5 things you need to know about eSports before betting

What they are, how you can be a professional gamer and where to watch video games, is a little of what you will learn here.

For lack of sports, eSports! It’s a good thing there’s video games in this coronavirus sporting lull, isn’t it? You could bet they’ve helped you pass the time during your quarantine. But if you’re the kind of person who enjoys watching them as much as playing them, then it’s time to give eSports betting a try. But not before reading the following facts we have for you.

1. What are eSports, anyway?

Broadly defined, eSports are multiplayer video game competitions in which professional gamers are often pitted against each other. To be more precise, the International eSports Federation defines eSports as a competitive sport played in a virtual environment, where physical and mental skills are exercised to create winning conditions, through generally accepted rules.

2. eSports are like any other sport

According to data from Statista, an online statistics portal, in 2019 alone eSports had approximately 425 million viewers around the world, almost half the number of viewers of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Furthermore, if you want to bet on a specific eSports team or player, you also need to know a bit about their track record, such as how many times they’ve played, how many times they’ve lost, how many times they’ve won, which tournaments they’ve participated in and/or which video game they perform best in. Although you could try your luck, ideally you should know a little of the information mentioned above to give yourself a better chance of winning.

3. Being a professional eSports player is no easy feat

If you would like to try your luck as a player, you should know that you would have to give up everything. Or well, at least your current job. What differentiates an “ordinary” gamer from a professional gamer is that the latter spends all their time playing video games, which means that they literally spend most of their day playing. It is worth mentioning that you would first have to invest a good amount of money in equipment, such as gaming consoles, PCs and headsets. In addition, some people believe that some people have a natural gift for this activity, as they play very, very well despite their young age (many of them are between 13 and 17 years old). If you’re not the one who beats all your friends every time you play, maybe being a professional gamer isn’t for you.

4. The most popular eSports games

Some of the most popular video games worldwide are Fornite, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Playerunknowns’s Battlegrounds, Overwatch and League of Legends. Last year, the biggest prize money in the history of eSports (and sports in general) was even awarded at the Fortnite World Cup. At the end of the tournament, the champion, who was a 16-year-old boy named Kyle Giersdorf, pocketed more than $3 million. It is certainly an industry where there is a lot of money at stake, both in tournaments and in betting.

5. But where can you watch the games?

The most popular platform among gamers is none other than Twitch, as it offers live streaming services and one of its main functions is the live broadcasting of video games. If apart from betting on your favourite video games you would like to watch the games to feel your heart racing, you can download the application on your mobile phone to watch them from anywhere in your home at this time of quarantine, or, alternatively, enter their page from your computer or laptop. In case you don’t feel like trying anything new, Youtube is the second most used platform for video game streaming.

Now that you know this, you are more than ready to bet on eSports. What’s more, you can also bet on your favourite sports with us at Virtuals. The point is that you don’t get bored and that you make the most of every moment at home during this quarantine.

The video games you should try to become an eSports expert

League of Legends (LoL)

According to the website Newzoo, in 2018 League of Legends was the most watched video game in the world, with 240 million hours of streaming on YouTube and Twitch.

Its real-time gameplay and intense matches have made it a favourite among gamers and fans, and now you can also bet on several of its tournaments.

Dota 2

Although it is not the most watched, it is the one that offers the best financial prizes to its players in tournaments.

The International, its most important event, offered a cumulative prize pool of over $41 million in 2018, which is considerably higher than that of other games. Although we don’t guarantee you an equal amount, you can also make a profit betting on Dota with us.

Fortnite (the king of eSports).

The video game that burst onto the scene in 2017 is here to stay. Fortnite is the new thing among young and old, partly because of its ease of play and partly because of the winnings it offers.

The ease of playing on console or mobile is also key to its growing popularity.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

With a 20-year history, Counter Strike is one of the pioneers of eSports.

CS: Global Offensive was launched in 2012 and since then it has attracted hundreds of thousands of players and fans, interested in playing games but also in betting, and now you can do it.

Clash Royale

An exclusive mobile game that also generates huge profits in and out of the championships.

Clash Royale grew out of Clash of Clans and surpassed its ‘big brother’ in importance; although it is still not as important, the ease of playing it gives it a good place.