A Complete Guide to Betting on E-Sports

It is entirely possible to engage in online betting on e-sports from South Africa. The process is similar to traditional sports betting, where you either lose the wagered money or profit based on the odds. Numerous sports betting websites, such as Betsson, Betway, and Pinnacle, offer dedicated sections for e-sports betting. These platforms allow you to immerse yourself in the exciting world of e-sports and place bets on various games. With the convenience of online accessibility, you can explore this thrilling realm and potentially earn profits from your predictions.

However, not all websites provide a secure betting environment. Our team assesses and ranks sites based on various essential criteria for the player. Here are our recommendations for the top e-sports betting sites in South Africa. You can find them below.

Melhores sites para fazer apostas em e-sports – South Africa:

E-sports são jogos eletrônicos que podem ser disputados em competições regionais ou mundiais.

Já existem muitos times e jogadores individuais profissionais em diversos e-sports.

Alguns dos e-sports mais populares são League of Legends (LoL) e Defense of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2).

Fazer apostas em e-sports é o mesmo que fazer apostas em esportes regulares. Existem odds, times favoritos, e muitas opções de apostas, inclusive handicap.

Os grandes sites de apostas oferecem apostas em diversos e-sports.

Não é sempre que as apostas em e-sports estão disponíveis. É preciso que campeonatos ou torneios estejam ocorrendo para haver mercados de apostas abertos.

É possível assistir às partidas e aos eventos ao vivo através de transmissões de vídeo.

Os e-sports ainda não são regularizados por um órgão de nível mundial. No entanto, acontecem muitas competições em diferentes partes do mundo.

The most common types of video games associated with e-sports include real-time strategy (RTS), first-person shooter (FPS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), and fighting games. Tournaments such as The International, League of Legends World Championship, Intel Extreme, and Evolution Championship Series broadcast live competitions and reward the winners with cash prizes.

Given the rapid surge in e-sports betting in recent years, accurate market size data is currently unavailable. Nonetheless, based on the number of individuals following e-sports events, some speculations can be made. In 2015, approximately 145 million people were observed attending major global events. Hence, it may be reasonably assumed that there are around one million individuals placing bets on electronic games. In 2017, solely on Pinnacle, the leading e-sports betting platform, half a billion dollars were wagered.

The regions that place the most emphasis on virtual sports are Asia and the United States, where the gaming culture itself is more prominent. Below, you will find our responses to the primary inquiries that newcomers have when entering the realm of virtual games.

Competitions in which professional teams or individual players compete online in electronic games are considered e-sports. Currently, some of the most popular e-sports include LoL, Hearthstone, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, FIFA, StarCraft 2, Defense of the Ancients 2, and Call of Duty. It is mainly in these games that you can place bets online. Of course, this list of e-sports is not exhaustive, but it can be more challenging to find betting opportunities in other games.

Organized both regionally and globally, events attract teams from all over the world, and their live broadcasts are available for free to anyone interested in watching. Betting websites even allow for live betting during the competitions. In recent years, the audience and the number of professional e-sports players have grown tremendously, making e-sports betting increasingly popular.

Today, there are numerous computer and console games available that can be played online with participants from around the globe. What sets e-sports apart from other games are the events and professional players who are sponsored by various companies. Teams and individual players can now sustain themselves solely by participating in tournaments, particularly in South Korea and other Asian countries.

If you're well-versed in sports betting, wagering on e-sports won't pose a enigma. Firstly, you must delve deep into the game at hand and familiarize yourself with the competing teams. Only then can you venture to make predictions on the outcome of a match or competition. Knowing the intricacies of the game and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the teams involved are crucial in placing informed bets.

At first glance, the notion of wagering on e-sports may appear peculiar, but it has become increasingly prevalent due to the extensive coverage of competitions and the abundance of information available on players and teams. Given the rapid expansion of this niche, it comes as no surprise that viewers (often players themselves, albeit not professional) are inclined to place online bets, just as they would for any other major sporting event or competition, such as the World Cup.

The rising popularity of video games has led to the rapid growth of the e-sports betting market, with an increasing number of websites now offering coverage of events and a wide range of betting options beyond traditional sports. It is only natural that people would want to wager on their favorite games and players, and thus, the existence of betting markets for electronic games is a logical development. As the e-sports betting industry continues to expand, more opportunities arise for enthusiasts to engage in thrilling wagering activities.

The widespread adoption of streaming technology, which has enabled live casino games, has also facilitated the live broadcasting of e-sports events worldwide. The go-to platform for watching electronic sports is Twitch, a broadcasting platform that has been streaming events since 2011. The most viewed games on Twitch are League of Legends and DotA 2.

In 2013, The International, a DotA 2 competition, attracted an audience of over four million people on Twitch. Since then, the number of viewers has continued to grow. In addition to watching online, spectators also have the option to purchase tickets and experience the competition live at a stadium or arena. The Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea have both been packed with enthusiastic electronic gaming fans during various tournaments.

