Best Bookmakers for Live Esports Betting in 2026

The popularity of live eSports betting

There is no doubt that live eSports betting is more popular than ever, which makes ensuring that you have the best experience possible very important. The exact experience you are looking for will depend on a few factors. These will include your level of experience with any given eSports, and your experience with betting. Either way, this Strafe.com guide will take you through what you need to know, so you can place your eSports bets with confidence you are not getting second best.

The popularity of live eSports betting has brought in a variety of bettors from various backgrounds

You might, for instance, have a love of a particular eSport like Overwatch and want to take that passion and knowledge into an Overwatch live betting scenario. As a result, you have an intricate knowledge of how the game works, but your only experience of placing a bet might be an ill-advised punt on the Grand National a few years ago. After reading the guide, you’ll know how to find the right bookmaker for you, and how to find the best deals to get your eSports live betting off to the best start possible.

Alternatively, you might be an experienced bettor who knows the ins and outs of bookmakers, how odds work, and which types of bets you prefer to make. You might well have a love for conventional sports, and have recently had your interest piqued by the world of eSports. If this is you, then you’ll be looking for an overview of the most popular eSports and the most popular markets for each. That way, you can start to build your knowledge to look for the best wagers and value bets in this relatively new arena.

Regardless of your starting point, you probably don’t want to waste time going from game to game, or from bookmaker to bookmaker, trying to find exactly what you are looking for. Here at Strafe.com, we’ve got all of the answers you need to fill all of the gaps in your knowledge, both in this guide and the other free resources elsewhere on the site.

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Can you place eSports live betting at normal bookmakers?

This is one of the biggest questions so we’ll start by answering it. The short answer is yes, but as with all things - the devil is in the details. For instance, you might see a bookmaker with options for CSGO live betting, but the markets available and the odds offered might vary wildly between that bookmaker and others.

The depth and quality of the experience can vary as well as betting sites with live streaming of eSports are not always easy to find. For this reason, you need to find the best option before you put your hand in your pocket. This can take time, or you can find people that have already done the legwork for you and can point you in the right direction. The same can apply to finding the best deals for newbies or even more established bettors looking for a new home in which to start their live eSports betting journey.

Live eSports betting or pre-match betting?

Although many of the same markets are involved, these are very different experiences for the bettor, and some will certainly prefer one over the other. Pre-match betting is very much a set-and-forget affair, and you just wait for the outcome.

Live eSports betting, on the other hand, puts you more in the moment, and quick thinking and fast action can have you making the most of a situation. You would typically be watching the live stream of the event taking place and could make multiple bets in the same or similar markets during a match. For this reason, you will need to make sure that you pick your eSports and markets carefully.

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The best live eSports and markets for you to bet on

In an effort to gain this knowledge, you can then look at the various eSports available for you to wager on. In the same way, you might look for a favourite game during live casino promotions, you might already have some hard and fast favourites.

Yet, you might find on closer inspection that, for example, you could be better off StarCraft 2 live betting than placing wagers on LoL. However, you won’t know for sure until you take a look at all of the options.

CS:GO

CS GO is an acronym for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and is a first-person shooter game. For eSports, there are two teams you compete to complete missions as either terrorists or counter-terrorists.

CS:GO live betting markets:

As well as match winner and map winner you can also bet on:

• Correct Score
• Round Winner
• First Blood
• Total Kills

Call of Duty

This one might need no introduction as this is another first-person shooter, and might even be the most famous one around. This familiarity might lead bettors into overconfidence, so it is important to know about the markets.

Call of Duty live betting markets:

Again, there are overall map and match bets, but depending on when you join the games, you can also place wagers on:

• First blood
• Hero kills
• Destroy a tower
• Destroy a barracks
• Kill Roshan

DOTA & DOTA2

DOTA, or Defense of the Ancients is an offshoot of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Like many other eSports, there are two teams here, defending or taking various landmarks or completing agreed objectives.

DOTA live betting markets 

The DOTA live betting markets are not as numerous as other eSports, so alongside match winner, you can also bet on:

• First blood
• Total kills
• Race to kill - this is based on how long it takes to make the first or any subsequent kill.

