A Guide to Esports Betting In India – Top Games and Betting Sites

The eSports betting industry is increasingly becoming popular among Indian punters. There are many unique and exciting opportunities to bet and make money on, with the largest tournaments bringing in thousands of Rupees in winnings. However, this form of betting is a rather new concept as many people lack the proper knowledge to bet on eSports. We are going to change that as we cover everything there is to know about betting on eSports. Let’s get right into it:

E-sports in India

ESports, short for electronic sports, are video and computer games played professionally by gamers. Competitive gaming has become an important part of the Indian culture thanks to technological advancements, which continue to improve internet availability. India’s eSports obsession only continues to nestle its way into the mainstream. This has resulted in the perfect environment for esports professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Esports is increasingly becoming a popular betting market for Indian players and the world at large. In fact, estimates suggest that the Indian digital gaming industry will be worth $1.1 billion by the end of 2020. With such figures, we can only imagine how much is being wagered on professional video gaming on offshore eSports gambling sites.

Those who want to bet on local or international eSports matches and tournaments will be glad to know that all they need is an internet connection and a smartphone/tablet/computer. Plus, several online bookmakers accept bets from Indian customers.

Is it Legal to Gamble on eSports?

There’s no definite answer to this question. First off, there’s an old central law that prohibits gambling in India. It doesn’t, however, mention anything about betting on sports or eSports or playing casino games online. When it comes to the legality of eSports betting in India, the central government has left that decision for each state to make.

Some states like Goa and Sikkim have fully legalized gambling. Most of the states don’t have any specific regulations concerning the matter, making it a grey area. ESports gambling in such a state is neither legal or illegal, meaning you won’t get into trouble for it. The state of Maharashtra has, however, put in place gambling laws that prohibit certain forms of online gambling like eSports online betting.

That being said there are no locally licensed online bookmakers. This means gamblers will have to wager with offshore eSports betting sites.

Popular Games

Competitive video gaming is increasingly becoming recognized as a real sport. When it comes to the games available for eSports betting, it’s virtually every title that has a moderate-sized competitive scene. The games you’ll find odds on will, however, vary from one eSports betting site to another. Here are the most popular games that you’re guaranteed to find bets on any gambling site:

CS: GO – Counter-Strike

This is a worldwide popular title available in all leading betting sites like bet365 CSGO. It’s a first-person shooter game that involves a never-ending battle between two teams (terrorist and counter-terrorists). The former will take hostages and plant bombs while the later finds and rescues hostages while disarming bombs. In some scenarios, the two teams fight with the sole purpose of killing those on the opposing side. The common markets in CSGO esports betting include match-winner, Winner Map 1, First to kill, number of kills, etc.

DOTA 2

The game features two teams of 5 players each with the main goal being to destroy the other team’s base. The game is highly tactical and strategic, making it entertaining and thrilling for gamers and bettors at a Dota 2 betting site. In addition to the match-winner, players can get Dota 2 bet money when they predict other things like the team that will destroy the first tower. Dota 2 bet websites offer plenty of betting alternatives, including minor events, qualifier matches, and even the most prestigious tournaments.

LOL

This is another MOBA game involving two teams with five champions. Each team tries to destroy the other’s base while overcoming unique obstacles and tasks along the way. League of legends gambling is by far the most popular form of eSports betting. Gamblers will find plenty of different markets to bet on with league of legends betting, including first blood, first kill, slaying the first dragon, and so on.

Facts and Figures

• ESports is now a viable career alternative for any Indian gamer out there. After all, it has managed to turn nerds into millionaires. Just take a look at Team Soul (one of the best PUBG Mobile squads). They recently emerged winners in a match, earning an impressive $60,000 from the tournament.
• In 2019, the Indian eSports prize pool saw a 180% jump year on year (YoY) from $500K in 2018 to over $1.5M the following year.
• ESports is booming in India and shows no signs of slowing down thanks to the fast broadband connections. This boom is also due to the fact that India has the youngest population in the world with over 600 million people under the age of 25. This age group has a higher tendency to enjoy mobile gaming than the older generation.
• LoL Mid-Season Invitational 2018 is the most viewed eSports event in history, attracting about 60 million unique viewers online
• ESports betting is most likely to be on the top-flight leagues and tournaments surrounding professional video gaming.

The Best Esports Betting Websites – Accepting Players From India

There’s a large number of betting sites that offer eSports betting to Indian customers. It’s important to know that they all have strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, consider the eSport games that a site offers, available markets, Indian-friendly payment methods, acceptable currencies or bitcoin esports betting, bonuses and promotions on offer, and customer support. Most importantly, ensure your site of choice is fully licensed and regulated by a reputable gaming commission. They should also be operating in India legally. Here’s one operator that ticks all these boxes:

Betway

Betway has always been at the forefront of online gambling since its inception in 2006. They have grown to become the best esports betting site in India as they offer a lot more betting alternatives for Indian players than other bookmakers. In addition to the common eSports betting markets, you’ll find a bunch of special markets whenever a major eSport tournament is going down. This means you can bet on anything, from the best performing player to the team that died last, the shortest match of the event, and so on.

Betway is more than a bookmaker though. In addition to eSports betting, they also offer all kinds of casino games, live dealer actions, as well as a chance to bet on other sports such as cricket, football, and basketball just to name a few.

They hold licenses from multiple reputable gaming commissions. This is proof that they adhere to the highest standards regarding the quality of their games, safety, and fairness. As if that wasn’t enough, the site allows players to bet with Indian Rupees, meaning no more costly conversion rates.

Common Bets

There’s a wide variety of bet types available within the eSports market, depending on the type of game and the bookmaker. The most common ones include:

• Match-winner: This is self-explanatory as it involves predicting which team will win the match. This bet is usually placed before the event begins.
• Tournament winner: Here, you simply bet on who will win the tournament. It can be tricky predicting the winner of a tournament, but with plenty of research and seeking advice from reliable sources, you can get a pretty decent return predicting the outright winner of top international competitions.
• Special bets: These are bets that are specific to each individual eSport. There are different types of eSports games, including first-person shooter, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, and sports games just to name a few. As you can see, different eSports are analyzed differently, which is what brings about the many different specialist bets. For instance, you can bet on which team will get the first kill or first blood, win the first map, and so on. There’s also an option to bet on statistics like total kills or points. Last, but not least, you can guess whether a team will score over/under what the betting site set or whether there will be an even/odd score.

ESports live betting

Some gaming fans find eSports live betting way more exciting than taking pre-match bets. There’s the thrill of taking a last-minute bet on your favorite eSports as the action unfolds. Players can also take advantage of the ever-changing odds to grab themselves a much larger profit. Popular eSports betting sites like bet365 esports provide bettors with esports live scores to deliver the best experience on live Overwatch betting, FIFA esports betting, Fortnite betting, LOL esports betting, and so on.

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