As known from:
sky sportscricketworldTorquay United
  • About betting.co.uk
  • Our Esports Team
  • How We Rate
  • Responsible Gambling
  • Contact Us
  • Writers Wanted
  • Content Disclaimer
  • Affiliate Disclosure
UK Esports Betting Sites / The Ultimate Esports Betting Guide 2024

The Ultimate Esports Betting Guide 2024

Esports Betting Guide - How to Bet on Esports in the UK

Last Updated on 03/12/2024
Fact checked by: James Leeland

Looking for an esports betting guide that isn’t written by angry teenagers in the USA? You’ve just found it. Keep reading to see how easy it is to bet on esports in the UK.

Esports betting is great fun but it’s got a bad reputation. So ignore all of that crap about skins gambling and we’ll show you how you can bet on legit esports odds from legit UK bookies. We can even show you how you can get a decent esports betting bonus. Take a look below to find out more!

Read More

Compare the est places for eSports betting

Bet365
Recommended
Favicon
4.6/5
  • Receive x5 your deposit in bet credits
  • Low wagering on bet credits
  • Flexible bet credits
Bet365 Esports Bonus
Bet £10 & Get £50
Go to Bet365
Bet now
Payment Methods
Find out more on Bet365.
Withdrawal
0 – 10 Days
Apps
License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Award
EGR - Operator of the year (2017)
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Show less
Unibet
Hot Offer
Favicon
4.6/5
  • £40 risk free bet
  • Receive up to £40 bonus cash
  • X3 wagering on bonus
Unibet Esports Bonus
100% up to £40
T&Cs apply, 18+
Go to Unibet
Bet now
Payment Methods
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
+
Withdrawal
0 – 5 Days
Apps
License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Award
IGA - Online Poker Operator of the Year (2020)
Show less
William Hill
Hot Offer
Favicon
4.5/5
  • Deposit £10 and receive 3x £10 free bets.
  • No wagering requirements on free bets.
  • Free bets applicable for any esports market
William Hill Esports Bonus
200% up to £30
T&Cs apply, 18+
Copy
Bet now
Payment Methods
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
+
Withdrawal
1 – 10 Days
Apps
License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Award
EGR - Horse race betting operator (2023)
Show less
Ladbrokes
4.
Favicon
4.5/5
  • Superb new customer offer
  • Earn £20 in free bets
  • Use free bets on any esports market
Ladbrokes Esports Bonus
100% up to £50
T&Cs apply, 18+
Copy
Bet now
Payment Methods
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
+
Withdrawal
1 – 5 Days
Apps
License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Award
SBC - Football Sportbook Of The Year (2021)
Show More
Betfred
5.
Favicon
4.5/5
  • Major tournaments
  • Featured matches
  • Excellent odds
  • Pick your punt
Betfred Esports Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+
Bet now
Payment Methods
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
+
Withdrawal
0 – 5 Days
Apps
License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Award
SBC - RETAIL BOOKMAKER OF THE YEAR (2018)
Show More

The basics of esports betting

Betting on esports is just like betting on any other sport like football, cricket or basketball. The difference is that you’re betting on the actions of a bunch of energy-drink crazed teenagers with ‘alternative’ political ideologies.

Popular esports to bet on include Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, Valorant, FIFA, Call of Duty and so on. Here’s how you put down an esports bet:

  1. Sign up to one of our recommended esports bookies
  2. Make a deposit
  3. Navigate to the esports odds
  4. Enter your betting stake
  5. Submit your bet

Finding the right esports betting site

There are dozens of bookies who’ll give you esports odds. Some are good, some are rubbish. If you go to any betting site featured here, you’ll get a legal, safe and fair way to bet on esports. So that whether you want to bet on CSGO, LoL, Dota 2 or FIFA, you won’t get ripped off.

A quick word about esports betting odds

Odds are what you are betting on when you bet on esports. They just refer to the probability of something happening like whether Team Liquid will beat FaZe Clan in a CSGO game.

You’ll have an easier time understanding decimal odds than the other odds formats. The lower the number, the more likely it is to happen.

