Esports betting in Australia — find the best esports sportsbooks
Esports betting offers explosive action and pixel-perfect hits and misses, a great fit for punters who enjoy esports live streams.
We’re going to cover all you need to know about esports betting in Australia, including which esports betting options are available to you, how it works, and where to find the best esports betting sites.
| Sportsbook logo | Odds rating | Bonus | Go-to-sportsbook button | Show more | T&C |
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96/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 86% Playscore based on |
Niche esports markets
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Play now |
Good to know
5 payment methods 
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2
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96/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 84% Playscore based on |
Best mobile betting app
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Play now |
Good to know
5 payment methods
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3
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91/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 91% Playscore based on |
Most sports markets on offer
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Play now |
Good to know
11 payment methods
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4
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87/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 80% Playscore based on |
Family-run bookmaker
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Play now |
Good to know
7 payment methods
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5
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79/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 87% Playscore based on |
Fixed-odds racing and esports
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Play now |
Good to know
6 payment methods
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6
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74/100 Sports & markets rating by Elena I. 94% Playscore based on |
Best social-first features
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Play now |
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4 payment methods
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Trending video games in esports betting in Australia
The first thing you should do when joining an esports betting website is to take a look at the esports markets on offer. Some operators are better in different esports markets so we’re going to look at those right here.
| Esports games | Top esports betting site | Best market |
|---|---|---|
| CSGO | Unibet sportsbook | Match markets |
| League of Legends (Lol) | Picklebet sportsbook | Map markets |
| Dota 2 | Unibet sportsbook | Map markets |
| Fortnite | bet365 sportsbook | Number of kills |
| World of Warcraft (WoW) | Picklebet sportsbook | Overall winner |
| FIFA | Picklebet sportsbook | First to score |
| Call of Duty | Unibet sportsbook | First kill |
| Valorant | Picklebet sportsbook | Tournament betting |
| Overwatch | bet365 sportsbook | Match winner |
But, if you really want to have fun when you play on esports betting websites, you’ll need to understand the different esports games themselves. So, let’s take a closer look.
CSGO
One of the most popular esports titles, this esports game pits two teams of five against each other. One team are the terrorists, the other team is the group trying to stop them. In each game, the terrorists try to set a bomb while the counter-terrorists aim to diffuse it. Whoever succeeds in their mission wins.
League of Legends (Lol)
A similar eSport game to Dota 2, this also has two teams of five where players try and destroy the other team’s Nexus. Each player has to pick a hero to play as.
Dota 2
A multiplayer online battle game which has five players fight against an opposing five-player team. Each person picks a character and the aim is to destroy the other team’s Ancient or home base to claim a win.
Fortnite
A Battle Royale-type game, this is where 100 players join in the fight to see who is the last one left standing. Players can find weapons, build structures and even team up to get them in the most advantageous position to win.
World of Warcraft (WoW)
One of the most popular esports games out there, it’s a multi-player role-playing game. Each player fights another one in PvP battles. You can also team up to win raids.
FAFA
A football game that is actually based on real football. You play the game just like the football world, picking players for your team and managing it through to success in various football tournaments.
Valorant
A first-person shooter game where players have to pick a hero, each of which has a different skillset. Then, players join a team of five and compete as one to complete a series of game objectives.
Overwatch
A game with 6 versus 6 in a first-person shooter style. Players need to complete missions instead of getting lots of kills. Eliminating the opposition team does help to achieve the mission though. There are three game modes and 20 characters for players to choose from. However, unlike other esports titles, you can switch players mid-game.
Call of Duty
A first person shooter game where the original game took place in the Second World War. Since the initial game release, there are now versions where the setting is different. These include the Cold War or even more futuristic gaming worlds. Depending on which version you are playing, and which esports tournament is happening, there are different missions and esports bet types on offer.How to choose the best esports betting site
Picking the best esports betting site in Australia can be hard. We’re here to make it easier by outlining the specific criteria we use to rate each site. Take a look below and use these criteria to formulate your own judgments.
Range of video games for betting
The top esports betting sites Australia need to have a wide range of esports betting markets if they are to get a top score. As esports fans will know, just two or three esports betting markets is simply not enough. We want to see at least 8 different esports to give a good score. Better yet, the best esports betting sites will also have more unusual esports titles. We don’t just want to see major esports like LoL, CSGO and Call of Duty, but we also want to see games like Starcraft II, Valorant and Overwatch.
Esports odds
Esports betting odds are very important if you want to get a good win. Since they fluctuate constantly, we are always on the lookout for the site that offers the best esports odds. To do this, we check out the average payout percentages that esports bookmakers offer. As a general esports betting guide, sites that offer the best esports odds will have higher average payout percentages. For a good score, an average payout percentage of 95% is a must. This moves to excellent if that hits 97% indicating the best esports odds are found here. Anything under 93% should be avoided and indicates poor esports betting odds.
Bet types and markets
Within the esports betting industry, there is a wide array of esports betting markets and bet types. To start with, we look to see whether the esports bookmaker has a diverse selection of bets encompassing specific bets per eSport. Ideally, we want to see 20 esports betting markets per eSport, something that good esports betting sites will easily achieve. Typically, the esports betting sites based in Australia can offer a wide array of bets including tournament, map-based, game-based, futures and so on. An esports gambling site that offers only a few esports betting markets (under 5 per game) or has minimal bet types will get a lower score from us.
