Stake.com is home to a huge variety of betting options, including major sports events and Esports tournaments. Sign up today to start betting on a wide range of competitive video gaming competitions from popular Esports to the most unique!
Find out how to bet on the biggest Esports and major tournaments, and learn how to develop an Esports betting strategy at the Stake Sportsbook.
What are Esports?
Electronic sports, better known as Esports, are competitive video game tournaments and events which feature the best players from around the world. Games like League of Legends (LoL), Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), and FIFA are among the most popular, bringing players together in different leagues and events to compete for big prizes and global acclaim.
Players compete against each other or work together in teams against opposing teams to complete objectives and score points.
Esports vs Traditional Sports Betting
Esports betting shares a lot of similarities with traditional sports betting. For example:
Professional and amateur levels - Both Esports and professional sports have many levels of competition, with a variety of amateur and professional events.
Spectators - Sports and Esports appeal to a lot of fans who enjoy being part of the audience, either watching on live streams or in stadiums and arenas.
Organised events - Major Esports organisations and game developers put a lot of organisational work into setting up tournaments, with big prize pools offered.
Betting options - You’ll find a huge range of Esports betting markets at Stake, enough to rival any sports events.
What Games Can You Bet on at Stake?
There are loads of popular Esports to bet on at Stake Sportsbook, covering first-person shooters (FPS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, sports simulation games and real-time strategy (RTS) games. These include:
Check your Stake.com account throughout the season to discover the best odds for upcoming Esports fixtures, leagues, or popular games and knockout tournaments for the ultimate betting experience.
Structure & Formats of Competitive Esports
The exact structure and format of an Esports tournament will depend on the competition and the game itself. However, the typical format works something like this:
Pre-Tournament Stage
This usually consists of qualifiers, which allow teams to enter and advance to the main event if they can win. In some cases, qualifiers will be open to all, while others may be invite-only. Some tournaments only accept entrants based on past performances or league results.
Tournament Stage
During the tournament stage, a single-elimination format may be used in smaller events, while larger events will use a double-elimination format. Round robin tournaments mean every team gets a chance to progress by performing well over multiple games.
Esports tournaments often start with a group stage before the best teams advance to playoffs or a knockout round.
Typically, matches are played to a best of 3 games for standard rounds, while finals might use a best-of-five format to determine the champion.
Best Games and Major Competitions for Each Format
Stake covers a wide range of games and major competitions, so you can enjoy the world’s best Esports teams like Team Vitality as they compete for the biggest prize pools. Here are a few of the best games and biggest competitions in Esports:
FPS
Counter-Strike 2 - Intel Extreme Masters, BLAST Rivals, ESL Pro League and Esports World Cup
Valorant - Valorant Champions, Esports World Cup, Valorant Game Changers Championship
Apex Legends - ALGS Championship, ALGS Midseason Playoffs, Esports World Cup, ALGS Open
Halo - Halo World Championship, Halo Championship Series
Rainbow Six Siege - Six Invitational, Esports World Cup, BLAST R6 Major
Call of Duty - Esports World Cup, Call of Duty League Playoffs and Finals
MOBA
Dota 2 - The International, DreamLeague, BLAST Slam, Esports World Cup
League of Legends - World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, Esports World Cup, First Stand
Mobile Legends - MLBB Mid Season Cup, Women’s Invitational, World Championship
Kings of Glory - King Pro League Grand Finals, Honor of Kings International Championship, Honor of Kings World Cup
RTS
Starcraft II - Esports World Cup, DreamHack, Global Starcraft II League
Sports
FIFA - Pro Champions Cup, Pro World Championship, eChampions League, Pro Masters
eCricket - Yodha Premier League
Most Popular Esports Bets & Bet Types
There are lots of different ways to bet on Esports. Some of the most popular Esports betting markets include:
Match winner - Twoway - These are moneyline bets on which teams or players you think will be match winners.
Match winner - Threeway - This is like a 1x2 bet, where you can choose either team to win or bet on the draw.
Map handicaps - Handicap betting lets you choose a specific team to overcome a points handicap or to avoid losing by a specific points advantage. Asian handicap markets are also available, offering quarter lines.
Map winner - Bet on the team that will win a specific map during the match. You can also bet on whether or not a competitor will win at least one map during the match.
Total kills/points/rounds/maps - Choose the over or under line on the total number of points, rounds or maps during the match.
Correct score - This lets you predict the final score at the end of the match.
Outright bet - You can also place an outright bet on the final tournament outcomes, predicting which team or player you think will win the competition.
Game props and player props - Prop bets let you bet on outcomes that aren’t directly tied to the outcome of the match. For example, you can bet on a player getting the first blood award during the game.
Esports Betting Odds & Payouts Explained
Stake.com is home to the best Esports betting odds. We offer markets on all the major Esports events and leagues on the calendar and provide competitive odds that are hard to beat. Before you place any bets, make sure you read our guide to understanding odds and learn about the vig. This will help you choose the best bets and get more value from your picks. You can decide how to see the odds in your account (American/fractional/decimal) before placing your bets accordingly.
Esports Betting Strategies & Tips
Betting on Esports doesn’t need to be difficult, and you can place bets at Stake.com without hassle. That being said, here are some betting tips to help you kickstart your Esports betting strategy and assist with reducing any potential betting mistakes:
Understand the game - It’s a good idea to play the game in question before betting. Have a go at playing the game yourself to get a full understanding of the rules and gameplay. Even if you don’t feel like downloading and playing the game, you can still learn more about the rules, gameplay, and meta shifts thanks to live streaming.
Research the tournament - Make sure you look at the format of the tournament, as single-elimination rounds using a best-of-one format can produce upsets. You should also research the participants, taking care to analyse their recent performances and any recent roster changes which could affect their form.
While many people prepare their Esports betting slip before the action gets underway, you can also place a host of live bets on your chosen fixture. This could be a bet like the next map winner on LoL or the next team/player to score in FIFA. Check out our comprehensive guide that explains the differences between pre-match and live betting to help you get started with live Esports wagering.
Many of the most significant Esports events on the calendar are live-streamed to global audiences, providing the perfect opportunity to bet on the action while watching it unfold. You can watch free live streams of major Esports at Stake, with live data and scores provided too.
Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Esports
It’s easy to sign up to Stake.com and start betting on Esports. However, you should know how deposits and withdrawals work before you get started:
Deposits
Log in to your Stake account and open your wallet before selecting the deposit option.