Esports are yet to be officially recognized as actual sports. However, one way to legitimize the activity would be to incorporate them into multi-sport competitions, such as the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee acknowledged in 2017 that esports are gaining popularity and that their competitive practice could indeed be deemed a sporting endeavor.

Similarly, professional e-sports players engage, equip themselves, and train with an intensity that can be likened to that of professional athletes in traditional sports.

However, there are still two restrictions that prevent e-sports from being considered an Olympic sport. The initial constraint is the presence of graphic violence, which would need to be excluded. The second restriction is the absence of a global organization to regulate the sport. Thus, it has been proposed that the efforts to incorporate e-sports into multi-sport competitions should focus on games that simulate real sports, such as the FIFA series and NBA 2K.

The emergence of e-sports tournaments in the 90s, aligning with the rise in popularity of fighting games and FPS, genres that still retain a dedicated fanbase. Moving into the 2000s, real-time strategy (RTS) games gained traction as the internet became more widespread. Beyond 2010, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games emerged as popular e-sports.

Check out the most popular e-sports below. Today, there are competitions for numerous individual games as well as game genres. Many games have their own specific tournaments and events where players can showcase their skills and compete against each other. Explore the exciting world of e-sports and witness the thrilling battles and intense rivalries that captivate millions of gaming enthusiasts worldwide.

LoL, short for League of Legends, is a free-to-play online multiplayer battle arena game, taking inspiration from the Defense of the Ancients (Dota) mod in Warcraft III. With immense popularity, it became the most played computer game in Europe and North America in 2012. As of early 2014, over 67 million individuals engaged in League of Legends on a monthly basis, with a staggering 27 million participating daily.

In this game, you step into the role of a summoner, with the ability to command characters who battle alongside your team against other teams. In the most widely played version of LoL, the aim for each team is to destroy the opponent's nexus. Every LoL match is unique due to the fact that characters or champions begin the game in their basic form and gradually progress by gaining experience and accumulating gold throughout the match.

The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is organized by Riot Games, the company behind the game's growing popularity. This renowned event features the participation of ten teams from North America and Europe. Similar competitions are held in other parts of the world, including South Africa. These tournaments pave the way for the victorious teams to compete in the annual League of Legends World Championship, a globally anticipated event.

In 2013, the tournament's prize pool skyrocketed to a staggering one million dollars, while the event garnered an impressive viewership of 32 million online spectators. Fast forward to 2014, and the championship rewarded its victors with a hefty sum exceeding two million dollars.

Defense of the Ancients 2 is an electronic game that falls under the category of ARTS (action real-time strategy). However, it can also be classified as a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game. Its creation stems from Defense of the Ancients, a mod (modification) that was developed for Warcraft III, originally crafted in an amateur fashion.

Dota 2, on the other hand, was professionally developed by Valve Corporation in collaboration with the original producer, IceFrog, and released in 2013 as a free-to-play version, exclusively available on the Steam platform. Each team consists of five characters, creating a game with a total of ten characters. The goal of each team is to defeat the opposing team by destroying the Ancestral, located in the enemy's base.

Each player assumes command of a hero. The heroes commence the game at level 1 and can ascend to level 25 by accumulating experience.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, is a military science fiction real-time strategy game (RTS). It hit the shelves in 2010, marking the culmination of 12 years since the release of its predecessor. Picking up where Brood War, the expansion pack of the first game, left off, it embarks on a thrilling narrative journey. Familiar faces from the previous installment grace this sequel, alongside an intriguing array of fresh new characters.

StarCraft II offers endless gameplay possibilities with its four modes and three unique factions. The game's popularity skyrocketed upon its release, selling a staggering three million copies worldwide within its debut month alone, shattering sales records within its genre.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the fourth installment in the franchise, succeeding Counter-Strike: Source which was released in 1999. Widely referred to as CS:GO, this first-person shooter game was developed collaboratively by Valve Corporation and Hidden Path Entertainment, hitting the gaming scene in 2012. It stands out as a game that centers solely around strategic gameplay, offering players an immersive experience in the world of FPS.

In addition to the conventional content of Counter-Strike, CS:GO introduces fresh iterations of maps, characters, and game modes, totaling up to eight. The narrative revolves around two opposing teams, referred to as Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. These teams strive to accomplish various objectives, such as securing a location and either planting or defusing a bomb, all while saving or withholding hostages.

At the conclusion of every round, players are rewarded in accordance with their individual performance throughout the game. They acquire a game-specific currency that can be used to purchase weaponry for subsequent rounds.

Overwatch, an FPS (first-person shooter) game, was officially released in 2016 and was developed by Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind the successful creation of StarCraft.

In Overwatch, two teams of six players battle against each other. Players have the freedom to select a unique hero, each possessing their own distinct abilities and roles. The game immerses players in meticulously crafted maps inspired by real-life cities such as London. In this exhilarating world, there are four different game modes to explore and conquer.

Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is an online card game that was released in 2014. It offers players the freedom to construct personalized decks consisting of a maximum of thirty cards, all at no cost as it follows the free-to-play model.