So if you see Team Liquid with odds of 3.00 to win the next International, and Vici Gaming have odds of 4.00, it means that Team Liquid are more likely to win. However, the lower odds means that your payouts would be smaller compared to if you bet on the higher odds.

Different ways to bet on esports

The good thing is that you will usually get lots of different ways to bet on esports. Take a look at some of the different esports betting options:

  1. Match winner: Such as whether Astralis beat Natus Vincere in a CSGO game.
  2. Map winner: For example, will Fnatic win the first map in the LoL series?
  3. Player bets: Here you could bet on which player does something like get the first kill.
  4. Team bets: These could be things like which team destroys the first Roshan in a LoL game.
  5. Score bets: Such as betting on what the correct score will be at the end of a Counter Strike game.
  6. Outright bets: Here you’re betting on who will win an entire tournament, such as will G2 win The International?
  7. Live betting: This is where you bet on esports after the game has begun.

Our favourite places to bet on eSports

Bet365
1.
Favicon
4.6/5
Bet £10 & Get £50
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Bet now
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Unibet
2.
Favicon
4.6/5
100% up to £40
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Bet now
T&Cs apply, 18+
William Hill
3.
Favicon
4.5/5
200% up to £30
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Bet now
T&Cs apply, 18+
Ladbrokes
4.
Favicon
4.5/5
100% up to £50
PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
Bet now
T&Cs apply, 18+
Betfred
5.
Favicon
4.5/5
Bet now
T&Cs apply, 18+

All about esports betting bonuses

We can’t have an esports betting guide and not talk about bonuses. Here’s a quick taster of the different kinds of esports betting bonuses that you might come across:

Matched deposit deals: Here, you just make a deposit and the bookie will match that amount with bonus credit you can use to splurge on your esport bets.

  • Matched bet offers: Like the above, but it’s the qualifying bet that determines how much bonus credit you get.
  • Losing bet refunds: We love these deals because they simply refund your losses with credit you can use to lose your bets all over again!
  • Enhanced odds: OK, so these aren’t really bonuses, but they simply boost your odds, which is never a bad thing.

Safe esports betting in the UK

Yeah, so esports betting is fun and stuff, but you shouldn’t be stupid in how you bet. Here are three things to check before you throw your money away:

  • UKGC licensing: Only use those esports betting sites which are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. The alternative is using an offshore betting site which is A BAD IDEA.
  • SSL encryption: All good esports betting sites have SSL-level encryption, which stops anyone from running off with your data and deposits.
  • Responsible gambling tools: These let you do things like put limits on your deposits to stop you accidentally spending next month’s rent on your esports bets.
Bet365
4.6/5
Bet365 Esports Review
Bet £10 & Get £50
Bet now
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Unibet
4.6/5
Unibet Esports Review
100% up to £40
T&Cs apply, 18+
Bet now
William Hill
4.5/5
William Hill Esports Review
200% up to £30
T&Cs apply, 18+
Bet now

Funding your esports bets in the UK

You’ll need to deposit some money at a betting site if you want to bet on esports. Don’t do anything silly like try and bet with CSGO skins. Use one of these legit payment methods instead:

  • Debit cards: You can use debit cards like Visa and Mastercard at all good UK bookies.
  • Ewallets: If you want to get paid fast from your esports bets PayPal could be a good option. Other popular ewallets include Skrill and Neteller.
  • Prepaid card: Don’t have a card or bank account? Then buy a prepaid card like Paysafecard and fund your bets that way.
  • Bank transfer: It’s an option at most UK betting sites, but it can be painfully slow.

Tips for successful esports betting

Think that we’d just tell you what esports betting is and leave it there? Think again! Take a look at these tips to help you on your way.

Anticipate the defeat

 You’re going to lose your esports bets. Yeah, we’ve said it. So get ready for that crushing defeat by betting with small(ish) stakes. 

Expect the upset

 Even though an esports tournament might just involve a team of gamers sitting behind a screen, there's just as much competition as in any other major sporting event. So be cautious about betting on any so-called ‘sure thing’.

