The recent announcement that Nike has signed a four-year deal with China’s League of Legends Pro League is another major boost for the eSports industry.
Competitors Adidas and Puma are already involved in eSports and Nike has now followed suit by agreeing to supply all squads with clothing and footwear starting this year.
The league consists of 16 teams and has one of the largest followings in the world. Fans will also be able to buy Nike-produced products at live tournaments.
eSports have become hugely popular, although the genre initially struggled to be recognised as a bona-fide athletic event.
However, the eSports vs traditional sports debate has gradually subsided, helped by the involvement of broadcasters such as ESPN.
The gambling industry has also latched on to eSports, with many operators offering odds on the various tournaments. Read on for our guide to betting on eSports.
What games can you bet on?
Most leading bookmakers offer markets on eSports, enabling punters to bet in the same way as they would on traditional sports such as football, horse racing or basketball.
League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm and Call of Duty are amongst the games people can bet on, with bookies offering plenty of different betting options.
Understanding the odds
Spending time familiarising yourself with the betting odds is crucial if you’re serious about making a profit from gambling on eSports.
Match betting is a good starting point. Each team is given odds of winning a match. For example, Team A is priced at odds of 1.60, while Team B is available at 2.80.
If you bet £10 on Team A your return would be £16 including your stake if they are successful, while Team B would return £28 if they won and you had bet on them.
Learn the games
Watching previous games online or actually playing the games will help you get to grips with the nuances of eSports. Read about the different tournament formats and study the form to boost your chances of making a success of your eSports betting.
Research every team and each player within that team. Most people who gamble eSports do not bet based on research, meaning the more popular teams can often be shorter prices than they should be.
Research eSports strategies
eSports game play strategies are continually developing, so it is important to keep abreast of the latest methods employed by the teams and players.
This will help you identify where the value lies and take advantage of bookies who have failed to do their research properly. Understanding gameplay techniques will improve your chances of making a profit from betting on eSports.
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