Center.
Additionally, we’re testing their customer support agents with enquiries meant to present a clear picture of how fast they can respond and how knowledgeable they are.
In the end, a fast reply is not worth much if the answer is wrong.
Here’s our shortlist of the esports betting sites well equipped to handle your inquiries.
The esports betting sites that offer the best customer support
| No. | Site | Support Option | Average Respons Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rivalry | Live Chat, Email, Phone | 10 min |
| 2. | 22bet | Live Chat, Email | 15 min |
| 3. | Unibet | Live Chat. Email, Phone | 10 min |
| 4. | Thunderpick | Live Chat, Email, Phone | 10-15 min |
Where to find unique features and player-centric functionalities
The biggest issue most traditional operators face is a complete lack of understanding that esports bettors are not cut from the same cloth as traditional gamblers.
People who like betting on The International, Intel Extreme Masters or LOL’s Worlds are first and foremost gamers.
They either played the games they’re passionate about in the past or they are playing them right now.
That’s a bit different from your average football punter, who, although maybe a player in his youth, he most definitely does not play an hour or so every night.
Esports gamblers like to be part of the competition. They like gamification elements and they enjoy interacting with like-minded people.
You’ll also find that such features are usually found on esports-first betting sites. The newcomers to the betting scene.
Sites such as Rivalry or Thunderpick run their own internal competitions our tournaments that reward players who participate in betting activities.
Rivalry offers Rushlane and regular Quests
Rivalry is by far one of the best esports betting sites when it comes to keeping their customers engaged.
The site offers two unique tournaments, each with its own gamification system – called Rushlane and Quests.
Rushlane is an automated head-to-head game where players are pitted against 24 other real players in a race to win money.
To join a race, all you need to do is stake money which will be added to the total prize pool. Top players in each race will end up splitting the prize pool.
Quests are similar to daily quests in video games. Players can get regularly and can have up to 3 active at any point. Completing quests will reward you with XP which can reward you real money.
Thunderpick organizes the Thunder Race and Esports Quizzes
The Thunder Race is open to Thunderpick registered users who engage in betting or other gambling activities on the site.
Races can last for days and the top 100 players with most points at the end of each race can win a gift card.
To test their players’ knowledge of esports, Thunderpick also organizes Esports Quizzes on their Discord channel.
The questions revolve around current esports tournaments, teams and players and winners are picked among the users that answer the questions correctly.
Recap on how to identify the best esports betting sites
Well, there you have it: a complete guide on how to recognize the best esports betting sites available today.
And instead of a conclusion, a short summary of things you need to remember before you leave.
When choosing where to bet on Dota 2, Fifa or Valorant you need to pay attention to:
- The odds they offer
- What gambling license they hold
- The variety of esports bets offered
- What welcome bonuses and promotions they offer
- The list of payment methods available
- The quality of their customer service
- What unique features you can access on their site
Do you think we should add something else to the list? Let us know!
