Esports Betting Sites 2023

G'day legends! Esports betting is an exciting realm where the thrill of competitive gaming meets the world of betting. Let's dive in and discover the ins and outs of this growing industry.

When looking for the best Esports betting sites, there are a few key factors to consider, including the range of games covered, the variety of betting markets, and the availability of promotions and bonuses. To make your search easier, I’ve compiled a list of top Esports bookmakers in Australia, each offering a unique Esports betting experience:

When betting on Esports, you'll find a variety of bet types to choose from, including:

• Match Winner/Head-to-Head: The simplest Esports betting market is backing one team to beat another. This is ideal for multi-bets and finding value in underdogs
• Over/Under: In sports games, you can bet on over/under totals, such as goals. In first-person shooters, over/under bets for maps are common
• Handicap/Line: Like traditional sports betting, Esports markets have handicaps. This allows betting on underdogs to "cover" the line or favourites to win easily
• First Blood: Common in CS:GO and LoL, this bet type is for predicting which team will score the first kill in a match
• Double Chance: More prevalent in FIFA and sports games, double chance betting covers multiple outcomes
• Round Markets: In first-person shooters, you can bet on a variety of round-based markets
• Correct Score: If you're keen on predicting the exact outcome of a game, try the correct score betting market for high-value odds
• Outrights/Futures: Esports outrights/futures bets involve predicting outcomes before an event starts, such as the tournament winner

While Esports can be considered a niche sport, it’s still similar to other sports in terms of betting features that you’ll be looking for. Let’s discuss the important features that should expect a betting site to offer for successful Esports betting.

• Betting Markets - A key consideration is betting markets. We look for sites that have a large variety of markets and they need to be regularly updated. For Esports in particular, there should also be a large range of different games to bet on.
• Bet Types - Some sites will only offer simple bet types and others will focus on advanced options. For beginners, simple bet types such as head to head / win will suffice. But the advanced punters will be after more Esports bet types that offer better value odds.
• Popular Games - If you’re betting on Esports, there’s no point signing to a site that doesn’t offer coverage of popular games. So we look for betting sites that have the likes of FIFA, CS:GO, Dota 2 and LOL, at a bare minimum.
• Betting Odds - Everyone wants the highest odds for their bets. As such, we aim to find the sites with the best betting odds in the industry.
• Promotions / Offers - It’s common for betting sites to offer promotions / offers for their members. While there aren’t many sites that have promotions in the Esports space at the moment, it’s growing by the day.
• Mobile App - Betting apps make the betting experience easier, especially when betting on the go. The app should be quick and easy to navigate. It should also be available on popular mobile devices and be regularly updated with new features.
• Payment Options - When you want to deposit or withdraw money, it’s good to know that a site has multiple payment options. They should also offer a range of instant payment methods so their customers don’t need to wait before betting.

Esports is growing at a rapid rate in Australia and betting sites are catering to this trend with ever-evolving features that make Esports betting even easier. In terms of the top Esports betting sites, let’s talk about the best ones available for Australian customers at this present time.

• Bet365: One of the most trusted and well known betting sites in the industry is a great choice for Esports. They have arguably the most betting markets available in the industry and they cover every Esports league or game that you can think of. Along with an excellent range of live streaming and live betting options, we would highly recommend Bet365.
• Unibet: Another International bookmaker that is similar to Bet365 is Unibet. While they don’t have the same amount of betting markets, Unibet is still another great option for Esports. They do offer live streaming of Esports and this comes with a large video player. It’s easy to view the latest betting markets, which makes live betting a breeze. We would also consider Unibet the top odds provider in Australia for Esports as they consistently offered the highest odds.
• Picklebet: They are the only Aussie owned betting site that primarily focuses on Esports. As a result, the betting experience for Esports is impressive at Picklebet. They have a massive range of betting markets for the most common Esports leagues and games. As well as an updated blog with regular tips and previews. Not to mention, Picklebet does have live streaming and some of the only Esports promotions for members available for a variety of games.

