Guide to Betting on E-sports in India

E-sports has grown quickly as a sport in the last few years, with major events attracting millions of viewers in India who can now bet with most major sportsbooks offering a range of markets on the big tournaments. This betting e-sport guide will help you get started.

History of E-sports

E-sports has taken off in recent years and become bigger than ever. However, competitive video gaming has been around for many decades. The first-ever official video game competition took place in 1972 at Stanford University, but these competitions really started to get popular in the 1980s thanks to the growing video game industry. At the time, video games were mostly played in arcades, but the rise of home consoles also helped to bring games to a wider audience.

As technology improved, video games could become more complex, exciting, and entertaining. They transformed from 2D graphics to fully 3D renders and went from simplistic levels to large arenas that included multiple players, usable items, and ways to win. As they became more popular, new ideas for video games were created, spawning new genres such as first-person shooters, sports games, fighting games and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) that are all staples of the e-sports industry today.

The late 90s and early 2000s saw a big increase in the popularity of e-sports thanks to LAN games and online multiplayer that allowed multiple people to all play together at once. Video games became a social activity, and competitive games could be played with teams, helping to make it more exciting. Today, some of the biggest e-sports events offer multimillion-dollar prize pools, and developers have realised that e-sports can be an effective marketing tool for their games.

How E-sports Work

E-sports are competitive video games where two or more players compete against each other to complete an objective. Because there are so many different types of video games, these can vary a lot in the complexity and difficulty of the objective. For example, first-person shooters like Call of Duty or Counter-Strike usually involve wiping out the opposition and securing an area on the map. For MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2, the aim is to advance into the enemy base by destroying towers and levelling up to upgrade abilities.

Generally, e-sports is played by teams, although 1v1 events are popular too. Much like in regular sports, teammates must work together, and each player usually has a specific role in the team’s strategy. The games take place on specific maps or levels, and are either best of one, best of three or best of five, depending on the tournament. By defeating the opposition, an e-sports team can progress in a tournament and reach the final for a chance to compete for the grand prize.

E-sports Betting Markets

Betting e-sport sites offer a lot of different markets for you to choose from, giving you a variety of options. Before you start placing real money wagers on e-sports events, it’s important to understand these options and what they mean. Here are some of the most popular e-sports markets you’ll find at Indian betting sites.

  • Match Winner

    The match winner is the simplest e-sports market and the easiest to understand. This is a bet on which team or player you think will win the match. This means you’ll be betting on the team you think will be the winner after the best of three or five or whatever the format for this tournament is.

  • Round/Map Winner

    E-sports matches are decided by rounds which usually take place over different maps. Some tournaments might have a new map for each round, while others will play a certain number of rounds on each map. You can bet on which team you think will win a specific round or map. Most betting sites will also allow you to bet on whether a team will win at least one round or not.

  • Correct Points/Score

    At the end of the match, the scores will determine the winner. Scores are decided by actions within the game, including kills, bombs planted, goals scored and others. This will depend on the game and the game mode that’s being played. You can bet on the correct score, predicting what you think the score will be when the match ends.

  • Over/Under

    Aside from predicting the exact score, you can also bet on whether you think the score will be over or under a specific number. For example, the site might offer odds on Over 27.5 and Under 27.5. If you choose Over 27.5, your bet will win, provided the score is at 28 or more at the end of the game. Over/under markets are available for the total score, the number of rounds and many other areas of the game.

  • Overtime

    A lot of games will go into overtime if the match is tied after a certain number of rounds. For example, Counter-Strike goes into overtime if both teams have won 15 rounds at the end of the match. Overtime rules depend on the game being played, but you can bet on whether or not you think the game will go into overtime.

  • Handicap

    Handicaps make games between two unevenly matched teams more exciting. Betting on a big favourite won’t win you much money normally, but if they have to win by three or more rounds, the odds and your potential profits will be much higher. For example, if you bet on Heroic to win with a handicap of -3.5, they need to win by at least four rounds for your bet to win. If they have a handicap of +3.5, they need to not lose by four rounds for your bet to win.

  • First Blood

    First blood or first kill is a market often seen in games that feature kills, such as Overwatch, League of Legends, or Call of Duty. You place a bet on the player you think will get the first kill of the match, and if they succeed, you win your bet. For sports games, this is normally replaced by the first goal, or first point scored.

