eduardogonsalez Esports betting is a rapidly expanding segment of the sports betting market, and a youth-driven movement has made gambling on professional video games popular. Despite the fact that there are several bookmaker websites situated outside of Singapore that allow signups from here and are specially tailored to the SGD currency, Singapore eSports betting sites do not have a regulated market. This page will walk you through the best eSports tournaments, bets, games, and more! Besides, we've prepared a list of the top betting sites in Singapore.
Esports Betting Regulation in Singapore
Esports is steadily gaining popularity in Singapore
Singapore has a long history of gambling, much like many other regions in Southeast Asia, especially those with a historical Chinese influence. Games of fortune are frequently played at home and are a typical appearance at social events like weddings, for example. However, contemporary Singapore is well known across the world for its direct attitude to vice and corruption. In the same way that chewing gum in public may lead you to jail, so can gambling when you're in the wrong location at the wrong time.
The Singaporean government banned all types of online betting and gaming in 2014 in response to what was seen to be a widespread gambling pandemic. Two years later, that law was changed to allow the Singapore Turf Club and the Singapore Pools to offer online horse racing, auto racing, soccer, 4D, and Toto betting services, although they are still the only licensed bookmakers in the nation. Contrary to eSports betting in Canada and most European countries where offshore bookmakers are legal, it is now prohibited to gamble with any offshore operator in Singapore. That presents a challenge for gamblers in the gaming community because neither the Turf Club nor the Pools provide esports betting markets.
A virtual private network (VPN) is the simplest solution for getting around geographic restrictions and accessing virtually any international bookmaker. There are lots of eSports betting sites in the USA and Europe that welcome players from Singapore. However, as nothing is infallible, we must emphasize that using the internet to gamble is done at the user's own risk. Even if you choose the best eSports betting site in Australia or New Zealand that accepts SGD, it doesn’t mean it’s legally allowed in Singapore. Unfortunately, several of the leading SG esports betting sites have completely stopped operations in Singapore, and other companies with headquarters in areas like Curacao are now active here.
The Most Popular Esports to Bet on In Singapore
A major portion of eSports bets is placed on the premier leagues and competitions around professional video gaming. For instance, you could be able to place an eSports bet on the League of Legends tournament's final rounds but not on the online qualifying. This is due to the fact that the eSports industry is still young and that new eSports stars are always emerging because of the depth of the player pools. Yet, there are some games that are extremely popular with eSports fans in Singapore.
Dota 2 is incredibly popular in Singapore
Betting on Dota 2
Defense of the Ancients 2, also known as Dota 2, was released in 2013. This game has one of the biggest esports scenes in the world, led by Dota Pro Circuit. Dota 2 is a hugely well-liked video game all around the world, with millions of players.
Players engage in a 5v5 team combat in this game. In this complex MOBA game with a fantastical universe filled with mystical tacticians, crafty rogues, and vicious brutes, there is always a new technique or approach to learn.
Betting on Call of Duty
This Activision game, which was first released in 2003, offers a ton of follow-ups that keep players interested and amused. The esports for this wildly popular game began in 2006 and have sold more than 400 million copies globally.
Overwatch and the Call of Duty League are quite similar. The COD league, which is taking the world by storm, holds tournament-style events in each team's hometown. This esport has admirers from all around the world because of its US$ 6 million prize fund.
Betting on Valorant
Even though VALORANT was only introduced in June 2020, it has already had a big impact on bettors in Singapore, as well as fans of eSport betting in Japan, South Korea, and other Asian regions. Many CS:GO pros have made the transition to this game. The VALORANT Champions Tour, which Riot Games host, draws the biggest companies.
If you’re looking to place bets on VALORANT on offshore sites from Singapore, consider this guide on how to bet on eSports in Malaysia since this country has one of the biggest VALORANT betting communities in Asia.
Betting on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
This is a multiplayer first-person shooter game developed by Valve. In August 2012, CS:GO, the fourth game in the wildly successful Counter-Strike series, was launched. The game features the rescue of hostages and the defusing of bombs between two teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists. CS:GO is one of the most popular Esports games to place bets on, uniting bettors worldwide, from players in Singapore to fans of eSports UK betting. Astralis, Fnatic, and FaZe Clan are just a few of the teams who frequently compete for the top honors.
Betting on League of Legends
Riot Games developed League of Legends, sometimes referred to as LoL, in 2009. In Sweden, professional competitions debuted in 2011. Two teams compete in this team-based strategy game to demolish the opposing team's base.
In LoL eSports betting, wagers are placed on games in which ten players each control a champion with a distinct set of abilities. Over 100 million people have watched as players secured kills, made great plays, and brought down towers in this game.