There are betting features that are important for Esports that will impact and improve the betting experience. Let’s discuss the most important and common features that you can expect to find at local betting sites.

Cash Out

Most betting sites in Australia offer a cash out option, which can be very useful. One of the major reasons for using cash out will be to take an early payout for a multi or future bet before it finishes. Sometimes you’ll be happy to take the payout for your own reasons.

Esports Betting Odds

Everyone wants the highest odds possible to make more money from bets and this makes betting odds a key consideration. Among Australian betting sites, there is a lot more variety in the odds compared to sports and racing. So it’s advisable to sign up with multiple betting sites to take advantage of different odds.

Live Esports Betting

Live betting is a key consideration for Esports as it’s a fast-paced industry. As a result, the odds will fluctuate a lot more than normal. We recommend choosing a betting site that offers a simple and easy to use live betting interface.

Live Streaming

Esports and live streaming simply go together with Twitch and YouTube being the most common streaming platforms. However, there are live Esports betting sites in Australia that have adopted live streaming for Esports.

Esports Blog

As Esports is considered one of the newer betting markets in Australia, there will be a lot of beginners that are looking for the right advice. This is where blogs that provide betting previews and tips are definitely useful.

Payment Methods

It’s important to select a betting site that provides multiple payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals. 

Legal / Secure

We definitely only recommend betting with legal betting sites and bookmakers that offer a range of security features.

Just like traditional sports betting, Esports betting sites offer punters various promotions and bonuses to attract new customers and keep existing ones engaged. These incentives can include free bets, deposit bonuses, and cashback offers. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully, as some promotions may have specific requirements or limitations.

Esports betting Austalia is still growing in popularity and as such, betting promotions in this space aren’t generally that popular at the moment. So you won’t find the same kind of promotions that are offered for the biggest sports and racing events at this stage. However, we can see this changing in the very future as Esports continues to make waves around the Globe. 

Over/Under Promotions - At Picklebet, they provide a range of over/under promotions that boost the odds for a selected bet. Here we show you some terms and conditions that need to be followed:

• Must be logged in
• Max Bet $50
• Must use available balance
• Minimum turnover requirements apply

When it comes to Esports betting, there are various payment options available to suit your preferences.

Some popular methods include:

• Credit and debit cards: Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted and provide a quick and secure way to fund your betting account
• E-wallets: Services like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill offer convenient and secure online payments, allowing you to deposit and withdraw funds with ease
• Bank transfers: Although they might take a bit longer to process, bank transfers are a reliable and secure option for funding your betting account
• Prepaid cards: Cards like Paysafecard allow you to deposit funds into your account without linking to your bank account or credit card, offering an extra layer of security
• Cryptocurrencies: Some Esports betting sites accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, providing a fast and secure way to deposit and withdraw funds while maintaining anonymity

Esports betting in Australia is definitely improving and let’s talk about the best betting strategies that you can employ. This section will also look at what type of betting markets are usually offered, games by category and the best games for Esports.

Esports Betting Strategies

• Bet on underdogs - Similar to the AFL or NRL, there are also upset opportunities in Esports. For example, most teams in CS: GO are fairly equal and as a result, there can be a lot of value odds to take advantage of.
• Live betting - In terms of live betting, it’s advisable to bet on Esports that provide a slower outcome, such as FIFA. It will be difficult to take advantage of live odds in fast-paced games, such as first person shooters or fighting games because the odds will most likely change too quickly.
• Look for betting tips - If you’re new to Esports betting, it’s recommended to search for betting tips online that will preview the biggest events. Listening to expert advice can take your betting to another level.
• Don’t chase your losses - Form slumps in betting can definitely happen and during this time, it’s advisable to take a break or lower your betting stake until your fortunes turnaround.

