feaver Standing tall as one of the most popular esports titles, Dota 2 is to esports betting as football is to traditional sports betting. Where other esports games fade out, Dota passed the test of time with flying colors with nearly two decades of history under its belt. Esports betting on this title is the best bookie experience one can get.
Best Dota 2 Bookies Of 2023
When choosing a good esports betting site, it's important to consider many factors to ensure the best betting experience. These include esports coverage, customer support, best esports odds, etc., all part of the formula. We at TIPS.GG have compiled a short list of the best available Dota 2 bookmakers:
- 15 esports titles
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- Windows, iOS, Android apps
- Global open-source crypto gambling platform
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- 9 esports games
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- 11 esports games
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- 20+ esports titles to choose from
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- 12+ esports games
- Attractive website design
- Lots of betting markets
What Is Dota 2
Originally released as a fan-made mod to Warcraft 3, Dota (back then called Defense of the Ancients) has become one of the biggest esports and betting powerhouses. As the second installment, Dota 2, was released by Valve Corporation in 2013, the game's esports scene grew to mind-blowing numbers. The centerpiece of Dota's esports ecosystem, The International, features hundreds of the world's best players competing for millions of dollars - and is celebrated in esports online betting circles.
What Makes Dota 2 Esports Betting Stand Out
Certain factors make Dota 2 betting extremely popular. These involve the following:
Biggest prize pools not seen anywhere else
The International 2021, for example, featured an eye-watering massive prize pool: over 40 Million USD. And this number just keeps on growing!
Vast fan base
Dota 2 has steadily conquered the popularity charts, retaining most of its player base over nearly a decade. Image Credit: Steam Charts
With almost two decades of history under its belt, Dota is loved by millions worldwide.
The game is complex
It opens the door to many different betting markets based on in-game mechanics.
Dota 2 is free to play
Which makes it easy to try out and learn if you'd like to get more in-depth knowledge about the game before placing bets.
Picking Out The Best Dota 2 Betting Sites
It's critical to know reliable bookies for an optimal betting experience. When looking for the best Dota 2 betting sites, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
| Payment options and security | When it comes to real money, it's best to be cautious. It's essential to look for places that give more options for payment operators, offer secure transactions, and don't overcharge. |
| Good mobile platform support | Nowadays, seeing a bookmaker without a reliable esports betting app is a huge red flag. Having a quality app has become an industry standard over the years - and there should be no compromises when it comes to features. Look for a bookmaker with the best app for Dota 2 betting. |
| Dota 2 event coverage | This part shouldn't be the problem as Dota 2 is one of the most popular esports events worldwide. Still, sometimes bookmakers go above and beyond - and if that's the case, that's a solid argument in their favor. |
| Variety of betting markets | It ties into the previous point about event coverage. The more betting markets, the better the betting experience. |
| Excellent odds | If you're looking to make more money via betting, it's crucial to compare esports betting lines offered by various platforms. The bookies constantly compete with each other for users' attention - and taking advantage of that to find great odds is the best practice. |
| Bonuses and promotions | It ties into the previous point nicely. Different bookies often offer esports betting bonuses - to either attract new bettors or retain veterans. The bookmakers that provide great bonuses are worth checking out. |
A Beginners Guide To Betting On Dota 2
Those new to Dota 2 betting might find the step-by-step guide presented here very useful. The scene has evolved to be both complex and rewarding to those who know the ins and outs - and simple enough to those just starting out. Still, it's essential to have a few pointers when just beginning, so here's a simple guide to placing your first Dota 2 bet:
Choose A Betting Site
It's best to choose a verified and licensed platform.
Register And Verify Your Account
Different bookmakers might require further information to verify your account.
Make Your First Deposit
Make sure to establish a firm limit to your esports betting budget.
Activate The Promotion
Many websites offer deposit bonuses and whatnot - so make the best use of them. Intelligent usage of bonuses may equal free bets!
Find A Betting Market And Wager
Dota betting sites offer a wide variety of these for everyone's liking.
