Esports Betting UK: The Definitive Guide and the Best Sites for [2024]

The last thing you need when betting online on classic sports or videogames is to worry about the legality of your actions. Luckily for UK residents, this won’t be a problem since the UK GC is always watching. Esports betting sites in UK must apply for a license issued by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission before they can accept local players. Of course the biggest bookmakers UK are already licensed by this commission. The regulatory commission is in charge of the entire licensing process and it also oversees the legality of the land-based and online gambling industry in Britain.

Those who apply for a license must undergo a strict process and meet specific criteria imposed by the British regulator. They are aimed at creating a secure gaming environment for UK esports betting fans, with respect for the rules, responsible gambling and total transparency. With these things in mind, don’t take unnecessary chances and play at a UK GC licensed casino. By doing so, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is beating the house edge. This is what the rest of this e-sports betting UK guide is all about.

The esports betting UK market is dominated by two main gaming genres: multiplayer online battle arena games and first-person shooters. These are the video games that offer the biggest payouts, demand perfect team play and require a lot of skill, without being as demanding as real-time strategy games.

UK betting sites pay them the attention they deserve and provide ample coverage to MOBAs such as League of Legends betting tips and Dota 2, PUBG, or first-person shooters like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike Global Offensive.

Esports betting in the UK is so popular not only because of the sheer number of games covered, but also the special markets available like crypto betting. You don’t have to stick to the main markets if you feel comfortable about betting on special ones. Fans of the most important video games are provided by bookmakers by country with the option of betting on the key events that occur during the game. These differ greatly from one genre to the other, but if you actually played the games, you will have a slight edge over regular punters.

The online betting UK industry is constantly changing and the popular games of the day have strong challengers. Overwatch is one of the fastest rising esports and Blizzard is investing heavily in promoting the game internationally. Dynamic, competitive and involving several players who work together to achieve their goals, Overwatch is one of the esports of the future.  It is a constant presence at all the major betting sites in United Kingdom and new UK bookmakers should have it also, even those who have a smaller section dedicated to video games.

The Esports betting UK market is more than multiplayer online battle arena and first-person shooters. Rocket League is one of the video games that enjoy decent coverage at all the leading bookmakers, although there are fewer tournaments. You can bet on the outright winners of these competitions, the victors of individual matches, but only a handful of special markets. This is the price to pay when you embrace the future and take a leap of faith with new games. We think that in the end, it’s all worth it!

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have video games that are slowly but surely fading from the esports picture. Heroes of the Storm used to be one of the most promising MOBA and Blizzard’s best bet to overtake Dota 2 and League of Legends. Once the developer gave up on this game and stopped promoting it, it has almost vanished from the collections of the best esports betting site UK has to offer. World of Tanks had a similar fate, after drawing large crowds and making a brief appearance in esports.

Let’s take a quick glance at the esports betting UK demographics, to get a better sense of who bets mostly on video games. Perhaps not surprisingly, 58% of all those who bet are men, slightly higher than women. Having said this, 42% is not the number to frown upon and it confirms the popularity that esports betting has among the female audience. Another interesting fact about women betting on sports is the most of them prefer to use in game items rather than money. This is convenient, since an increasingly large number of bookmakers and gambling sites in UK have added this form of gambling.

When it comes to age groups, by far the most people betting on esports are those aged between 25 and 34. These are the people who grew up with video games and some of them played competitively, so they know what esports are all about. A fairly equal number of people aged 18 – 24 and 35 – 44 are prone to bet on esports, with the figures revolving around the 20 percentage more. Only 16% of those above 45 are likely to bet on videogame tournaments and matches, with the numbers plummeting after the age of 55.

Things get really interesting when you consider bookmakers and mobile betting sites that allow members to bet on in-game items. As a new esports punter you might consider this form of gambling, as it offsets the risks of losing money. All in all, the numbers are promising, as 8.5% of adults have bet on esports at least once and these figures are expected to grow. A massive 88% of these people have wagered using money, but even more have used in-game items for this purpose.

In case you were wondering, 78% have tried both forms of gambling at least once and a significant percentage have wagered over the last two months. The esports betting UK industry is expected to set new milestones in 2023, especially during the first half of the year. That’s because so many  traditional sports betting such as horse racing betting sites UK and cricket betting sites UK are in recess and videogame competitions provide the much-needed thrills.

Betting on video games isn’t much different from placing a bet on traditional sports. You need to have a funded account to be able to gamble regardless of the sports and markets preferred, so the first step is to load the account with cash. For this purpose, the bookmakers by payment methods will provide new and active members with several payment methods that allow them to deposit instantly and cash out quickly, but for more read our article about crypto esports betting. The rule of thumb is that you should use the same banking option to deposit and cash out funds.