Esports Betting Markets

• Head to head/Match winner: The most simple form of Esports betting is backing one team to win over another. This is useful for multi betting and backing value bets on large underdogs.
• Over/Under: In Sports games, it’s possible to bet over/under totals such as goals. While in first person shooters, it’s common to bet on the over/under for maps.
• Handicap/Line: Similarly to regular sports betting, there are handicaps applied for each market. This gives the opportunity to bet on underdogs to “cover” the line or bet on favourites to easily win.
• First blood: This bet type generally relates to CS:GO and LoL and you can bet on who will get the first kill in a selected match.
• Double chance: This is more for FIFA and sports games but there is the ability to bet on the double chance.
• Round: For first person shooters, it’s possible to bet on a large variety of round markets.
• Correct score: If you want to predict the outcome of the game, use the correct score betting market for huge value odds.
• Outrights/Futures: It’s possible to bet on outrights/futures in Esports. This could include betting on a tournament winner before it starts, for example.

Esports Top Leagues and Tournaments

• DOTA 2 “The International” - Having been established in 2011, this tournament currently offers a massive prize pool of 34 million (largest in the world).
• League of Legends World Championship - One of the most viewed Esports tournaments in the industry. In 2019, the tournament almost reached 4 million viewers and is still increasing in popularity.
• Fortnite World Cup Champion - In 2019, an Esports Fornite competitor earned himself 3 million USD.
• EVO Championship Series - One of the oldest tournaments in Esports and they focus on fighting games such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.
• Honor of Kings World Champion Cup - Honor of Kings is hugely popular in China and consists of over 100 million active players. It’s also one of the top Esports mobile games.

Esports Categories

• Fighting games - It is possible to bet on fighting games, such as Street Fighter.
• First-person shooters - Arguably the best Esports gaming category is first person shooters. This includes Call of Duty, League of Legends, Rainbow Six and Counter Strike.
• Real-time strategy - Not the biggest market at the moment but you can place bets on real-time strategy markets like Starcraft 2.
• Sports games - Generally the most popular sports game for Esports is FIFA. NBA 2k is also another sports game that can have betting markets.
• MMORPG - There can be markets for popular MMORPG’s such as World of Warcraft.
• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena - League of Legends and Defense Of The Ancients 2 are great examples of games that dominate this genre.

Most Popular Esports Games for Betting

• Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) - One of the oldest Esports games is Counter Strike having been first released in the early 2000s. It was a key game for the Cyberathlete Professional League all the way back in 2001. More recently, there have been a wide variety of Esports Championships using this game.
• Defense Of The Ancients 2 (DOTA 2) - Most commonly known as DOTA 2, this game has been around since 2013 and is one of the best options in the MOBA genre. There are massive Esports tournaments for DOTA 2 and they come with huge prize pools, such as the $25 million The International 2018 in Canada.
• League of Legends (LOL) - Arguably the top Esports game is League of Legends. The game has a huge following in China, Europe, Korea and North America. This game has even been broadcasted by ESPN. As a result, you will find that the vast majority of betting sites have a large variety of LOL betting markets.
• Street Fighter V - Street Fighter has been a popular fighting game since its first release in 1987.
• Call of Duty (CoD) - One of the most played first-person shooter games in the history of video games is also a popular option for Esports.

To increase your chances of success in Esports betting, it's essential to develop a sound betting strategy. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Understand the games: Familiarise yourself with the mechanics, rules, and strategies of the Esports titles you're betting on
• Research teams and players: Analyse past performances, strengths, weaknesses, and recent form
• Stay up-to-date: Follow news and updates in the Esports scene, such as roster changes, injuries, and upcoming events
• Use statistics: Make data-driven decisions by studying win rates, head-to-head matchups, and other relevant stats
• Manage your bankroll: Set a budget and stick to it, allocating a specific amount of money for each bet
• Shop around for the best odds: Compare odds across different bookmakers to ensure you're getting the most value from your bets
• Be patient and disciplined: Avoid impulsive decisions and focus on long-term profitability rather than short-term gains