How Does Dota 2 Betting Work
The scene has seen many changes over the years, although the primary type of betting - real money wagering - remains essentially the same. What's more - as esports betting becomes more widespread and accepted on legislative and cultural levels, Dota 2 betting sites are way safer and more convenient than a decade ago. Let's explore some of the most common options offered by the best esports bookmakers.
Real Money Betting On Dota 2
Unsurprisingly, real-money Dota 2 bets remain the most popular option for betting sites - and esports betting as a whole. The rules are the same as in traditional sports betting - although the digitalized medium allows for better options when it comes to betting markets, types of bets, and payment options.
Item Betting & Skin Betting
Since loot boxes and cosmetic items have become commonplace thanks to Valve, a robust Dota 2 item bets scene sprung around this idea. Although scrutinized over the years and having to exist through workarounds, this option remains a somewhat popular choice among Dota betting fans.
An example of cosmetic items available to one of Dota 2 heroes - Monkey King.
Dota 2 Betting Tips & Predictions
Also called Social Betting, this type of betting usually involves more experienced bettors or players sharing their insight on upcoming events. If you're still new to the multiplayer online battle arena genre or the Dota 2 esports betting scene, social betting is fantastic for quickly understanding the game.
Dota 2 Fantasy Betting
This type of betting involves bettors creating their own fantasy pro lineups from the pro player pool. Then, the players bet on their team's performance - which is calculated using the pro player's performance metrics. This type of betting works best in regions with heavily regulated esports betting: most laws do not recognize fantasy betting as esports gambling.
Types Of Bets In Dota 2
Thanks to more than a decade of scene development, the bookies now spoil us with dozens of different betting options. Gone are the days when you could place bets just on match outcome; the markets now feature the craziest special bets. Let's take a look at the most popular:
| Moneyline | The most widespread and straightforward type of Dota 2 match betting. The bettors simply try to predict the winner of the match. The size of pay-outs differs depending on the odds offered by the bookies. The odds, in turn, rely on the event, the relative strength of the teams, and other factors. |
| Totals | Players betting on Totals are trying to guess whether an overall number of a particular factor in a match will be over or under the given predefined parameter. For example, whether the total number of maps played in a game will be more or less than 2.5. |
| Spreads | Spread bets level the playing field. It is more attractive to bet on the underdog, as the head start is given to one of the opposing teams if one of them is weaker. These Dota 2 bets are allowed only if more than one game is played in a competition. The usual spread for a best-of-three competition format is +/- 1.5, which implies that at the end of the match, 1.5 points of the final score will be taken from favorites and added to the underdog. |
| Futures | This type of Dota 2 betting allows a bettor to predict an entire tournament's outcome long before it even begins. And the further ahead you do it, the better odds you can count on. Usually, the possibility to bet on significant tournaments is opened weeks or even months before. |
| Live bets | As opposed to the long-term Dota bets, live betting offers bettors instantaneous results. While in all other wagering types, the bets are suspended after the match begins, live betting for esports offers bettors and ability to bet in real-time with live odds. |
| Prop bets | Propositions are bets related to different details of the game. For example, bets like who will have the most kills, who will shed the first blood, which team will destroy the Barracks first, or who will be the first to slay the Roshan and claim the Aegis. |
In-game Mechanics-Related Bets
In addition to the general betting types described above, Dota 2 esports betting markets go above and beyond by taking advantage of the billions of unique interactions present in every match. Here’s a few examples of these bets:
| First Blood | The first elimination scored in the game rewards the players with bonus gold. Bettors attempt to guess which team - or a player - will claim this bonus. |
| First Tower | The same as First Blood - but, this time, aimed at the defensive structures each team possesses instead of hero kills. |
| First Barracks Destroyed | Barracks are structures located within each team’s bases. Each lane has two barracks - when destroyed, the Mega Creeps of each type (ranged or melee) begin spawning. The players make their prediction on which team will destroy the opponent’s barracks first. |
| First Roshan Slain | Roshan is a powerful neutral objective that rewards game-changing items like Aegis of the Immortal (grants an instant second life after a short delay). Since this objective is so important, the bettors wager on which team will be the first to claim it. |
| ...and many others | There are still dozens of different in-game peculiarities available for betting markets. Things like different Rune Spawns, pro player’s in-game metrics like Gold Per Minute, different build, skill, and upgrade paths - the list is truly massive. |
Tips For Starting Out Dota 2 Betting
Of course, there's much more to placing bets than simply choosing a bookie, a payment method, and an event. To maximize the accuracy, it's essential to keep in mind a few tips. This way, the betting journey will be both fun - and profitable.
