Live Esports Betting: Best Live Esport Betting Sites 2023

Sports fans have been wagering on their favorite teams to spice up their viewing experience since the dawn of time. With esports taking the world by storm, this experience has been enhanced greatly. Not only can you wager on the match before spectating it, no, but you can also do that while the match is already underway!

Top Live Esports Betting Sites In 2023

Let's start with an overview of the best platforms for live esports betting. We see the popular and massive esports betting sites leading the list, but there's also room for the smaller niche projects that specialize in live esports betting. Let's get started.

Rivalry

What began as a bookie for the Latin American audience quickly grew into an international monster and one of the biggest esports betting sites. Now Rivalry is nearly uncontested in most categories: the number of esports titles, event coverage, betting markets, and - most importantly for this article - the ease and accessibility of live esports betting. On Rivalry, the bettors can find options to live bet on nearly every esports category: from the "trio of giants" (LoL, Dota 2, CS:GO) to even more niche titles like Rocket League and Starcraft.

BetUS

Despite esports - and esports betting - being a daily part of life for many US citizens, some American bettors still find themselves struggling to find a good betting experience. Thankfully, BetUS came to the rescue to save the United States esports betting. As its name implies, it offers betting opportunities custom-tailored for its North American audience. It's fully legal in all US states. Live betting is definitely one of its strong suits - from traditional sports to esports, it fully supports this way of wagering.

Betway

The British colossus of sportsbooks, Betway, has something to say about live esports betting, as well. As it's one of the leading UK esports betting sites, it would be absurd for it to skip out on live betting given its popularity. Not only Betway supports this wagering option, but it also gives out generous bonuses to encourage users to participate in in-play betting. When signing up, new users can receive up to £30 in Free Bets. They can be used for all kinds of betting, but our main focus here is esports. When esports betting with Betway, you can be sure that all the important tournaments across the popular titles - and not only - are fully covered.

Unibet

One of the pioneers of Australian esports betting sites, Unibet has roots in Europe but quickly became an Australian favorite. It was among the first large esports bookmakers to introduce the concept of live esports betting to their menu. Thanks to the site's integrated live-streaming functionality and an impressive variety of supported titles, it's a strong contender for the #1 spot for esports live betting. Tons of different esports games, great betting odds, and live streaming - what else do we need?

BetOnline

BetOnline is one of the oldest esports betting sites in Canada. With over 2 decades of history, the site is a highly reputable and trusted esports betting site. It offers its users a wide selection of esports titles to choose from: from the massively popular games like Dota 2 and CS:GO to the more niche WarCraft and StarCraft, it covers all the bases. The site's support of esports live betting is clear: in-play sports betting is easy to do here, thanks to the site's built-in live streaming. You can find live betting options on most major upcoming matches here.

What Exactly Is Live Esports Betting?

CS:GO live betting at Rivalry

Live betting, sometimes called "in-play esports betting," is presented by various types of wagers that allow gamblers with different skills to apply and practice their betting strategies. Its main difference from the traditional betting scheme is, of course, the punters' ability to place bets on the match while it's already airing (compared to the traditional bets where the markets close down at that time). Match winner bet is the most popular among beginner bettors, as all they need to do is to guess which team will be the winner of the match.

However, the true beauty of live esports betting is its ability to broaden the possible betting markets. When placing bets while the match is airing, it's possible to get into finer details of the esports match. As such, live betting and prop bets go hand in hand.

Top Popular Esports For Live Esports Bets

The list of top esports for in-play betting includes titles such as CSGO, Dota 2, LoL, Overwatch, Valorant, StarCraft, and Fortnite. Those are just a few examples of video games that gather millions of fans and gamblers every season. Let's take a look at what makes them such popular options for live esports betting.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

This is one of the most popular esports titles that can be found on virtually any betting site. Two things that set CS:GO above its competition: its longevity and simplicity of viewing. The Counter-Strike franchise has been around for more than a decade now and has become a cult classic from the Americas to Europe and Asia to Oceania. Spectating it requires little-to-no game knowledge for it to be exciting and enjoyable, and its quick pace while remaining strategically complex makes it an evergreen esport. Since its gameplay is divided into rounds, it makes it easy to set up engaging live betting mechanisms for CS:GO. The bettors wager on winners of individual rounds, player stats, game events, etc. live!

