It’s certainly true that we are seeing something of a convergence of the cryptocurrency and eSports betting worlds right now. Crypto sportsbooks are instantly processing eSports wagers with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other coins. With this in mind, we’ll be taking a look at the best places to place bets on CS:GO, Dota 2, and League of Legends, to name just a few.
A round of CS:GO lasts as little as 2 minutes, and in DOTA 2, teamfights lead to matches ending in a matter of seconds. Clearly, the 3-5 day withdrawal period of fiat betting is just not compatible with such rapidly developing games. The instant nature of crypto transactions, by contrast, provides a much higher degree of alignment.
We also need to consider the young fanbase and the global nature of eSports. Such bettors want to place multiple small wagers without sacrificing privacy, having to navigate international financial borders, and in a way that aligns with their tech-savvy view of the world. Crypto ticks all of these boxes in a way that fiat will never be able to.
Our expert researchers have put together a definitive top five rundown so that you can see what’s out there and how it could fit into how you like to enjoy yourself online.
This platform lets you bet on CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, FIFA, eBasketball, eCricket, Valorant, and Rainbow Six all in one place. There is a 200% welcome bonus capped at $30,000, and the platform accepts 20+ coins. Withdrawals are virtually instant, real-time odds make live betting possible, and deep tournament coverage is seen as their specialty.
An impressive 6,000+ casino games and a comprehensive sportsbook, combined with live streams of in-play eSports events, is an attractive proposition. BTC and ETH are accepted, withdrawals are nearly always less than 30 minutes, and all major titles are covered. The focus is very much on being the platform that people go to when they want to watch live action.
19 different eSports titles, including Dota 2, CS2, and Rainbow Six, combined with an 80% welcome bonus and some free bets, all help this new entrant to stand out for the right reasons. Instant processing and a focus on very high tournament depth mean the platform is suited to eSports die-hards who want to try something new.
Cloudbet went live 13 years ago and has the most experience in the world of crypto sports betting. A welcome package worth $2,500 and 10% rakeback on each bet catches the eye, as do the lack of rollover requirements and the potential for real cash rewards. High rollers often use the platform to bet on Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Dota 2 due to its extremely strict security and high degree of player protection. If you are interested to learn more, there are also plenty of sites similar to Cloudbet that may be worth a closer look.
Twitch streamers tend to partner with Stake to promote their competitive odds and the extensive live betting markets the platform has to offer. Discord is also a key feature and has been essential to growing a community that exists beyond the platform itself. The result is a highly prominent brand that every eSports fan instantly recognizes.
Speed is great, but the ability to bet from anywhere in the world and take real control of your money for the very first time is the holy grail. Not only does crypto offer this tantalizing prospect, but it also offers fees that are routinely less than 1%, whereas the traditional range for payment processing with fiat is 3-5%.
Bonuses tend to be bigger in the world of crypto betting as well, with welcome bonuses often double the size of those offered by traditional sports betting platforms. A word of caution is needed regarding volatility here, but the point remains that the bonuses are bigger. In short, crypto is designed to be cheaper, more flexible, and more attractive than fiat betting, as opposed to just being faster.
The simplest betting market is the one where you pick the winner of a match or tournament, but there are plenty of other options out there. There is map-by-map betting on both CS:GO and Valorant best-of-3s, and there are handicap options, such as “Team to destroy 2+ more towers” in games like League of Legends. Dota 2’s over-under bets on total kills and the game duration bets in League of Legends are another popular choice. There is also the option to bet on individual players within a game, just as you could bet on Ronaldo to score the winning goal in a football match.
Futures markets also exist where you can bet on all of the above weeks or months in advance, potentially locking in better odds if you move at the right time. Winning bets can also turn into long-term strategic holds with a view to riding out volatility and eventually profiting from it.
Crypto sportsbooks will update their odds in a fraction of a second, whereas a traditional online sports betting platform lags the live action by as much as 60 seconds. This makes it possible to do round betting on CS:GO after a pistol round because the odds will change dramatically in a matter of seconds. And if the first dragon is secured in League of Legends, the odds will update in real-time so that you can factor sudden momentum shifts into your betting strategy. The result is a range of informed betting options based on real-time action, rather than a costly lag in information, which means you are never betting on the current landscape.
Players who wish to get started will need to choose a crypto wallet, deposit cryptocurrency, and select a trusted sportsbook. Setting limits for deposits is strongly advised, and players should only ever play with funds they can afford to lose. Likewise, emotional betting and chasing losses should also be avoided. Players should stop if they feel compelled to play and should never be afraid to seek help with problem behaviors.
Sportsbooks should clearly display their eGaming licenses (often on the homepage footer) and clearly explain how they protect deposited funds within the terms and conditions of play. Any platform that attempts to extend withdrawal processing beyond 24 hours, or that has unresponsive customer service, and a lack of publicly available company information, should be an immediate red flag. Odds that appear to be consistently better than the rest of the market are also a clear warning sign that all may not be as it seems.
BTC is the most widely accepted coin, with fees of $2-10 depending on the current level of congestion. The flat model for fees makes BTC particularly well-suited to large withdrawals. ETH is nearly as widely accepted and tends to be just as fast as BTC, and also slightly cheaper when it comes to the fees you will be charged. Litecoin is one of the fastest and cheapest coins and tends to be underutilized by many new players. There is also the option to use stablecoins if you wish to sidestep the frustrating issue of volatility after a winning bet.
In terms of limits, CoinCasino offers USDT 100,000 monthly, and Cloudbet tops out at 12 BTC per bet. If in doubt, check the terms and conditions of the site you are looking to play on to make sure the limits align with how you want to use them.
The speed, privacy, and global access that crypto offers align very well with the world of eSports betting and how the next generation of fans and players like to spend their time online. One potential issue is the proliferation of scams and confidence tricks, but this can be solved with a pragmatic approach based on initial research. Look out for the red flags outlined in the earlier section and always start by making the smallest possible deposit to ensure that everything functions as advertised.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