Try Out The Game
Having in-depth knowledge of different heroes, comps, objectives, and map states is crucial when placing informed bets - doubly so when it comes to live betting. For sure, Dota 2 is a very complex game - but it has plenty of resources to make learning it more accessible. Some of them are even available in-game!
Look For The Best Betting Odds
To those serious about making money with Dota 2 betting, it's crucial to compare Dota 2 odds offered by different bookies. The differences in odds provided on a single event can be staggering - so keep a sharp eye out!
Research Professional Teams And Their Stats
Take into account teams' performances during the previous seasons. Check who's on the team, whether there were any changes, and check their statistics.
Make A Rigid Betting Budget
This step is crucial for responsible gambling. No matter your game knowledge, esports betting is not mathematically perfect. Huge upsets are bound to happen from time to time - so it's best to be prepared. If you're just starting out, look for bookies with a smaller possible minimum deposit. Never bet more on Dota 2 than you can afford to lose!
In sports, upset refers to when the heavily favored team (the favorites) loses the match against the team most likely to lose (the underdogs). Since betting on underdogs universally means the best esports odds, the lucky bettors enjoy much higher prize money.
Dota 2 Beginner's Rundown
Dota has come a long way since its inception. The first iteration of Defense of the Ancients featured 112 heroes at the end of its lifecycle; with the latest Dota 2 patch, this amount of heroes has increased to 123. With over a hundred characters and items, thousands of different spells, and active effects, there's an unfathomable amount of interactions.
So, let's start a looking at the basics: a competitive game of Dota 2 features two teams, called the Radiant and the Dire, competing with each other to destroy the opponent's Ancient.
The game features a unique distinction between the heroes: Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. These attributes determine the character's items' interaction and power level.
There are many other divisions: the heroes are then divided into roles based on their strengths and weaknesses. The heroes whose role is carry are generally expected to be funneled gold and experience to become stronger, while the support-type heroes influence the games by utility and vision.
Speaking about the gold and experience: the map is divided into three pathways, called lanes, on which non-playable characters (called creeps) regularly spawn. When slain, they reward the player with experience - and gold that can be used to purchase items to power up their character. There are also neutral creeps outside the lanes - in the area that is referred to as jungle.
The skill floor in Dota 2 is rather high - and the skill ceiling is virtually infinite. To truly know the game, a player needs to learn many other mechanics like Rune Spawns, Roshan, Barracks, etc.
Best Dota 2 Events To Bet On
With two decades of history comes an incredible amount of esports events. Including everything from small regional series to the most significant international events would've taken a hundred pages - so let's take a look at just the most significant events instead.
The International
The biggest esports event in the world, TI is truly a sight to behold: thousands of fans spectating the games of dozens of the world's best teams. The incredible partly crowd-funded prize pool - over 40 Million dollars for the last year's TI - ensures that interest in this event never dies. When it comes to betting, Dota TI bets are the most popular choice. This event is organized directly by Valve Corporation.
PGL Esports
PGL Esports is a Romanian esports organizer. Since their debut event in Manila, the organizer has become essential to Dota 2's esports lifecycle. After having hosted such events as PGL Kyiv Major, Boston Major, and the latest event, PGL Arlington Major, PGL has proved itself as one of the most capable organizers. Major tournaments like PGL Arlington are sponsored by Valve.
