Features of Cybersports Betting

When Team Spirit won the international DOTA 2 tournament in October 2021, the champions earned $18.2 million in prize money. This episode was a turning point for cybersports, showcasing the potential for substantial earnings in the industry. This success highlighted the importance of safe gambling practices, as the rapid growth of betting on cybersports demands a responsible approach. Before, bookmakers did not see great prospects for computer sports. The success of Team Spirit attracted a lot of attention, and bookmakers started to develop betting on cybersports.

Popular disciplines and features of betting

The growth of interest in cybersports has been noticed in betting shops. Therefore, the BC line now has not only classic sports betting but also several cyber sports disciplines. A review of bookmaker sites allows us to identify 4 central cyber sports games: DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: GO, League of Legends, Valorant.

1. DOTA 2 was not a standalone game in its initial stages of development. DOTA 2 was born on the foundation of one of the Warcraft 3 maps. Real-time strategy. The player’s task is to defeat the opponent’s camp. At the start, opponents receive heroes, gain experience, and buy items. DOTA 2 is owned by Valve. The International is the most popular DOTA 2 tournament.
2. CS: GO. It was released in 2012. Real-time shooter. The opponents are divided into two teams – terrorists and special forces. The task is to win by rounds. CS: GO is most likely the most popular cybersport discipline in Europe. All thanks to its predecessor, Counter-Strike 1.6, which was on almost every computer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The flagship tournament series is The Major.
3. League of Legends. It was released in 2009. During its development Riot Games was inspired by DOTA 2. The game features 2 teams of 5 players. Each player controls a character with a special set of characteristics and skills. The victory condition is to destroy the enemy Nexus. During the game the opponents: gain experience, pump characters, buy items. The main tournament of the League of Legends game was called… League of Legends.
4. Valorant. An attempt to cross League of Legends and Counter-Strike: GO by Riot Games. Released in 2020. You can win in 2 ways: kill all the characters of the enemy team or detonate a bomb in a certain place on the map. Players are divided into 2 teams of 5 participants. The team that takes the first 13 rounds wins the match. The main competition is the Valorant Champions Tour.

The list of cyber sports disciplines is not the widest. Most often, you can bet on:

• the winner of the match;
• round total;
• statistics of cards, players;
• long-term results, such as a player’s victory in the tournament.

In matches of different levels of opponents, popular bets with a handicap. Each game has its own special betting options. For example, in DOTA 2, offer to bet on who will be the first to kill the neutral unit Roshan. In sports simulators, the line is much the same as in regular soccer: both goals, bets on statistics, and outcomes by halves.

Advantages and disadvantages of cybersports betting

Cybersports disciplines are a relatively new direction for betting offices. There are not so many good specialists, so it is easier for players to find and use the mistakes of BC in determining favorites and betting odds. The huge number of live streams is another argument in favor of betting on cybersports. It is easier for cappers to track what is happening in the match and bet on sports live. The availability of broadcasts allows you to gain experience and understand the essence of cyber sports faster.

There are a couple of significant disadvantages to computer sports:

• High margins. Bookmakers insure themselves against mistakes by means of a high commission. Compared to sports betting, the margin in cybersports can be twice as high.
• Betting matches. In cyber sports, it is easier for rivals to collude and play a match with a fixed result. It is more difficult to prove the bad faith of intentions. Bookmakers and society are still searching for effective mechanisms to combat “match-fixing”.