Betting on esports isn’t as popular as that on football, soccer, basketball, or any other major sport. However, if you were to search for Vegas NFL odds, you would find yourself only a couple of clicks away from looking at esports betting markets.
And that is because most of the world’s biggest sports betting sites, such as BetUS, are offering lines on esports games, and they have been for years now. Admittedly, it took some time before betting providers learned about the popularity of esports and the potential the industry has, but as we move into 2022, you will struggle to find a sportsbook that doesn’t offer odds on esports events.
Admittedly, not all esports titles are covered by sportsbooks; however, you can be sure you’ll find odds on the most popular titles, as well as some lesser games which are slowly gaining traction in the betting world.
Here are the most popular esports titles for betting, starting with the big three, which make up the largest share of bets at BetUS placed globally.
League of Legends
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA), which first saw the light of day in 2009 and has since morphed into one of the most popular online games in the world. It enjoyed a very explosive growth early into its existence, as it continued to attract more and more players over the years.
As of 2021, There are approximately 180 million active League of Legends players, making LoL the “King of Games”. And with the popularity also comes very high betting activity.
League of Legends is one of the most popular esports titles amongst bettors, who can bet on the game throughout most of the year. Although there is a competitive break between November and January, when very few games are played, the LoL scene is highly active throughout the rest of the year.
With 12 professional leagues on top of +20 second-division competitions, each with at least eight teams, people can bet on LoL games almost daily, at any time of the day. And with so many betting opportunities, it makes sense why LoL is one of, if not the most, bet-on esports games in the world.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Everyone and their dog have heard of a first-person shooter game, Counter-Strike, as one of the most popular online games globally and one of the most popular esports titles in the betting world.
Created in late 2000, Counter-Strike, has since gone through many iterations of the game, from Counter-Strike 1.6 to Counter-Strike Zero, Source, and finally Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
CS has gained a large and loyal following throughout all those years, with players engaging in planned competitive events and tournaments. But it wasn’t until CS:GO’s release in 2012 that its competitive scene truly took off.
CS:GO is nowadays the most popular FPS game and one of the largest esports titles globally, featuring teams from all corners of the world. And not only is CS:GO esports scene extremely popular, but it also features some of the industry’s largest and most-watched tournaments.
Tournaments are running almost weekly, mainly because the scene has thousands of CS:GO, professional teams. However, while you can bet on nearly every match, most wagers get placed on the biggest tournaments, including Major Championships, which feature only the top CS:GO teams who compete for the lion’s share of the $1 million prize pool.
Dota 2
League of Legends’ cousin, Dota 2, is yet another MOBA game, which has been one of the most-watched esports titles ever since it entered the scene in 2013. Developed and published by Valve, the same company that made Counter-Strike, Dota 2 belongs in the exclusive club of the “Top Three Esports Games,” a title it shares with LoL and CS:GO.
Admittedly, Dota 2 doesn’t have as large a player base as LoL, nor does it have as many teams as CS:GO. But it stands out from the rest with its season-culminating tournament, The International, whose prize pool broke the $40 million mark in 2021.
Like with any esports title, Dota 2’s popularity spikes when its biggest competition of the year is on the calendar. And with the boost in viewership also comes increased betting activity.
There are no exact figures to work off since sportsbooks don’t release numbers of how much money has been placed on a particular sport or esports. But if you were to visit BetUS or any other bookmaker while Dota 2’s The International is running, you will get presented with exciting promotions and bonuses, proving that while you might have never heard of the game before, it is a big deal amongst bettors.
But beyond the season-culminating tournament, there are plenty of other Dota 2 events you can bet on. That includes smaller regional tournaments and regional leagues, where you can watch and bet on some of the strongest teams from Europe, China, SEA, North America, South America, and elsewhere.
What About Other Esports Titles?
Obviously, the esports scene doesn’t consist of only LoL, CS:GO, and Dota 2. And while those are three of the most popular games amongst viewers and bettors, there are plenty more esports titles you can bet on at BetUS.
There is a lot of variety, and there are many different titles that have found their place in the esports industry, but a few stand out as “highly popular, but not quite the most popular.”
That includes Valorant, Overwatch, and esports games that mimic traditional sport. The latter include NBA2k, Madden NFL, and FIFA, which are basketball, football, and soccer games, each with their own esports scene.
And if you’re looking for something unique, a game that combines racing and soccer, there’s Rocket League, a game in which you – like in soccer – have to score goals, but by “kicking” the ball with a car.
No list of the top esports titles – either in viewership or by betting activity – is complete without StarCraft, the former king of esports.
StarCraft was the leading esports title in the early 2000s and one of the main games that shaped the world of esports and esports betting. Unfortunately, questionable decisions about its competitive scene and other issues that plagued the esports scene at the time saw both the rise and fall of StarCraft which is now only a shadow of its former self.
StarCraft is still alive to date, and you can still bet on the games but to a far lesser extent.