{"id":402,"date":"2017-03-08T08:32:25","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T08:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planet7\/blog\/?p=402"},"modified":"2024-02-19T09:46:05","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T09:46:05","slug":"is-esports-betting-really-a-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planet7casino.com\/fun-time\/is-esports-betting-really-a-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Is esports betting really a thing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just when you thought you\u2019d seen everything\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a rapidly changing world and gambling is everywhere. In Las Vegas, you can bet on when alien life will be proven, when Julian Assange will leave the Ecuadorian embassy, if the next James Bond will be black, and what city is likely to see a white Christmas in 2017, but video games? That’s right: esports betting is a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Yep, that too. Once the realm of pimply teens and hard core computer nerds, video games are ubiquitous these days. They’re on every smart phone and computer, in front of us and around every corner. Enjoyed by players of all ages, video games have sparked their own, global, massive, hyper-competitive, star-filled, real-money wagering universe\u2026 called esports<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are esports?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Championship<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

All competitive video games are esports, whether it\u2019s an actual video game version of a sport like FIFA soccer or Madden football, a first-person shooter game like Call of Duty, or a multiplayer online battle arena video game like League of Legends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The latter, also known as LoL, is the world\u2019s most-watched video game. LoL garnered a very impressive 43 million viewers for the last round of the 2016 World Championship. That\u2019s right, there\u2019s world championships in video games\u2026 and it\u2019s serious, big-time stuff. To put it into perspective, an average of 40 million people that same year tuned into Game 7 of the World Series to watch the Chicago Cubs win the for the first time in over 100 years. Granted, the World Series is more of an American interest, while LoL and esports are a world-wide obsession, but come on \u2013 those are some serious numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more admirable was the prize money for the 2016 LoL World Championship. The total prize pool was $6.7 million, $3 million of which was contributed solely by fans. The winners walked away with 40 percent of the total, which comes to $2.68 million, and the second-place team was awarded 15 percent, or just over $1 million. Not bad winnings for having fun playing video games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does video game betting work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Betting on esports functions much the same way as regular sports betting<\/a>. Instead of betting on the outcome of a live sports match, you\u2019re betting on the outcome of a video game match. You can bet either as a participant in a match or as a spectator.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Esports<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

To bet as a participant, you buy-in to a tournament just like you would when you\u2019re on the casino floor. Then each player contributes the same amount to the pot. Players are then paired up, start their games, and find each other on the network, at which time the match begins. At the end of the match, all players must verify the outcome in order to officially end gameplay and allow the victor to collect the winnings. Matches are often played in tournaments of multiple games, like chess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Some games can be tracked online, so tournament hosts can verify results to prevent cheating. Some sites also feature a ranking system for players to let you see who is consistently honest and who isn\u2019t. Those suspected of or caught cheating can have some or all of their funds taken from their account and could be banned from using the service. But while these safeguards are in place, most of the time you just have to trust that the other guy or gal is as honest as you are, which makes some people uncomfortable. More on that in a minute\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What, exactly, can I bet on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are 6 main types of bets that can be placed. They are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Winner<\/strong> \u2013 As in all sports bets, the most common bet is to pick the winner. This applies to esports as well, with gamblers putting down their cash on which team they think will prevail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Handicap<\/strong> \u2013 Similar to more traditional sports like golf or horseracing, handicapping offers an advantage by assigning additional points to one team to make the play more fair. Bets are placed on something akin to a points spread. If one team wins the match but comes in under the points spread, those who bet on that team lose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Double Chance<\/strong> \u2013 A simple bet in which you wager on two of the three possible outcomes: a win, a draw or a loss. This occurs primarily in tournaments with more than one match.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Correct Score<\/strong> \u2013 Yep, you guessed it, betting on the end score of the match or tournament.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Map Winner<\/strong> \u2013 A great many games require players to gain control over parts of the map that constitutes the game world. You can place bets on who will win the map.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Win At Least One Map<\/strong> \u2013 With many games containing different levels and more than one map, the competition can be fierce to secure even one before the end of the match or tournament. This allows gamblers to place bets on who will secure at least one map before play ends.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Okay, so that\u2019s a quick overview of the types of esports bets you can place. You\u2019re in the mood and ready to go. So, what games can you bet on? Here\u2019s a look at the most popular esports games and the type of bets they attract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    League of Legends (LoL)<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"league<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Set in a fantasy world that makes Heavy Metal the movie look tame, LoL is a multiplayer combat and strategy game that pits groups of champions against each other across multiple battlefields and game modes. With more than 27 million daily active players, you can imagine it\u2019s a pretty lively place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n