ESL One
ESL is one of the most prominent names among esports event organizers. Known for their stellar support of CS:GO and, of course, Dota 2, ESL organizes all-year-long events ranging from regional leagues to Valve-sponsored Major events. Major status or not, ESL One's events never disappoint. Major tournaments like PGL Arlington are sponsored by Valve.
Best Dota 2 Teams To Bet On
For Dota 2 bettors, knowing as much as possible about the teams participating in the major tournaments is crucial. Take a look at Dota 2's hall of fame: a short list of Dota 2 teams that have proved themselves to always be incredible competitors. When these teams are present in an event, consider placing your wagers on them.
PSG.LGD
The team has been performing exceptionally well under the Chinese flag since 2009. In 2018, LGD partnered with French football giants Paris Saint-Germain and was renamed PSG.LGD. Their Dota 2 division earned more than $22 million. LGD secured third and second places at the TI events in 2018-2019. The team is famous for winning WePlay AniMajor and OGA Dota PIT Invitational. In 2021, they were an inch away from the Aegis - ending The International 2021 in second place.
Invictus Gaming
This Chinese multi-gaming esports organization was founded in 2011. Just a year after its founding, IG topped The International 2012 with their victory over Natus Vincere. The team is famous for its adaptability and pioneering unique strategies. IG's Dota 2 squad grabbed first place at the ONE Esports Singapore Major 2021 and were fourth with more than $2.4 million of prize money at The International 2021.
Team Secret
Team Secret is a unique multi-gaming esports organization famous for its Dota 2 squad led by former Na'Vi captain Clement "Puppey'' Ivanov. They earned more than $15 million in winnings, steadily progressing through The International placements in 2016-2021 from 13th-16th place to top 3 and $3,6 million prize at TI10. Notable wins include DreamLeague Season 13-14 and OMEGA League in 2020-2021.
Team Spirit
This is a CIS-based esports organization that launched in 2015. In 2020 the roster went through a reorganization adding a couple of new players and inviting the new coach — Airat "Silent" Gaziev, the absolute Dota 2 legend. The results achieved afterward were quite impressive. In 2021 Spirit won The International with an $18 million prize for first place as the second-ever Eastern European team that managed to become the TI champions after Na'Vi's original debut in 2011.
Available Payment Methods
Of course, betting markets and high odds should be the most important things to consider when choosing a website that provides Dota 2 betting. However, best bookie websites and esports apps must also offer a wide selection of payment operators to choose from. There should be a range of payment methods for esports gamblers to choose from. Let's have a look at some of them.
Visa/Mastercard
The default choice of most bettors. Credit and debit cards like Visa and Mastercard make it quite fast and easy to perform any financial transactions. Still, there's a bit of a risk there, so ensure you're sharing your data only with licensed, reliable bookies. Like some on the list we've shared above.
PayPal
PayPal is an internationally accepted e-wallet renowned for its safety and convenience. PayPal keeps sensitive banking information private; its data protection algorithms ensure the safety of sensitive information when completing transactions with a bookmaker.
Neteller
Another e-wallet with easy registration and excellent service. It is one of the most reliable systems that offer online payments. Dota 2 gamblers who are very cautious about personal data and value their time usually choose this digital wallet as the preferred payment method.
Zimpler
It is not as commonly used as other e-wallets. But it is growing in popularity, and to satisfy the increasing demand, more bookmakers offer this e-wallet to perform online money transactions.
paysafecard
paysafecard is a popular and safe online payment method provided by Dota 2 betting sites. It is a prepaid card that you will need to refill when the money runs out. This payment option is accessible to Dota 2 bettors on many bookmaker websites.
ecoPayz
An online payment solution is available worldwide with no bank account and credit checks needed. Many Dota 2 gamblers choose this payment method due to the high-security measures taken by the service operators.
Cryptocurrency
Online esports crypto betting is steadily growing in popularity as a payment solution for online transactions on bookmakers' sites. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto boast maximum data protection and anonymity. Perfect for stealthy bettors!