Betting on eSports: Best Legal Sportsbooks in India
eSports is an emerging trend in the sports betting industry, which consists of competitive, organized multiplayer video games.
Despite video games being a staple of our culture, the competitions were typically played between amateurs up until very recently.
Today, sports bettors have many options, including online eSports betting.
Numerous reputable online eSports betting sites offer betting on the most well-known games and competitions.
Here are our favourite ones.
Is Betting on eSports Legal in India?
Since there are no laws that strictly prohibit or allow it, betting on eSports is not illegal in India.
As long as the online betting house is based outside of India and allows banking in Indian rupees, you’re good to go.
And, if you need help determining which online sportsbook is legal, you can check out our betting lists.
We have tried, tested, and reviewed the most popular bookmakers in India so that you don’t have to.
Is eSports Betting Safe?
As long as you bet on sites that we recommend, you’ll be safe in every way.
We have investigated these sportsbooks thoroughly and confirm that they use the latest software to protect your personal and financial data.
They’re also licensed by the most valued iGaming authorities in the industry — Malta, Curacao, and the Virgin Islands.
Finally, they have outstanding reputations and are trusted by millions of players.
What Payment Methods Do eSports Betting Sites Accept?
eSports is not the most common betting category, so you might wonder what betting methods the sportsbooks accept.
No need to worry since the bookmakers we recommend accept all popular payment methods.
More traditional methods like credit and debit cards, VISA, and MasterCard are accepted on all betting sites we love.
Moreover, there are also options like eWallets, UPI, and even cryptocurrencies available at 22Bet and Parimatch.
Where to Bet on eSports
Betting on eSports is possible at almost all online sportsbooks, but not all offer the same odds, betting types, and markets.
Our team tested the most popular ones, and we have something for every eSports betting enthusiast.
#1: 22Bet: Best for Cryptocurrency Users
If you love using cryptocurrencies and betting on eSports, 22Bet lets you get the best out of both worlds.
You can choose from 30 cryptocurrencies to deposit and withdraw your betting funds while wagering on eSports like Mortal Combat, Arena of Valor, Call of Duty, LoL, and others.
22Bet offers a solid betting market with handicaps, total maps, evens/odds, and other popular bets.
Please note that you must have some money in your betting account to access the live-streaming feature.
#2: Parimatch: Widest Range of Bet Types
Its diverse betting market is what makes Parimatch the ideal sportsbook for bettors.
This fantastic bookmaker offers the largest betting market with bets like:
- Winner
- Handicap by maps
- Total by maps
- Correct score
- Team to win more rounds
- Handicap
- Total
- Purple haze total
- Rembaza total
- Overtime to be played
- Total even/odd
- Map winner
- Winner (overtime not included)
- Double chance map
- Round winner
- Purple haze total
- First half/map
And many, many more.
Their eSports section is as amazing as their betting market. Counter-Strike, WarCraft, Starcraft, and Arena of Valor are just a part of their offer.
Live betting and the analytics centre are available to all registered players. The analytics centre will provide you with analyses of players and matches so that you can make educated bets.
eSports Betting Odds
As you probably know, not all sportsbooks offer the same odds. They can vary from one sportsbook to another depending on the event.
This is why it’s essential to always check several sports betting sites and compare the odds.
Make sure to do this for every event you want to bet on since, as we mentioned, the odds can differ from one event to another.
Let’s see the odds for the Pentanet GG vs. Dire Wolves LoL LCO SPlit 1 event:
| Sportsbook | Pentanet GG | Dire Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| 22Bet | 2.52 | 1.51 |
| Parimatch | 2.25 | 1.60 |
For this particular event, 22Bet offers the best odds for the favourite, while Parimatch is your best choice if you want to bet on the underdog.
Player and Team Statistics
Of course, different factors affect the value of the odds, and player and team history are one of them.
So, besides comparing the odds, you should also check team and player history and statistics.
This will allow you to see the bigger picture.
Moreover, visit different forums and communities like Reddit and Quora, where players exchange betting experiences and tips.
You can even visit the Twitch eSports channel and watch live streams of matches and tournaments.
This will help you better understand the team, players, and games. You can make an informed bet with the odds comparison, player history and statistics.
Is Live Betting Available for eSports?
Live betting, or in-play betting, is available at all sportsbooks you can find on our site.
We believe this is a very fun and exciting way of betting.
In-play betting will allow you to follow the changing odds and place bets as the action unfolds.
We wholeheartedly recommend live betting if you’re an experienced player.
Of course, anyone can try it, but experienced bettors know the teams and players better, which allows them to make decisions quickly and place more educated bets.
Live Streaming eSports Events
Live streaming is a fantastic feature unavailable on every betting site. So, if you stumble upon it, be sure to try it out.
This useful betting tool allows you to follow the event and better understand what’s happening.
