How to Bet on Esports in 2026: Rules, Risks, and Winning Examples

Esports betting has exploded in popularity over the last few years, with revenue growing from 0.6 billion in 2017 to 2.8 billion in 2025. Though lots of old-school sports bettors dismiss betting on video game outcomes, this type of outstanding growth shows that Esports are here to stay.

Even with the rising popularity of Esports, it’s incredibly difficult to find solid information on how to bet on them, much less turn a profit. Because of that, we’ve created the following Esports betting guide with examples to show you how to make money doing something you love.

What is Esports Betting?

Esports betting involves wagering on the outcomes of video games. Some of the most popular choices to bet on are Fortnite, League of Legends, Rocket League, Dota 2, and Call of Duty. Just like with regular sports, Esports has its own set of leagues and professional players.

However, there are a whole slew of differences between Esports and traditional sports. Regular sports take place only in person, while Esports only exist in the digital realm. Because of this, there are many more betting options for Esports than for in-person sports. 

This more expansive betting menu makes Esports very attractive to younger bettors or folks who prefer a higher volume of betting action each day. Think about it. College football and NFL teams play one game per week. A high-level Esports player can play an entire tournament in one afternoon.

Credit: Statista / Esports.net

Esports were born back in the early 2000s, but serious betting action didn’t take place until 2011, when the social media platform Twitch was successfully launched. In those days, betting options were limited mainly to League of Legends and Dota 2 tournaments. That being said, competitive video gaming got a big boost when CS:GO started accepting skins as betting currency.

However, the Esports industry really took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly because folks were stuck at home and were desperate to ease the boredom of being locked down. Today, there are millions of men and women Esports bettors around the globe who wager on the sport daily.

Types of Esports Bets You Can Place

If you’re new to Esports, you may be shocked to learn that there are six different types of betting options for them. Surprisingly enough, each of these types of wagers is common in traditional sports betting as well. That fact alone may help ease the minds of gamblers who are reluctant to try betting on Esports. Let’s go over each type of Esports bets below.

✅ Moneyline

This is the simplest Esports bet you can make. Simply pick the team or the player that you think will win the game or match. However, just because this type of bet is simple to make doesn’t mean that moneylines are easy money. As a bettor, you must always do your due diligence.

Credit: 888Sport

Take a look at the above moneyline example of a League of Legends tournament called the KeSPA Cup. Here we see that the Dplus KIA team is heavily favored over the Nongshim RedForce, so much so that you’d have to bet $225 to win back $100 ($325 total). However, if you like the underdog, a $100 wager pays back $150 ($250 total).

✅ Spread Betting

Here’s another similarity between Esports and their traditional counterparts. Both have a spread betting option, where folks can wager on the margin of victory. However, instead of points, Esports are judged by maps or rounds. Here’s an example of a Call of Duty tournament below:

Credit: DraftKings

The favorite (Toronto) has to win by at least three maps. The underdog (Vancouver) has to either win the match outright or not lose by more than two maps. This is a good way for sportsbooks to even things up in a match where Toronto is a very heavy favorite (-900).

✅ Over/Under Bets

If you’ve been studying the moneyline and the spread in an Esports match and can’t decide which team or player has an edge, you may want to take a look at making an Over/Under wager instead. Here’s an example:

Credit: DraftKings

With Over/Under bets, also known as totals, you’re betting on how long the match will go instead of who will win. For example, if you think the match will go over 4.5 maps, bet on the Over at +160 odds. If you’re expecting the match to have fewer than 4.5 maps, ride the Under at -215 odds.

✅ Prop Bets

A lot of folks are shocked to learn that there are tons of prop bets available in Esports. These types of wagers have skyrocketed in popularity, much like player props in regular sports. With props, you zero in on a specific occurrence instead of simply who will win the match or how long the match will go.

