Intro
Esports has come a long way since its inception as a sport. A similar situation is with esports betting too. The world of such betting is rapidly growing and expanding. Almost since the start, 3 games have dominated the market globally. Betting is gaining so much popularity that is triggering sports bettors to give it a try. Because generally speaking, the market is still new, compared to the sports market, not a lot of bettors that are coming from sports or casinos know the games they can wager on. As a big growing trend, esports betting is possible on tournaments featuring huge prize pools and a lot of tournaments going live on a daily and monthly basis.
Those are the most popular esports titles that have a high value in matches, markets and possible profits. This list should be a good starting point for the people that are just entering the esports betting world. Top titles that have dominating the market over the decade are:
1. Counter-Strike 2
Among all first-person shooters on the market, Counter-Strike 2 (previously Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) is surely the most popular one, by a mile. According to a lot of people, CS 2 is one of those titles that has everything. From big tournaments, organizations playing in those tournaments, a consistent base of players and consistent viewers that are following each of players’ steps and watching tournaments to growth in tournaments, sponsorships and overall interest. CS 2 for sure has one of the most active and dedicated betting communities.
It’s attractive to watch and especially attractive to bet with dozens of possibilities. Somehow, when you say esports betting, you are thinking about CS 2 at first. CS 2 is attractive to bettors because of its fast gameplay and a vast amount of dynamic in-game bets available containing roles and positioning.
2. League of Legends
League of Legends (LoL) is surely one of the biggest, if not the biggest esports titles in the world. With the biggest number of players and viewers, League of Legends attracts a lot of younger audiences to its clients and channels. League of Legends is MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), which is a completely different type of game compared to Counter-Strike (first-person shooter), so types of bets are completely different, except match, map and handicap bets. LoL is the type of game that made esports what it is today.
LoL is not so much connected to gambling, because Riot (the company that created LoL), forbids all gambling activities in official tournaments and on official teams. Following tournaments and betting on your favorite teams is still possible of course. On any serious betting website, League of Legends markets are among top performers. League of Legends is a very exciting game, with a lot of depth, but very easy to understand for new players and viewers, making it very attractive to bettors. League of Legends betting community is among the largest ones.
3. Dota 2
In 3rd place, but not least, we have the title that is a direct competitor to League of Legends. Dota 2, another esports title from the MOBA genre, is among the top esports markets to bet on. With various elements similar to League of Legends, Dota 2 is even more complicated and with even more mechanics and game systems to understand. Dota’s concept is on another different level compared to League of Legends, which is a more user-friendly game. Dota’s complexity creates fans, players and viewers that are dedicated to the title and to this betting market.
Among the most popular Dota 2 markets are the Chinese and CIS markets, where most fans are coming from. Dota 2 betting requires additional knowledge of the game, drafts and especially roster changes, which are happening very often in Dota 2. Regarding teams and organizations, Dota 2 is very unstable, as teams are rotating players and squads much more often compared to League of Legends, which gives an additional dimension of learning to bet on Dota 2.
Honorary esports mention: FIFA (now EA Sports FC)
The best way to get sports bettors into esports is to offer them some esports titles that they can connect with. With overgrowing esports markets like FIFA and NBA2K, sports bettors have an opportunity to enter the esports gambling market without too much of a problem and without learning too much about the game itself. FIFA was one of the fastest-growing esports betting markets in the world in 2021.
Betting on games like Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2 and many others is possible on platforms like Leetbit, which has a strong focus on esports gambling. Check our offer HERE.
Are you interested in watching esports matches live? Do you want to start playing those games? Check our article, and see how can you start and what the best way is. Check it HERE.