Some sportsbooks will allow you to stream multiple events, while others offer HD quality. But no matter which one you choose, you won’t regret it.
However, please note that most sportsbooks require you to have funds in your betting account so that you can watch live streams.
The Most Popular eSports in India
There’s a huge variety of games available for wagering in the eSports category, with each game being unique.
CS:GO, DotA 2, and League of Legends are some of the most popular eSports to play and bet on.
Moreover, Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Overwatch, StarCraft II, and many other eSports are some of the less typical but popular ones you can wager on.
All of our top-rated and recommended eSports betting sites provide markets for virtually all major international competitions.
Furthermore, they frequently provide opportunities to wager on smaller regional qualifiers and minors for the more well-known eSports titles.
PUBG (Playerunknown’s Battleground) Betting
PUBG offers the ultimate battle royale experience to those playing the game and those betting on it.
As the name suggests, the game is based on the Japanese film — Battle Royale, and you can play it from a first- or third-person perspective.
What’s impressive is that up to 100 players can play the game. The goal of the game is to kill other players before you get killed.
This also makes betting very interesting. Players can bet on the overall winner, map winner, first kill, and total kills; there are odds, evens, and even handicap bets.
The PUBG Corporation organized the World Championship in 2022 and invited the 32 best teams to participate, with the chance of winning $4,000,000 (₹328,464,200 at the time of writing).
You can bet on PUBG at Parimatch.
DotA 2 (Defense of the Ancients) Betting
DotA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that gathers millions of players worldwide.
The game is played in matches of two teams, each with five players. The game aims to defend your team’s base on the map by collecting points and items that help the players defeat the rival team.
Just like PUBG, betting on DotA 2 means you’ll have many betting options.
You can bet on typical markets like the match winner and map winner, but also on the first kill, first blood, accurate score, and more.
The game developer, Valve, organizes an annual tournament, “The DotA 2 International,” held annually in different locations.
Some of the locations for the 2023 tournament include Berlin, Lima, and Peru. the prize pool for this event is $18,900,000 (₹1,552,688,865 at the time of writing).
This will surely make the tournament and betting on it very interesting.
LoL (League of Legends) Betting
Like DotA 2, LoL is also a team-based game where your goal is to defend your base on the map while killing the opponent team members.
However, LoL is a much simpler and easier-to-learn game. eSports players usually start with LoL and move on to DotA as their skills advance.
Nevertheless, the game is still very exciting to bet on.
Bettors can wager on the number of won maps, winners, and exact score, but also on the first kill, first blood, or handicap bets.
The League of Legends World Championship, known as Worlds, is the biggest LoL event. Teams compete for the Summoner’s Cup, which weighs 32 kilograms and a multi-million prize pool.
The event is held near the end of the year, so be sure to visit our page regularly to find out the prize for this year’s event.
CS: GO (Counter Strike Global Offensive) Betting
CS: GO is a first-person shooter game popular for its fast-paced and objective-based goals.
This is another multiplayer game played by two teams at a time. Each team consists of terrorists or counter-terrorists, trying to fulfill the given tasks — defuze a bomb, rescue a hostage, secure an area, etc.
The game developer Valve organizes CS: GO Majors — big Counter-Strike tournaments with huge prize pools.
The most recent Majors boasted a $2,000,000 prize pool (₹164,191,000 at the time of writing).
What makes betting on CS: GO especially fun are the betting markets like the first blood, Molotov, knife, and grenade kills.
Valorant Betting
Valorant is another first-person shooter game. But what sets it apart is that it’s set in the future.
The objective of the game is to outwit other players by developing unique skills other than shooting.
The players must think on their feet and have well-developed tactical skills.
This makes the game fun to watch and exciting to bet on.
You can wager on the method of victory, total kills, pistol round winner, spikes planted, spike explosions, spike defusing, etc.
The Valorant Champions Tour is one of the biggest Valorant events. So far, we know this year’s Tour will take place in Japan, but stay tuned for more info!
CoD (Call of Duty) Betting
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter game with progressively changing gameplay. The gameplay first focused on World War II, then moved on to the Cold War futuristic events and is currently set in the present.
The game’s objective is: “You shoot at everything and everyone who’s not a part of your team.”
The game’s pace is fast, but players don’t need prior knowledge or special gaming skills.
You can bet on the team that will win at least one map, the number of maps a team wins, the correct score, the number of maps won, etc.
FAQs
Is eSports official in India?
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has not yet approved any federations or associations for eSports. However, this doesn’t mean that betting on eSports is illegal or that sportsbooks won’t pay out winnings.
Is CS:GO betting legal in India?
What we said about eSports in general also goes for CS:GO. Betting on CS:GO is not illegal in India since no laws currently prohibit it.
Do eSports winnings get taxed?
All winnings are taxable in India, and you must legally disclose any betting winnings on your yearly tax return. The average tax rate is 30%.