League of legends

League of legends is often shortened to LoL and is probably the biggest eSports for betting due to the following and the number of markets available to bet on. LoL is a MOBA (another acronym, this time for multiplayer online battle arena) and as you might expect, again features two teams who are out to destroy the opponent's Nexus. There are, of course, other objectives along the way which is why there are so many potential markets for live betting.

LoL live betting markets

The list here is quite extensive and as well as the usual overall win markets you have:

• Correct score
• Total score
• The first dragon slayed
• First Baron slayed
• First blood
• The first inhibitor destroyed
• The first tower destroyed
• Number of kills by a team

As with all other eSports, the availability of markets will depend on when you join, and rather than betting on the first kill/dragon/tower, you could be wagering on the next of these events to happen.

Other notable eSports for live betting

Find bookmakers that make live eSports betting simple, safe, and straightforward

Now you know what to expect from each of the most popular games, it’s time to take a look at the best place to start making wagers. As with picking an eSports, there is not necessarily a ‘one size fits all’ solution for everyone - although some bookmakers will be better than others.

Here at Strafe.com, we have put together guides for the best online live casinos and sportsbooks, as our team of experts have reviewed and rated each one. This means we know our stuff when it comes to helping you look for the right bookmaker. With that in mind, we have put together a shortlist of the best ones available to help you have the best live eSports betting experience possible.

Ladbrokes

If you are quite new to live eSports betting, then you will want to trust your data and cash with a  bookmaker that is a household name, and Ladbrokes fits that bill perfectly. As a very traditional bookmaker, you might be worried that they would concentrate on more traditional sports like football or horse racing and not have too much time for newer pursuits like eSports. In fact, as soon as you arrive at their well-designed website, you’ll find that Ladbrokes have extensive coverage of sports old and new, with a wide range of eSports covered for both pre-match and more importantly live betting.

Ladbrokes are a safe choice, so you’ll have no worries about security or giving over your details. You should also be aware that Ladbrokes is fully licensed and the padlock symbol in the address bar means that SSL encryption is in place and everything is safe and secure. Having this reassurance is vital when opening a new account with a bookmaker, but Ladbrokes also have more on offer to new accounts.

Attractive bonuses

You won’t need to worry about what is in it for you, as Ladbrokes have a great reputation for offering generous bonuses to new bettors, regardless of the sports they have come to bet on. The fact that Ladbrokes like to stay competitive and offer the best service to bettors means that these offers change frequently - so keep coming back to Stafe.com to make sure you stay in the loop.

Bet365

You can also feel safe with Bet365 as they are another big player, who like Ladbrokes, are fully licensed and offer top-notch customer security. They also share a reputation for generous bonuses, and these are open to bettors using a wide range of different payment methods.

eSports are also well represented here, with an extensive range of markets and live streams of all the matches that matter. In addition, the simple layout of the site makes navigation around all of the various eSports matches a breeze - and placing a bet at competitive odds on Overwatch, LoL, or DOTA a straightforward experience.

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Unibet

Rounding off this shortlist we have Unibet, who have much in common with both Ladbrokes and Bet365 in that they tick the required boxes of being licensed, legit and safe. Unibet also offers a range of options for the major eSports markets, especially with live matches for DOTA and LoL. Live streaming is also available here, as are competitive odds, making this a good place to start your eSports live betting experience.

Deposits can be made using a number of methods, and an excellent customer service setup is on hand should you have any problems. For anyone opening a new account, there is typically an attractive welcome bonus on offer to get the ball rolling.

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Conclusion - All you need to know about live eSports betting can be found here at Strafe.com

There can be a lot to learn about the world of eSports live betting, regardless of whether you have played a lot of eSports before. This is because not all live eSports betting experiences are equal, and by using guides just like this one, you can find the best one for you.

You are also going to be curious about other parts of the experience, like finding strategies for League of Legends live betting. Guides for this and many other aspects of betting can be found here, so take a look around Strafe.com to widen your knowledge in this area.

Live Esports Betting FAQ