Credit, debit and prepaid cards are the obvious choice for most of the modern punters, with Visa and MasterCard providing the best options. Wire transfers, as well as the wallets, can be used to deposit funds without delay and usually without commission, depending on the currency you bet with at the best UK esports betting websites, like Bitcoin betting UK which is in high demand right now. Betting sites that accept prepaid cards are recommended for bettors who don’t like sending private banking information over the internet.

When it comes to cashing out winnings, the waiting time is significantly shorter if you choose Skrill, PayPal betting sites UK, Neteller, or other electronic wallets. On average, transactions should be processed within three and five banking days.

Esports UK betting isn’t too different from regular sports betting, so the same rules apply. Research goes a long way and you should be first and foremost concerned about getting a thorough understanding of the games you bet on. Whether you bet on the main markets or try to extract the most from unique League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike Global Offensive special bets, research is needed.

Equally important is to find the best betting site for esports, so you can enjoy a decent collection of games and special markets. Since most of the bookmakers, including all the leading brands have an entire page dedicated to esports games, the task is greatly simplified. As a punter, you should focus on brands that have been around for some time, check the betting tax UK and enjoy an excellent reputation. It goes without saying that a UK GC license is to be desired, as it projects an image of trustworthiness.

The esport betting industry is just as competitive in the United Kingdom as it is beyond borders. This compels bookmakers to provide their players with ever better match deposit bonuses and welcome offers.

Some of them choose to award free bets UK, while others double the investment made by new players to bring them into the 5 fold bets. Skybet esports offers such incentives, but they are subject to strict wagering requirements, so you can only cash out their winnings after the rollover demands have been met.

The thing about welcome bonuses is that even though they are not instantly cashable, they provide players with the means to offset the house edge. Each bookmaker has its own policies when it comes to clearing bonuses and the same goes for betting exchanges in UK such as Betfair esports.

In some cases, certain betting markets might not qualify, but these restrictions are few and definitely not a deal-breaker. Don’t forget to carefully read the fine print, to know what’s expected from you and how to make the most of bonuses such as League of Legends bonuses.

You can take all the time you need to prepare for the task at hand, which is betting on esports. However, it makes perfect sense to expedite the process and set up an account as soon as possible to reap the benefits. This is how you start your esports experience in five simple steps:

• When it comes to esports betting UK players have the option of placing their bets straight in the browser or download a dedicated app. The latter is usually available on the official website of the bookmaker, but can sometimes be acquired from app stores as well.
• They provide an alternative way to access the sports betting offer, as well as the casino and poker sections, when these are available. Most mobile betting apps in UK are aimed at mobile gamers, as they are supposed to be downloaded and installed on smartphones and tablets. It is generally a good idea to download the app, especially when bookies offers mobile exclusive bonuses.

• The thing about esports betting is that bookmakers have a more difficult task at setting and adjusting the odds, especially for live wagering.
• Pre-game, they used the same algorithms that are at work for traditional sports, some even offer no deposit betting UK options and the odds change based on simple principles of supply and demand. When players bet heavily on a team or professional gamer, the odds decrease, while the opposite happens for the underdog.
• The manner in which esports betting odds are calculated for live bets is more complex and to some extent, more difficult. That’s because plenty of things happen quickly and bookies have less time to react to these changes. This is why slight delays do exist even at the top bookmakers, to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage over the house. Leading sports books are better at adjusting the odds luck, so players don’t miss out on great opportunities because of these delays.

• UK players can consider themselves lucky to be able to cash out their profits without being subject to taxation.
• The laws state that only the bookmakers have to pay their dues, so lucky winners are able to enjoy every penny they make and in plus, some bookmakers offer free bets and no deposit UK promotions for betting.
• Financial institutions that provide the payment methods used to make a deposit and cash out winnings might charge a commission. These fees are usually detailed on their website, so there is very little doubt about the use to be paid.

Esports betting in the UK is a big thing and will continue to grow over the next couple of years. This means that all important bookmakers have entire sections dedicated to this type of betting and there are many worth considering.

In order to deal with this surprising paradox of choice, you should pick bookies with a strong track record and steer clear from those that found themselves bogged down in scandals. The quality of the welcome offers, the generosity of ongoing betting promotions and bonuses should be considered.

The UK esports betting industry has met and exceeded most expectations and it continues to set important milestones. 2023 could be the catalyst needed for it to fly to new highs. You can also learn how to bet on football in UK or how to take advantage of reload offers in UK.

As more people play video games competitively and even more watch the games on streaming platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube, the popularity of esports betting also grows. Virtually all UK bookmakers offer videogame betting and in the years to come, punters should gain access to even more tournaments and special betting markets, including live ones, like CSGO live betting.

Also, if you also want to learn how to bet online from abroad as a UK player, check here our guide.

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