We can safely say that eSports, previously a fixture of certain niches of the gaming industry, is officially mainstream. From Dota 2 and CSGO tournaments, where prize pools are in the millions of dollars, millions of fans tune in to watch their favorite teams compete against each other.
The advent of eSports also attracted the attention of betting operators looking to expand into new money-making avenues beyond the traditional sports that once dominated the betting landscape. And with the increasing adoption of eSports by betting operators came the need for services such as OddMatrix for administrative purposes. OddsMatrix provides the tools and integrations so that betting companies can seamlessly integrate eSports betting into their offering.
This article will explore why bookmakers should double down on eSports.
But first, a bit of history. Broadly, eSports describes any multiplayer game played competitively for the enjoyment of spectators, typically (but not exclusively) by professional players.
Functionally, it’s the same as any traditional sport, including less physically demanding sports like chess. Some popular eSports include Dota 2, Starcraft, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, League of Legends, Rainbow Six: Siege, and many, many others.
While the answer to this question depends on who you’re asking, it generally comes down to accessibility and the novelty factor. While traditional sports have been slow to move to streaming and mobile, eSports have always been an exclusively digital phenomenon. eSports games can be accessed from computers, tablets, and mobile phones, whether you’re a viewer or a player.
Their accessibility, coupled with the novelty factor of watching video games played competitively and narrated by professional voice casters in a professional setting, are two major reasons why esports have gained so much clout both within the gaming community and the general public.
Bookmakers and betting operators were quick to jump on the bandwagon because eSports, a digitally-native medium, converts very well to the current online-centric betting ecosystem. For example, the typical user can easily switch between watching their favorite teams battling in the arena and placing their bets, making live betting a more natural fit for eSports.
Thirdly, eSports is an excellent opportunity to reach a wider audience outside traditional sports. There are more eSports games now than there were ten years ago, and the new “star” esports game can pop up at any moment – so the earlier sports operators act, the higher the chances to lock in that sport and attract customers.
Any discussion about eSports betting eventually turns to the legality of the practice. And the answer is always this: it depends on the jurisdiction.
The short answer is yes; consumers can gamble on esports, whether they want to back a match-winner, bet on live events, or any other type of sports bet. Esports gambling is legal across many countries worldwide.
Now, things become trickier when it comes to specific locations. For instance, some countries specifically allow betting on the outcome of esports events. Some places heavily regulate eSports betting (we won’t get into the specifics in this article), while in others, eSports events are approved on a case-by-case basis. Then there are the fringe cases of countries that technically allow eSports betting even though there are no laws.
Let’s look at a few examples:
The good news is that eSports betting has been legal in the US since 2017. The bad(ish) news is that the US does not regulate eSports betting on a federal level. Essentially, it means it’s up to each state to decide whether eSports gambling is a hobby they’d rather not have their citizens partake in. While delegating the decision on whether eSports betting should be allowed to the states may have advantages for the consumer, betting operators may find parsing the laws and setting up shop in each state logistically tricky.
As of 2025, the states where esports gambling is legal are the following:
The United Kingdom is one of the biggest regulated betting markets worldwide, home to many leading operators that have become synonymous with the betting industry.
This, of course, extends to eSports as well, with many companies making them part of their main roster of offerings. The UK Gambling Commission licenses all bookmakers. In addition, the UK as a whole sports a strong support network to ensure that eSports events are safe and fair, warding off the shadier elements of the gambling industry.
Canada has the most straightforward answer to this question. Not only is eSports betting legal in this country, but Canada also has Bill-C218. This nifty law allows betting operators to expand their operations and include eSports in their roster. So, with eSports entirely in the realm of legality, it’s up to individual provinces to regulate and implement eSports betting as they see fit.
OddsMatrix is licensed in multiple jurisdictions, eliminating the legal risk associated with operating across the globe.
As we’ve previously mentioned, eSports is and has been a huge money maker for a while now. As the popularity of this niche has grown, so has the professionalism of the teams and players.
What was initially a patchy, loosely connected network of semi-professional teams battling in their free time is now a sprawling competitive scene with huge teams that compete and operate much like a football team or whatever your sport of choice. With top esports teams such as FaZe Clan, Team SoloMid, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere, and others achieving spectacular feats and hitting a metaphorical “ceiling,” the need for funding arose to take things to the next level.
You’re probably already seeing where this is going – sponsorship deals. Sponsorships are an excellent opportunity for betting operators to actively participate in developing the eSports scene and for reaching a younger audience that they couldn’t have reached otherwise with traditional sports offerings. Companies from all fields have been jumping on the eSports bandwagon, so why not betting operators, too?
A quick glance at the numbers reveals some baffling numbers. As of 2025, there are 532.1 million eSports audiences worldwide. 60% of eSports fans are aged between 16 and 35. And, more relevantly to this point, the average age of an e-sports fan is 26 – smack dab in the middle of the average person’s peak earning years. By expanding into eSports, betting operators can tap into a new, younger audience that they may not have reached otherwise.