League of Legends

This is one of the most popular esports titles that can be found on virtually any betting site. Currently crowned as the king of competitive esports, League of Legends is the internationally most-watched esports title. As it is representative of the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, it brings incredible mechanical complexity and combines it with the immense game knowledge required to play and understand it. While it's harder to get into compared to other titles on this list, it compensates for it in the live betting department by offering tons of different live esports betting markets. Player stats? Game events? Maps? Picks and bans? You can wager on anything when it comes to League pro matches.

Dota 2

This is one of the most popular esports titles that can be found on virtually any betting site. Another representative of MOBAs, Dota 2, sacrifices some of the mechanical prowess required (but it is still immense) but turns its matches into a true strategic battlefield. Its complexity is an absolute boon to any esports betting site seeking to set up live esports betting options. Dota 2 is truly the king of prop bets - and, as we've already established, prop bets and live bets often go hand in hand. Since Dota Pro Circuit ensures multiple high-tier esports events running throughout the year, Dota 2 betting can be done year-round.

Valorant

Growing in popularity to soon become an S-tier esport. It can be found on most top esports bookmakers. Valorant is a fully free-to-play FPS game from the creators of League of Legends. This alone ensures it always has a spot on the top of every esports list - and live betting on esports is no exception. Valorant quickly rose to the top of the list of major esports thanks to Riot Games' focus on the scene's pro scene. As it combines some aspects of MOBA with the trusty CS:GO-like rounds, economy, and gunplay, it makes it easy to get into for anyone familiar with Counter-Strike. The round-based gameplay works great with live betting, too!

Overwatch League is a great event for bettors

Overwatch

Reasonably popular but still not quite there in the big league. Overwatch is one more representative of the FPS game genre. Overwatch creates favorable conditions for multiple betting options as it has a big number of characters, maps, and game modes. Overwatch plays more like a MOBA than a traditional FPS, which is why it's so amazing for live betting.

Esports Live Betting How To

Placing an in-play bet is an amazing way to spice up your viewing experience, but it may be more confusing than traditional bets. Here are a few steps that will make it less daunting to place such bets.

1. Decide on the esports title. Choose the video game you like the most or just the one you want to try your luck with in live betting. Knowing the game and the pro scene of said game is key to placing accurate bets. Therefore, it's perfect to play the game yourself to have practical knowledge of all the rules, maps, and characters. This way, it'll be easier to come up with an effective betting strategy.
2. Choose a trusty bookmaker. Choose a bookie based on the criteria we've outlined in our other guides (click here to find out how to bet on esports in more detail). Also, it is recommended to wager with a sportsbook that provides an integrated livestream tab or a good esports mobile betting app. All the platforms we've mentioned provide these time-saving features!
3. Create an account and make a deposit. Once a bookmaker is selected, create an account. When betting real money on esports, it's required to provide all the required information, including legal name, phone number or email, country of residency, etc., to verify your account. Fun fact: the best crypto esports betting platforms don't require these steps and let their users place bets without compromising their info! Finally, check minimum deposit limits, select a preferred payment method, and transfer money.
4. Create a rigid budget. It's important to set clear boundaries and not overstep them. Live esports betting can be exciting - even too exciting - but the key to placing accurate bets that enrich your wallet instead of draining it is keeping a cool head. The key to responsible betting: never bet more than you can afford to lose! Make sure to utilize esports betting bonuses to increase your available betting budget.
5. Select an esports event and make a live bet. Open the "Esports" section, pick the game that you want to bet on, and choose the ongoing match and type of wager. Analyze the odds offered for a match you chose, type in how much you want to gamble, and click on the "Place a bet" button. Always consider the esports betting odds when placing a bet!

Banking Options For Live Esports Betting

Live betting on esports is fast. As such, it needs adequately fast payment options to keep up with it, or the magic is gone.

Credit/Debit Cards

The default choice of those just getting into the hobby of esports betting. Pros: ease of use. Cons: a bettor needs to relay a lot of sensitive information to the site, and the speed of transactions may lag behind the live esports betting needs. When using credit cards, make sure to wager only on trusted esports betting sites!

PayPal

PayPal is by far the most optimal choice for esports betting. Fast, anonymous, and reliable, its convenience is matched only by its security. Esports PayPal betting is our pick.

Other E-Wallets

PayPal is a global phenomenon known to everyone, but there are more e-wallets to choose from. Namely, for betting on esports, Skrill is an extremely popular choice. Neteller esports betting sites are a pick of many experienced esports bettors. Top betting sites offer these options almost universally.

Cryptocurrency

Most major esports betting sites include cryptocurrency in the list of supported payment operators. However, the best crypto esports betting experience is achieved using dedicated cryptocoin-based bookies.