Betting on video games is a relatively new trend in the business. As the sport’s integrity improves, the public’s trust in competitions. Many video game companies have taken significant steps to eliminate cheating such as aimbots, and establish and regulate several leagues, as third parties formerly ran many eSports competitions.

The global esports market isn’t insignificant. According to a NewZoo market research on eSports audiences and revenue, the business made $325 million in 2015 and $892.8 million in 2016. According to the most current report on the eSports sector from marketing research firm Superdata, the industry is expected to expand to $1.6 billion this year and $1.8 billion in 2019.

Asia’s esports market is valued at $328 million, while North America’s is worth $275 million and Europe’s is worth $269 million. Esports enthusiasts spent more than $230 million on tickets, souvenirs, and prize pool contributions, among other things. While growth estimates are lowering compared to 2014 and 2015, viewership is rising. The worldwide esports audience reached 226 million people just two years ago. It was 292 million last year. In 2017, 345 million people were expected to tune in from worldwide. 40% of all esports fans have never played the games they are watching!

The billion-dollar growth will eventually help the sport overcome current challenges with traditional media outlets that still view professional video gaming through a particular lens, and it will significantly assist the industry in finding its actual audience among avid stream watchers, professional gamers, casual gamers, and regular sporting bettors.

Male Millennials make up the majority of the esports industry’s current viewership base (about 85 percent), and nearly half of them (46 percent) are between the ages of 18 and 25. Casual gamers who enjoy playing and watching professionals play games like Hearthstone, League of Legends, and Rocket League – three games that are arguably more accessible to the ordinary gamer and watcher than Dota 2 – make up a sizable chunk of viewers.

We’re here to give you the low down on six of the largest eSports games you can bet on right now using free bets no deposit, thanks to a significant number of operators now offering a wide range of markets across all forms of eSports and events:

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 

Every game on our list has fervent supporters that scrutinise every update and modification with a fine tooth comb; but, Counter-Strike aficionados are a different beast.

It’s been around for over 20 years and has a thriving eSports community, and it’s still going strong. Around the conclusion of 1.6, the number of players was progressively dwindling, and the release of Global Offensive was initially a flop. The addition of’skins’ to the game caused it to take off. Now that the game is free to play, more people are getting into it and learning the tactics involved than ever before.

CS rules the open-circuit format: GO. There are tens of matches to wager on every day because it boasts the largest semi-professional scene of any eSport – even greater than League of Legends and Dota2 combined. There are also bets on whether a kill will be made with a grenade or not, and how many kills a play will get in a pistol round in the larger events.

When it comes to betting on Counter-Strike, it’s safe to assume that you’ll never run out of alternatives.

Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Siege is bigger than ever as it enters its sixth year. Ubisoft has managed to keep this team-based tactical shooter feeling fresh by altering the META (Most Effective Tactic Available) numerous times a year and fully overhauling tried and effective competition maps. And the game isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as Ubisoft has revealed that Rainbow Six Siege will has been released on Xbox One X and PlayStation 5.

The future of sports betting in RS: Siege is as bright as a flash grenade, with the ESL Pro League setting the benchmark for worldwide contests and Ubisoft’s passion and faith in the game.

Rocket League

Despite its unique appearance, Rocket League may be the easiest eSport to comprehend from the outside. Rocket League is essentially football with automobiles. This team-based game, which was first released in 2015, blasted onto the market and quickly became a big eSport.

The format of the two divisions, the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) and the Rocket League Rival Series (RLRS), adds to its accessibility (RLRS). Consider the RLCS as the Premier League and the RLRS as the Championship division if we’re making analogies to the real world. Psyonix, the game’s creators, funds and organises both departments.

Psyonix has subsequently been purchased by Epic Games, which already has a big eSport in the form of Fortnite. With $100 million committed in prize money for eSports Battle Royale events, the Rocket League Championship Series may expect larger things in the future.

Dota 2

Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients 2) may be the lesser of the two MOBAs in terms of player numbers, but it is the bigger one in terms of prize money and, arguably, core fans and eSports betting lovers. Because it’s a Valve game, fans are highly critical, wanting nothing but the best, which has resulted in an incredibly finely tuned videogame that provides an exciting eSports spectator sport. League of Legends may have closed the gap, but Dota2 remains rightly in second position.

Dota2 offers a more open-circuit tournament model, with a lot of minor tournaments alongside big majors including The International, the single-largest tournament prize pool in the world, with over $34 million in 2019. There’s nearly always something to gamble on, and there are a lot of different markets to choose from, much like in League of Legends.

League of Legends

League of Legends is perhaps the first game that comes to mind when someone mentions eSports. The long-term success has leagues running all over the world, and you can wager on practically any of them at any time.

What makes League of Legends eSports betting so astounding is the sheer number of markets accessible. There are a dizzying number of markets available for League of Legends eSports betting, ranging from outright to matches, map score to first to kill, and even first team to take a tower on any specific map.

Overwatch

Overwatch took a risk with its eSports competition, and it paid off handsomely. The Overwatch League (OWL) divides teams into conferences and conducts matches in the manner of a traditional sport. Unlike the first season, which was divided into four stages, the current season maintains the regular season-long league format, including knockout stages for the finals.

Blizzard is on this for the long run, with Overwatch 2 already announced, delivering everything from Overwatch and a whole lot more. A complete home and away system is being developed for the upcoming season, with each team having its own eSports stadium.