Due to eSports’ innate digital nature, they produce vast amounts of data – and since the betting industry runs on data, this presents a great opportunity for operators to finetune odds and provide an increasingly smooth experience for customers. Let’s take Dota 2 as an example. Dota 2 is a tower defense strategy game with two teams of 5 members, each destroying the base of the other.
The core gameplay is micromanagement-heavy – players must consider timing, arena positioning, gear and ability purchases, individual hero pros and cons, and many factors. With the duration of each match averaging around 50 minutes and so many gameplay variables and player inputs, the number of possible outcomes is staggering.
This is where machine learning comes into play, as an algorithm could take the more abstract gameplay variables (such as player health) into account and translate them into odds that are more accurate than for a “physical sport,” whose outcome can be harder to predict due to outside elements (weather, player injury, and so on).
OddsMatrix provides real-time odds data for a multitude of sports, including Esports. Not only that, but OddsMatrix integrates this data natively into the platform so bookmakers can access accurate, up-to-date odds at any time. Bookmakers can set personalized odds that can be adjusted to the day-to-day realities of the market and trends.
Main takeaway: because eSports are 100% digital and relatively low-impact from a physical standpoint, algorithms have an easier time calculating odds, improving the customer’s experience and the betting operator’s bottom line.
Thanks to the digital nature of Esports, operators have access to all game-related data. This is why eSports and in-play betting are a good fit, as operators can offer a wider variety of in-play bets than ever.
Thing is, in traditional sports, in-play betting eventually hits a complexity ceiling because there’s only so much data a bookmaker or betting operator can track. Then there are the limitations of traditional sports, as there are only so many noteworthy events operators can work in-play betting around.
Now think about a game like Rainbow: Six Siege, where customers could place a wager on a player’s operator choice. Or Dota 2, where bettors may bet on the number of consecutive “last hits” a player manages to execute. Bottom line, eSports, through their very complex nature, can provide an exciting dimension to in-play betting that traditional sports can’t.
In that respect, OddsMatrix’s real-time updating sports database allows bookmakers to offer live betting (also known as in-play betting). Customers can enjoy the prospect of betting on their favorite eSports in real time, while bookmakers have the opportunity to attract more customers with this feature.
A critical byproduct of the increasing popularity of eSports betting and its incorporation by many leading operators is that the sport is safer than ever. According to a Washington Post piece published at the peak of the pandemic, traditional “gambling states” such as Nevada and New Jersey had adopted eSports gambling as a temporary measure to soften the blow dealt to the economy by the pandemic.
However, the increased attention from Vegas and other big industry players created the incentive to double down on curbing cheating and increasing the integrity of the sport overall. This resulted from gambling companies, esports stakeholders, and developers teaming up to create advanced anti-cheat software and the logistical framework to implement it effectively.
In other words, eSports betting is safer than ever, as the anti-cheat software makes cheating almost impossible. The piece uses a great analogy to illustrate this point:
“Moreover, unlike traditional sports where a player’s intention to throw a game could be more obvious, a malicious esports player can hide to a degree behind the game’s technological components — with a player’s actions filtered through a computer and a network before becoming visible on screen — to mask anomalous behavior or utilize cheating software. When reactions measured in milliseconds can decide the outcome of an esports event, it’s harder to determine if a player is throwing a match or just having a bad day.”
OddsMatrix is aware of the inherent risks involved in the eSports betting industry. As such, we offer various Risk management tools and features to help bookmakers better manage these risks. With OddsMatrix, bookmakers can spot and address risks proactively. Our tools take into account elements such as betting patterns and customer behavior. This helps bookmakers balance books and, by extension, minimize exposure to certain risks.
Pinnacle is renowned in the sports betting world for its sharp odds and low margins, and its esports vertical is no exception. Since entering the space in 2010, Pinnacle has positioned itself as a thought leader in esports betting. It offers betting markets on a wide variety of titles, including less mainstream games like StarCraft II and Rainbow Six Siege.
What sets Pinnacle apart is its esports betting content hub—complete with analytical articles, expert predictions, and esports betting strategies. These resources are consistently updated and SEO-optimized, helping the brand rank highly for terms like “best CS2 odds” or “Dota 2 betting guide.”
Key Takeaways for Bookmakers: Pinnacle’s commitment to content-led SEO and value-driven betting markets is a model bookmakers can emulate. By producing evergreen educational content and pairing it with timely tournament-based updates, they keep both novice and experienced bettors engaged. Bookmakers should also consider enhancing transparency with odds explanations, betting margin breakdowns, and responsible betting advice—building trust while improving authority in search engines.
Betway’s esports section is seamlessly woven into its broader sportsbook but has a distinct identity, complete with its own content, social media handles, and even team sponsorships.
Betway’s partnerships with major esports teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas and tournament organizations like BLAST Premier create strong brand recognition and backlinks from high-authority domains—bolstering SEO performance. Betway also publishes match previews, betting tips, and behind-the-scenes videos on a dedicated “Betway Esports” blog and YouTube channel, targeting fans at various stages of the user journey.