In Esports, most props are centered around how a certain map will go. For example, you can bet on what you think the final score will be in the map. You can also wager on which team will win the first map. Another popular choice is who will get the first kill or first blood of a map.

Shooter games like Valorant and CS2 have even more props. Bettors can indulge in which player or team will have the most kills. The possibilities are almost endless.

✅ Parlay Bets

Parlay bets are where you combine more than one outcome or prop into one overall wager. All selections in the wager must come true for the parlay to win. A high number of bettors love parlays because of the seductiveness of a higher payout.

However, parlays are inherently more risky and should only be played for fun amounts by the vast majority of gamblers. Our example below shows what a two-team Call of Duty parlay would pay.

Credit: DraftKings

✅ Live Betting

Most old-school bettors like to place their wagers before a match and sit back and enjoy the action. However, Esports betting attracts a much younger generation of gamblers who love to bet on events as they’re happening in real-time. Let’s talk a little bit about how live betting works.

Let’s say that you really like Team B to beat Team A in CS2, but you aren’t crazy about their odds before the map starts. If Team A happens to win the pistol round, you’ll be able to get much more attractive odds on Team B to come back and win the map.

Popular Esports Games for Betting

In this section, we’ll cover some of the top Esports betting strategies that you can use to build your bankroll. There are a plethora of options out there, but we’re only going to focus on the Top 5 Esports games below. Scroll down to your favorite game below to find out how to start making money while watching it.

✅ League of Legends Betting Tips

League of Legends (LoL) is one of the games that help put Esports on the map. The object of the game is for teams to work together to destroy the other team’s base, which is called Nexus in League of Legends lingo. However, just because the object of the game is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy to win money by betting on it.

Always do plenty of statistical research before placing a wager on League of Legends. It’s best to compare metrics like tower control, gold leads at 15 minutes, and First Blood rate. If a team has an edge in two of those three areas, they may be worth a bet.

That being said, never rely only on statistical analysis alone. While a lot of math experts may disagree, there’s no substitute for sitting back and watching the teams you plan on betting on in the future. Certain tendencies will never show up on the stat sheet and can only be found by watching live matches.

✅ CS2 Betting Strategies

Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) is immensely popular among gamers and Esports bettors alike. There are thousands of registered players around the globe, which means there are plenty of opportunities for savvy Esports investors to turn a profit.

The simplest way to make money betting CS2 is to look for prime spots to fade the most popular teams. Squads like HEROIC and FaZe generate a ton of buzz among CS2 enthusiasts, so oddsmakers tend to jack up their odds way too far. This creates an ample amount of mathematical value on the underdog who’s facing the popular team.

✅ Dota 2 Betting Considerations

Dota 2 betting lines are some of the sharpest in the Esports market. Because of this, seasoned gamblers should focus on only a couple of scenes instead of trying to place wagers on every tournament. Most serious Esports bettors will even avoid the major tournaments because the bookmakers have their numbers dialed in tightly on those.

After deciding what scenes you want to zero in on, look for teams with draft edges. A good example of a draft edge would be when a team has some strong lane matchups. If that team plays at a fast pace, that’s even better.

✅ Valorant Betting Guide

Valorant is a fun Esports game to bet on because it has lots of wild outcomes. In the gambling world, this is known as variance, and this presents a solid opportunity to invest in some underdogs. However, this doesn’t mean you can blindly bet every underdog on the Valorant betting card.

Take the time to really dig into the metrics of each team. With a little time and a lot of effort, you can find spots where the underdog has the edge on the favorite in specific maps. When you find those occurrences, bet on the underdog to win that map, not the overall game.

✅ Call of Duty Betting Insights

New Esports bettors need to realize that Call of Duty is actually three different games in one. That being said, it would behoove most investors to pick which of the three core modes to specialize in. The three options are Control, Hardpoint, and Search & Destroy.

Call of Duty moneylines on full matches are priced incredibly well by the sportsbooks, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. Instead, savvy Esports bettors like to focus on juicy underdogs in Search & Destroy modes. Even some of the worst teams in Call of Duty have a decent chance in this niche because luck plays a bigger role than skill.