Stick to the big tournaments

 Of course you want to bet on that Heroes of the Storm invitational in Papua New Guinea. But you’ll probably find a greater choice of odds if you bet on the big tournaments like LoL Worlds, DreamHack, CSGO Majors, ESL, The International and so on.

Handicap your bets

 This is a good way of levelling up a playing field. Here, the favourite will be at a points disadvantage, meaning that they have to win by more for you to win your bets. It makes it harder but you’ll get better odds.

Try live betting

 The odds change all of the time in live betting, so wait until later on in a game and you’ll find that the odds could be much more worthwhile. Plus don’t forget to cash your bets out if things are going pear-shaped.

Conclusion - Your endlessly updated esports betting guide

So there you have it. That’s the basics of esports betting covered and there’s still a lot we haven’t talked about. The thing to remember is that esports is changing at a fast pace and the same is true of the betting industry. After all, new esports are appearing on the scene all of the time and more and more bookies are taking esports bets.

So unless we keep this guide updated, everything we have said here is going to be outdated pretty fast. All of which means that you should probably keep checking back here to make sure that you always know the best ways of betting on esports!

The best eSports betting bonuses!

Bet365
1.
Favicon
4.6/5
Bet £10 & Get £50
Min. Deposit: £5
Go to Bet365
Get Bonus
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Unibet
2.
Favicon
4.6/5
100% up to £40
Requirements (WR): 4x Bonus, Min. Deposit: £1
Go to Unibet
Get Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+
William Hill
3.
Favicon
4.5/5
200% up to £30
Min. Deposit: £10
Copy
Get Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+
Ladbrokes
4.
Favicon
4.5/5
100% up to £50
Requirements (WR): 40x Bonus, Min. Deposit: £10
Copy
Get Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+
Betfred
5.
Favicon
4.5/5
Requirements (WR): 40x Bonus
Get Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+

Esports betting guide FAQ 

🕹Which is the best esports betting market to bet on?

Read our esports betting guide where we’ll examine which betting markets you should be paying attention to when you try your luck on your favourite game. This applies to esports live betting too!

👀Where can I find some good esports betting tips?

Check out our esports betting guide that is packed full of tips to help you make sense of esports scores, esports live bets and much more. All of which should help you make a success out of whatever esport you are betting on!

📱Who has the best esports betting app?

We couldn’t give you a decent esports betting guide without showing you which bookies are competing to give you the best esports betting app. Perfect for some great esports betting on the go!

Make sure that you read our esports betting guide to see what the UK law says about this activity. This also applies for anyone wishing to enjoy the best crypto esports betting currently available.

❓What is a good esports betting strategy?

Any good esports betting guide will tell you that there’s more to a decent strategy than just luck. So read our guide to see what esports free bets you should get and what esports odds you should be betting on!

Top Brands
Top Bonuses
Bet365
Bet365 Esports Bonus
Bet £10 & Get £50
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Unibet
Unibet Esports Bonus
100% up to £40
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
William Hill
William Hill Esports Bonus
200% up to £30
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes Esports Bonus
100% up to £50
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Our Team
James LeelandMike McKean
James Leeland
James Leeland
Editor
Mike McKean
Mike McKean
Editor
Get the Best Deals via Mail
By providing my e-mail address, I declare that I agree that Betting.co.uk will regularly send me information by e-mail: I can revoke my consent at any time.

Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
18+GambleAwareeCOGRAGamblers AnonymousGamCareGamStopGambling TherapyCloudflareSSLco² neutral
Close
Our Bettors deserve the best. Check out the best offers around, recommended by our team
Betfred
Betfred Esports Bonus
T&Cs apply, 18+
Bonus Code:
Get Bonus
Unibet
Unibet Esports Bonus
100% up to £40
T&Cs apply, 18+
Bonus Code:
Go to Unibet
Get Bonus
Bet365
Bet365 Esports Bonus
Bet £10 & Get £50
T&Cs apply, 18+
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Bonus Code:
Go to Bet365
Go to Bet365
×
Your Bonus Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Visit Site