The game cards were designed based on heroes that embody nine different classes from the Warcraft universe, enabling them to employ spells, abilities, and weapons in thrilling duels. These cards have been carefully crafted to provide players with a wide range of strategic options, allowing for deep and engaging gameplay. Each hero brings their unique playstyle and strengths to the table, providing a diverse and exciting experience for every match. With a multitude of cards to collect and countless combinations to explore, players will find themselves immersed in an ever-evolving world of tactical card battles. Whether you prefer to wield powerful spells, unleash devastating weapon attacks, or master cunning abilities, there's a hero and deck that suits every playstyle. Join the epic battles and prove your skills as you rise through the ranks to become a legendary card duelist.

Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, commonly referred to as PUBG, was released by BlueHole Entertainment in 2017, making it one of the most recent online survival games. This multiplayer online battle royale is heavily influenced by the movie Battle Royale.

You and 99 other players find yourselves placed on a vast map, with the sole purpose of obtaining weapons and gear to outlast your competitors. As the game progresses, the map gradually shrinks, herding players into tighter and more intense encounters. The ultimate triumph belongs to the last survivor standing, securing victory for the round.

FIFA Soccer, also known as FIFA Football, is a series of football simulation games released annually by Electronic Arts since 1993. The game obtained an official license from FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, right from the start. FIFA's primary role is to oversee the global sport of football.

FIFA's game encompasses a wide range of national and international leagues in its collection, including the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Spain's La Liga, and the South African Championship, just to name a few. Every edition also introduces single tournament games, such as the World Cup. The release of FIFA 18 took place in 2017.

The FIFA game has been a part of the World Cyber Games (which we will discuss further below) since the inaugural tournament in 2001. Additionally, there are FIFA championships held in various countries. The FIFA Interactive World Cup, the global event of the game, stands as the largest electronic gaming tournament in the world. Annually organized by FIFA itself in collaboration with EA Sports, the first edition took place in 2004, allowing players from around the globe to compete for the championship title.

Known as CoD, Call of Duty is a series of FPS games. The electronic game has become a classic and now has several sequels, all of them by Activision Blizzard. The most recent release was in 2017, titled Call of Duty: World War II. The game was a global success, selling over 250 million copies worldwide.

In 2011, the release of Call of Duty Online marked the introduction of a free-to-play online multiplayer game, exclusively catering to the Chinese market. Nevertheless, enthusiasts from all corners of the world can engage in online betting on the game's tournaments. The company has expressed its eagerness to expand the game's availability to other regions globally; however, no concrete timeline has been provided for the realization of this endeavor.

In 2013, it is estimated that over 70 million individuals tuned in to witness the exhilarating e-sports tournaments. The burgeoning accessibility of streaming services, with the prominent mention of Twitch, plays a pivotal role in the promotion and widespread appeal of competitive gaming. Undoubtedly, South Korea emerges as the nation that shines brightest in these competitions, boasting licensed professional players as early as 2000.

The World Cyber Games (WCG) is an electronic sports event organized by the South Korean company, World Cyber Games Inc., sponsored by Samsung and Microsoft. Each event has been held in a different country since 2004, although the first one took place in 2001. It is widely regarded as the Olympics of e-sports.

The participating countries' organizations hold preliminary events on a regional scale, in order to then select the players who will represent their country in the grand event. Spectator spots are available at all events, and they can also be streamed online through video broadcast.

In April 2018, the organization made an announcement regarding an event held in Bangkok, Thailand, marking a significant return after the previous event in 2013 and the subsequent termination of WCG in 2014. It is worth noting that this recent event brought a wave of excitement and anticipation among gaming enthusiasts worldwide.

The Intel Extreme Masters is a global series of e-sports tournaments. These tournaments are organized by the Electronic Sports League (ESL) and sponsored by Intel. Included in the lineup of games are StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Quake Live, League of Legends, and Hearthstone. The tournaments take place in various locations across the world, attracting top-level players and passionate fans alike. With intense competition and thrilling matches, the Intel Extreme Masters has become a prominent event in the e-sports community.

By November 2017, twelve editions of the event had already taken place, with the most recent one being held in Oakland, United States, in 2017. Over the course of the years, the event has seen various locations hosting its festivities, showcasing the vibrant spirit and enthusiasm of participants from all corners of the globe. Its legacy continues to thrive, captivating audiences and bringing together communities in celebration of this remarkable phenomenon.

Now that you have gained some additional knowledge about e-sports, you can begin examining the competitions and strategizing your bets with increased confidence and assurance. It is essential to also explore our team's other guides and online betting manuals tailored specifically for South African bettors. We particularly recommend our comprehensive e-sports betting strategies guide if you aspire to be fully informed on the subject matter.

Furthermore, we offer assessments of betting websites and other informative articles on e-sports, casino games, lottery games, and various types of online gambling. Stay tuned to our content to stay updated on the best bonuses, tips, and strategies and to place your bets from South Africa with maximum profitability.