Since official bookmakers in Singapore don’t offer eSports, you may find some of the best LoL markets on bookmakers offering eSports betting in Germany, as it’s home to several top European LoL championships.
How Is Esports Developing in Singapore?
There wasn't much to play for eight years ago when Alaric Choo was semi-professionally playing in the real-time strategy game Starcraft II. eSports income opportunities weren't common back then. In return for wearing the sponsor's insignia on their clothing, sponsors would frequently provide equipment like gaming mice or keyboards to their athletes. Since then, the eSports betting business has expanded quickly. International competitions now feature prize pools of millions of dollars.
A Dota 2 player, Daryl "iceiceice" Koh, whose cumulative earnings from competitions surpass $1 million, is one of the many e-sports players from Singapore who have made their mark on a worldwide scale. Three Singaporeans, Charleston "Scythe" Yeo, Jerome "Response," and Nicholas "CoupDeAce" Wilson Ng, competed for Paris Saint-Germain at the Brawl Stars World Finals and took home US$200,000 (S$265,184) in prize money.
The amount of options for local players to advance has expanded as more e-sports organizations are established here, and government agencies support several esports tournament projects. For instance, two local teams will fight for the game title Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore's M2 World Championship. The Singapore Tourism Board is a sponsor of the $300,000 prize pool-sized competition.
eSports Betting Singapore Competitions
eSports betting in Singapore is still relatively new, but it is expanding quickly. In the upcoming years, a lot more premier leagues and competitions should join those listed here:
| PVP eSports Championships | Singtel, one of the top telecommunications providers in the country, created its own eSports betting competition in 2018, offering winners of Dota 2 and the well-liked mobile game Arena of Valor up to US$400,000 in cash prizes. |
| Singapore eSports League | The SEL is a year-round national Dota 2 eSports competition that was founded in 2018. The league, which has a ladder structure similar to that of a local football division, seeks to establish Singapore as the global center for professional gaming and betting. |
| SEA Tour | The top League of Legends tour in Southeast Asia features five nations, Singapore being one of them. The winning team on this tour will represent the area at prestigious eSports matches like the Mid-Season Invitational and the LoL World Championship. |
TOP Singapore Players in the Esports Betting Industry
Unlike Olympic athletes, Singaporean eSports betting heroes typically don't receive prime-time media coverage. So let's take a closer look at the top 5 players!
iceiceice
Daryl "Iceiceice" Koh, known for his prowess in Dota 2, is Singapore's first esports billionaire, demonstrating that a career in professional gaming can be highly lucrative. This Singaporean player, who is currently working for the American esports organization Evil Geniuses, has traveled the world in quest of glory and has even spent time playing in China. Because of his spectacular play style, Iceiceice is the ideal space generator for the rest of his squad.
Chawy
Wong "Chawy" Xing Lei, who is regarded as one of the top League of Legends players, began his career playing Dota with Iceiceice in TI3, where they finished third. Before quitting to become a coach, he played for the Singapore Sentinels, Taipei Assassins, ahq eSports Club, and Hong Kong Attitude. He presently serves as the head coach of his old team, HK Attitude.
HaRleLuYaR
Along with Singaporean Mid "Chawy," HaRleLuYaR, the top jungler for the Singapore Sentinels, was a member of the Garena all-star squad in 2013. HaRleLuYaR kept playing in the GPL with Insidious Gaming Legends after the Singapore Sentinels broke up in September 2014. However, they could only manage third place in the Spring season. HaRleLuYaR, who is a sub for Team Vestigial right now, hasn't done much recently. Esports betting fans anticipate him coming back to League of Legends.
Aaron
On the WCA 2015 stage, Aaron turned in his breakthrough performance as a Hearthstone player for team ManaSurge, winning third place and (US$30,000) in prize money. As Aaron's interview with Redbull, being a professional in esports requires a lot of sacrifices: "You have to be ready to watch streams to understand all the small methods and talents that are present in the game and prepare for competitions." The player is regularly competing in Hearthstone competitions in South East Asia in preparation for the Hearthstone World Championship.
Benkai
2015 saw the beginning of Benkai's esports career with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In 2021, he ended his career in CS:GO. Along with his colleagues from Paper Rex's CS: GO squad, he transferred to Valorant to join the company's Valorant division. Currently, Benkai is the in-game commander of Paper Rex (IGL).
Even though Singapore has plenty of pro players to offer, you can benefit from exploring other Asian markets as well. Find out how to bet on eSports in the Philippines or Japan to expand your horizons.