The E-Sports industry is continuing to expand rapidly as what was once a niche interest continues its journey towards global domination. Many of the leading E-Sports professionals are becoming world famous, and the number of major corporations involved in sponsoring E-Sports teams and tournaments is growing as the opportunities inherent E-Sports become apparent.
And it isn’t just corporations and media organizations who are recognizing the potential profit in the E-Sports world. As the profile of E-Sports events has risen, betting companies have responded by offering fans the opportunity to bet on their favourite teams and players.
Betting on E-Sports might seem a strange activity, but the principles involved are the same as any with any other sport, and the growing number of E-Sports betting enthusiasts are as well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of the leading players and teams as any NFL or soccer fan.
Of course, it’s a lot easier to make the right bet if you are into E-Sports in the first place. To outsiders, it can seem like an impenetrable world, complete with its own buzzwords, acronyms and insider knowledge. The games themselves, particularly when you see them played by experts, can seem bewildering and hard to follow. But one of the reasons why E-Sports has become so popular is that is easy for fans and would-be E-Sport professionals to have a go at the games themselves.
So, if you are not sure where to start, or you are having some difficulty distinguishing League of Legends from Call of Duty, here’s a quick guide to the main E-Sport betting games.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Better known as CS:GO, this is a first-person shooter that is as much fun to watch as it is to play. Essentially, it is an adrenalin-fuelled virtual game of ‘Capture the Flag’ but with automatic weapons.
At the beginning of the game, teams are designated as Terrorists or Counter-Terrorists, and the aim is for each team to complete their objective or wipe out their opposition. If you’re trying to get started with betting on this game, there are numerous CS:GO sites for gamblers that can help, but one thing to bear in mind is that a CS:GO team is only as strong as its weakest link, so if you know all about the players involved, you have a chance of being able to pick the winner in a CS:GO tournament.
League of Legends
League of Legends or L.O.L is, without doubt, the top of the pile when it comes to E-Sports. It was one of the first games to be played at E-Sports events, and it remains the most popular around the world, with many players dedicating their careers to mastering it, and exclusive L.O.L. tournaments offering multi-million-dollar prize funds to teams who enter the various competitions.
The game is in a multiplayer online arena format in which various modes are available, though the most commonly used mode in tournament play is Summoner’s Rift, which consists of two teams of five players going head-to-head, competing to take over their opponent’s main building. As a result of the game’s ubiquity, you will never be short of betting opportunities with L.O.L.
DotA 2
DotA is another stalwart of the E-Sports gaming world, and like L.O.L it is based on two teams of five players competing to destroy the opposing side’s base. It is an ideal game for team play and is one of the most common games to bet on. That said, DotA 2 is a relatively complex game to get to grips with, and harder to understand than L.O.L. so anyone thinking of putting real money on the outcome of one of these games would be advised to spend extra time becoming familiar with the subtleties and nuances of what can be an intense and absorbing game.
StarCraft II
The initial incarnation of StarCraft in 1998 was popular with gamers all over the world, and StarCraft II has proven to be equally successful, offering a more intense strategy than the original. The game is based on three different playing races, with the aim being to destroy your opponents’ units. Once you’ve worked out what is going on with this game, it can prove very entertaining to watch, and most E-Sports bookmakers will offer a range of markets on StarCraft II tournaments.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty has a head start on most E-Sports games as it is one of the most successful franchises of all time, and arguably the most popular first-person shooter. Millions of people around the world have experienced one or more of the Call of Duty series, and when it comes to E-Sports tournaments, the game offers considerable flexibility, meaning that you will sometimes be able to bet on teams or individuals, and knowing which the most effective individual players are is vital.
There are many other games in the world of E-Sports and as their popularity rises and falls, you will find that bookmakers will adjust their range of available markets, but right now, these five globally-popular games offer the best opportunities for anyone thinking of getting into E-Sports betting. And whether you place a bet or not, understanding how each of these games works will enable you to gain a greater appreciation for the skills and dedication involved in this fast-growing pastime.