Key Takeaways for Bookmakers: Betway’s strategy shows how integrating esports into a broader marketing and SEO ecosystem can drive both authority and engagement.
Bookmakers should explore cross-channel content distribution—blog, video, and social—to maximize reach. Additionally, investing in esports sponsorships and backlink acquisition from tournament organizers or esports influencers can dramatically enhance domain authority and SERP rankings.
Bet365, one of the largest global sportsbooks, has made impressive strides in integrating esports into its core product. While it doesn’t specialize in esports, Bet365’s approach to streamlining esports alongside football, tennis, and basketball gives it credibility and reach with mainstream bettors.
It features a sleek live betting interface with real-time data and in-game statistics, and consistently offers odds on a wide range of esports events, from tier-1 CS2 tournaments to regional LoL circuits. Importantly, Bet365 has optimized event-specific pages with structured data, enhancing their discoverability on Google for event-related searches.
Key Takeaways for Bookmakers: Bet365 demonstrates how traditional operators can successfully integrate esports without reinventing the wheel. Bookmakers can benefit from applying the same design standards, betting mechanics, and SEO infrastructure used for traditional sports to their esports offerings. By ensuring each event, league, and match has its own crawlable, optimized landing page with schema markup, they can capture long-tail search traffic and improve visibility during major esports events.
As the esports industry matures, so too does its betting ecosystem. Gone are the days when outright match winners were the only available option. Today’s esports betting markets offer a sophisticated range of choices that cater to casual viewers, hardcore fans, and data-savvy punters alike.
Understanding the most popular betting markets—and how they function within specific game titles—is essential for both bettors and bookmakers looking to optimize offerings for maximum engagement and retention.
One of the most universally offered markets across all major esports titles is the Match Winner bet. This straightforward wager lets users bet on which team will win a given match, making it the perfect entry point for new bettors.
Due to its simplicity and prevalence, it also serves as the backbone for most betting platforms and allows sportsbooks to tie in with major tournament content for SEO purposes—e.g., “CS2 Cologne match winner odds.” This is especially effective for generating traffic around high-stakes matches and regional rivalries.
Beyond the basics, more granular betting options—like Map Winner, Correct Score, and Total Maps Played—have become increasingly popular, especially for games like CS2, Dota 2, and League of Legends that feature best-of formats. These markets add an extra layer of complexity and appeal to fans with deeper knowledge of game dynamics.
For example, in a best-of-three CS2 match, savvy bettors may predict that a dominant team will win 2-0, rather than 2-1, thus placing a more valuable “Correct Score” bet. These markets allow for greater odds variance and are prime targets for high-value content such as match previews and analytical breakdowns.
Another prominent category is Prop Bets (or “Specials”), which are wagers placed on in-game events rather than outcomes. Examples include “First Blood,” “Total Kills Over/Under,” or “Baron Slain First” in League of Legends. These bets align closely with the moment-to-moment action of esports and are ideal for live betting environments.
They also lend themselves well to real-time odds feeds and interactive visualizations—an important UX and SEO enhancement for operators. Prop markets encourage sustained session times and are particularly effective at converting viewers into bettors when embedded alongside live Twitch streams or esports hubs.
Finally, Futures and Outright Bets remain a staple for long-term engagement. Whether predicting the tournament winner, group stage qualifiers, or MVP of an event, these markets provide opportunities for bettors to stay invested over the course of weeks.
They are often launched well in advance of major tournaments like The International or the League of Legends World Championship, allowing operators to create long-tail keyword-rich landing pages.
These can rank for queries like “LoL Worlds 2025 betting odds” or “Dota 2 TI outright winner”—important SEO real estate that can pull in sustained traffic throughout an event cycle.
To summarize the landscape, here’s a table highlighting popular esports betting markets, the games where they are most commonly found, and their appeal:
| Betting Market | Description | Popular Games | Why It’s Popular |
| Match Winner | Bet on the team that wins the match | CS2, LoL, Dota 2, Valorant | Simple and widely understood |
| Map Winner | Bet on which team wins a specific map | CS2, Valorant, Overwatch | Great for best-of matches |
| Correct Score | Predict the exact final score (e.g., 2-0, 2-1) | CS2, Dota 2, LoL | High odds, appeals to tactical bettors |
| First Blood/Kill | Wager on which team/player scores first | LoL, Dota 2, CS2 | Fast-paced, ideal for live betting |
| Tournament Winner | Bet on the overall champion of an event | All major titles | Long-term investment, drives future content pages |
These markets represent not only the core of modern esports betting but also the building blocks for content-rich, SEO-optimized sportsbooks. For Oddsmatrix and other platforms, offering a full range of these markets with dynamic, well-structured pages and interactive data elements can significantly improve both user experience and organic traffic acquisition.
OddsMatrix is the leading data provider for savvy betting agencies that want to take their Esports gambling businesses to the next level.
OddsMatrix has a wide array of tools and integrations that help sports betting agencies scale their eSports betting business, streamline their operations and offer the best customer experience possible.
