Sports Betting and Esports: Will They Now Become One?

The coronavirus outbreak has created a huge crisis for sports betting because, with no live sport, there are no bets. For this reason, betting sites are trying to adapt their business models by pushing alternative products such as Esports (electronic sports or Esports are a form of sport competition using video games, in the form of multiplayer video game competitions, between professional players, playing individually or as teams).

People are starting to bet on Esports matches with bookmakers such as Bet365, who are offering Esports in their highlights sections and others such as 1Xbit who are offering Esport promo calendars and interesting cashback promotions on Fifa, Warcraft and other competitions. The most daring betting sites are now focusing on Esports, like Dafabet, 1Xbit, and Sportsbet.io, where you can find Esports Fifa odds on the main page.

How do you bet on Esports? Players can bet on match results, Double Chance or Over-Under, even in In-play mode. Odds are listed in just the same way as they would be with regular sports betting, with potential pay-out linked to the result of a match. The pay-out is similar to Sportsbetting, around 90%. Popular leagues that players can bet on include Fifa, CS:GO, League of Legends, DOTA 2, Warcraft, and Fortnite. It’s estimated that last year more than $8 billion was wagered on Esports. Top bookmakers offering odds on Esports include 1Xbit, Dafabet, Arcanebet, and 188bet.