Common Esports Betting Mistakes to Avoid

With loads of betting options on each day’s Esports board, the bets you don’t make are just as important as the ones you do. As tempting as it may be to fire away on everything edge you think you may have found, you have to be aware of the many landmines that are lurking on the Esports battlefield. In this section, we’ll dive into some of the most common mistakes that Esports bettors make and how to avoid them.

1. Not Having a Money Management Plan

This is where responsible gaming comes into play. Set a bankroll management plan for each month you plan to bet on Esports. Smart bettors only wager 1-2% of their overall bankroll per play. This helps you stay in the game even during the coldest of losing streaks. If you’re unable to stick to your betting budget, you may be prone to gambling addiction. If that’s the case, the trained pros at GambleAware can help. Reach out to them to get your life back on track.

2. Placing Too Many Bets Per Day

A lot of newer Esports players love to have action throughout the day because it’s fun and exciting. However, you have to decide if you want to bet for fun or bet to make a profit. People who bet for fun may make 10-20 plays per day and gradually watch their bankroll decrease. Folks who bet to earn income will limit their bets to only the top 1-5 choices on each day’s card. Remember, the bookmakers are professionals, and they don’t make a whole lot of mistakes each day.

3. Betting On Too Many Favorites

The average gambler loves to bet on favorites because they love having money on the better team or player. However, betting on too many favorites will make you go broke over the long haul. The sportsbooks know that folks love to bet on favorites, so they pad the odds a little extra to account for the extra action they receive on them. Because of this, it’s best to mix in a few underdogs onto your betting card each day.

4. Chasing Losses

Most Esports matches carry a higher level of variability than regular sports. Because of this, bettors are more prone to go through longer losing streaks. When you’ve lost three bets in a row in the last few minutes of a match, it’s tempting to load up on your last bet of the day to try to ‘get even’. Don’t give in to this temptation. This is known as chasing, and it’ll give you a one-way ticket to the poor house. It’s also a sign of gambling addiction (see #1 of this section).

5. Only Betting With One Sportsbook

The best Esports bettors are incredibly price-sensitive, and they make finding the best odds a top priority. This may sound overly simplistic, but you can’t shop for the best prices if you only have one sportsbook account. Doing this boxes you into paying whatever that one book is offering. Do yourself a favor and sign up for at least three sportsbooks. Any time you’re ready to place a wager, check all three to find the best price. Those small savings on each bet can be the difference between a winning year or a losing year in Esports betting.

FAQs

Can I Make Money Betting on Esports?

Yes, lots of folks make a decent side income from betting on Esports. A select few even make a full-time living from the endeavor. Keep in mind, though, that even with lots of research and discipline, betting on Esports is still gambling.

Are There Any Guaranteed Winning Strategies?

Unfortunately, no, there are no guarantees in Esports betting. Even the best wagers only have a slight advantage over the bookmakers. There are a few proven strategies to winning long-term, but nothing is ever guaranteed to turn a profit.

Is Esports Betting Legal Where I Live?

Check with your local lawmakers to see if Esports is legal in your country or jurisdiction. Laws change frequently, and more and more countries are taking a more relaxed view of online gaming. Esports betting is legal in the UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, and some states in the US.

What Stats Should I Consider When Betting on Esports?

The most vital stats will vary depending on the game. However, regardless of the game, bettors should always check the current form of each team (last 5 and last 10 matches), winning percentage on specific maps, and records in elimination matches.

How Much Should I Bet on Each Game?

That’s a personal decision, but most professionals have a defined betting bankroll, and they only bet 1-2% of that bankroll per pick. That means if your bankroll is $1,000, your average bet size should be $10 to $20. More aggressive bettors will bet 3-5% of their bankroll per pick, but that type of strategy only amplifies the risk of ruin.