  • Total Kills

    Total kills is a bet on the total number of kills scored by a team or a a specific player. Some sportsbooks will also let you bet on which player you think will get the most kills in the game. For sports games such as FIFA and NBA2K, this is replaced by total goals or total points.

  • Outrights

    Outright markets are bets on what will happen at the end of a tournament or event. For example, you can bet on which team you think will be the grand champion, which player will win the most MVP awards or the highest-scoring player of the tournament.

E-sport Betting Tips

Now you know a little more about e-sports and how they work, you’re almost ready to start betting. Before you do, be sure to follow these tips. While they won’t guarantee you success, they will give you a better chance of being successful.

  • 1

    Pick a Game and Do Your Research

    There are loads of different e-sports video games, and the number is growing each year. It’s tempting as a beginner to bet on as many as you can, but it’s important to stick to the basics and improve slowly when you’re starting out. We recommend choosing one of the more popular games, such as Counter-Strike, League of Legends or Dota 2. These have plenty of events throughout the year and lots of markets available to bet on.

    Once you’ve chosen a game that you enjoy, it’s time to get into researching it as much as possible. You don’t need to be a pro player yourself, but you should understand the rules, have a good knowledge of the different maps, and know the best teams and top players. You can find plenty of stats online that will help you, and it’s possible to watch free streams on betting sites and on sites such as Twitch.

    Keep up to date with the latest news in the e-sports community and pay attention to changes in rosters at the top teams. This will help you make more informed decisions when betting on e-sports and hopefully allow you to be more successful. Always consult the latest stats, including form, head-to-head record, and the stats on specific maps before you place any bet.

  • 2

    Set a Budget

    While there’s money to be made in betting e-sports, it carries risk too. For that reason, it’s important to set a budget before you get started and ensure you don’t go over it. Failing to set a budget could mean you wager more than you can afford to lose, which could have a negative impact on your life.

    If you have trouble setting budgets for yourself or controlling how much you spend. Most betting sites that accept Indian players will allow you to set a deposit limit. This limits how much you can spend on the site each day, week or month and is a great tool for helping you budget and stay in control.

  • 3

    Look for Value in the Odds

    The key to being successful when betting on sports is the find value in the odds. This is never easy, as sportsbooks are always careful to ensure they can make a profit. However, you can use this to your advantage. As people bet on an event, the sportsbooks will move the odds to keep even money on both sides. Therefore, you can find potential value when the odds move in your favour.

    A good example of this is where the odds might move in favour of the more popular team, even if they don’t have a high chance of winning. Timing is important here, and you can make good money if you’re patient and wait for other people to bet before placing your own wager. Don’t simply follow the trends and be sure to utilise your research and knowledge of the game.

Summary

E-sports has a huge following in India, with more than 17 million viewers in 2021. This figure is growing each year as the video gaming industry becomes more popular and exciting. You can now place bets on all the latest e-sports action with Indian sportsbooks, but it’s important to know the ins and outs of the sport before you risk your money. Our guide gives you all the details you need to be successful but remember to always bet responsibly.

FAQ

  • What’s the best e-sports game to bet on?

    That honestly depends on your personal preference. If you want to be good at e-sports betting, you’ll need to do a lot of research, and it makes sense to stick to one specific game that you enjoy watching to make research more enjoyable.

  • Is there a good strategy for e-sports bets?

    The best strategy is one that you can stick to and make consistent profits with. The key is to understand the sport well and find value in the odds. The games and markets you bet on come down to personal preference.

  • Can e-sports betting be profitable?

    Yes, it can be very profitable if you know how to find value and are able to do this consistently. Even if you lose from time to time, finding value means you’ll always come out on top overall. Just be sure to bet responsibly.

  • Is it possible to bet on e-sports in-play?

    Yes, most betting sites will now offer in-play betting odds, letting you place wagers on games that are in progress.

  • What does +1.5 mean in e-sports betting?

    +1.5 is used for handicap betting and is given to the underdog to make the odds more even. If you bet on a team that has a +1.5 handicap, that team must not lose by two rounds or more for your bet to win.

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Daniel Tafvelin
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