Live esports betting and other special features
Key to having fun is being able to enjoy esports live betting. Live betting allows esports fans to place bets while the game is already underway. It’s a great way to be more flexible and change with the flow of the game. Top esports betting sites will offer live betting across all their esports. In conjunction with live betting, top esports betting sites will also offer live streaming so that esports fans can actually watch the action as it unfolds. Any esports gambling site that does not have live betting on esports matches will get a much lower score from us. These days, live betting is a must.
Betting app quality
If you want to play while out and about, then we also look at the esports betting apps on offer. The best esports betting app must offer the same gaming experience as the desktop site. So, we expect it to work smoothly, have a simple design and interface, and be fully mobile-optimised. If the esports betting app is slow-loading, has glitches or doesn’t have all the same features as the desktop site, then we will mark it down for this. We also expect that top esports betting sites will offer esports betting apps for both iOS and Android devices. If it doesn’t, we knock points off.
Usability
It’s all well and good for an eSport site to have a ton of sports and the best odds out there, but if you can’t find your way around the site, what’s the point? With this in mind, we look at the usability of the site as a whole. Top esports betting legal sites must have clear esports menus, good filter options and a search bar to boot. The menus should be easily navigable with a good colour scheme in place and preferably a dark mode option. If there are no filters, broken links and so on, we won’t recommend playing here.
Esports betting offers
While it is not possible for Australian esports betting sites to advertise any promotions, once you log in to your account you will see what is available. Typically you can expect to find a free bet alongside some of the best odds. Or you can join a VIP programme to see if a free bet is awarded.
Overall offer
Finally, we look at the esports betting legal site as a whole. This means we want to see other sports betting markets (at least 30 for a good score), as well as 10 payment methods, 24/7 live chat and strong security. Bonus points go to sites that go above and beyond and offer blog posts with esports betting tips. esports sites that have fewer than 20 other sports betting markets will not get a good score from us. Additionally, if there aren’t many betting payment methods (less than four) or the support service has limited opening hours, we’re also going to mark it down.
Esports betting types – popular markets
As with all sports, both fantasy esports and actual esports have an array of esports betting options attached. Get to grips with the different bet types specific to the different esports games so that you can make a more informed bet.
Futures
Match / outright winner – The most common esports bet, it’s found on most esports games. As the name suggests, you simply place a bet on which team or player you think will win the esports matches you are watching.
Match betting
Handicap – This is a way to equal out the favourite and the underdog teams. It helps to balance out any discrepancies.
Over/under
First blood – This is common in a number of different esports games and is simply a bet on which team will kill first. It’s a common betting option for esports fans betting on Dota 2.
Winning margin
Map-related bets – There are many different esports that are played using maps. All the tasks and missions then take place here. Depending on the game, the map bet will be slightly different with some bets placed on how the team will win on that map (Dota 2), while others will relate to how many maps will be played or who wins the first map (CSGO).
Same game multis
Team-related esports bets – As many games and esports tournaments are team-based, it makes sense for esports bettors to have team bets available. Typically, these come in the form of prop bets and do not have a bearing on the overall outcome of the game. Instead, you place bets on which team will have most kills, kill Roshan first (Dota 2) or which team will reach a specific kill number before the other.
Game-specific bets
Similar to team-related bets, these also tend to be prop bets and are widely available in the esports betting market. These are specific to the eSport you’re watching. CSGO betting will often have bets for which team reaches 10 kills while Dota 2 has the First Blood bet.
Tournament winner
This is a futures bet and is all about placing a bet on the actual main tournament itself. You simply predict which team will win the whole thing, such as who will win the League of Legends World Championship. Each tournament is run slightly differently so you need to know how the process works in order to place the bet. Some top competitions include DreamHack, Extreme Masters and Intel.
Esports betting for beginners
If you are still with us, then it’s time to get you started with joining the best esports betting site. Follow the steps below to get playing.
Check out our list of recommended esports bookies
Take a look at our best esports bookmakers list and pick where you want to play.
Sign up
Sign up to the sportsbook and provide all required personal details.
Review the markets
Head to the esports markets on the site.
Browse what's on offer
Look at the different esports tournaments, leagues and games on offer.
Choose your team
Click the esports matches you want to bet on and choose your team.
Check the odds
Check the esports betting odds available.
Bet
Place your bet and hang tight for the results!
Esports betting tips to maximise your experience
As esports bets can be a bit complicated, we’ve taken the liberty of outlining some top esports betting tips just for you.
- Carefully research and learn about the esports teams before you place an eSport bet.
- Bet on teams that play at home as they will have the edge in esports tournaments.
- Underdogs can actually be better on different levels within a game so prop bets on underdogs can be a great way to go for smaller esports online bets.
- Play the game yourself to understand the rules. Many games are free.
- Watch esports live streaming games to learn more about the sport from the commentators.
Pros and cons
Esports betting websites are a lot of fun, but there are some pros and cons to betting on this sport, especially when compared to other sports. We’re going to take a look at the benefits and disadvantages of this sport.
- Volume of esports bets – unlike other sports, esports is available all year round. This means there is no real off-season. As such, there are consistent major esports betting markets throughout the year.
- Good odds – for the most part esports odds are pretty great. If you can play at a reliable site, you’ll find that the esports odds will mean you get some good betting opportunities.
- Freedom of bet size – generally, there are no lower limits in place for esports bets, which means you can place any size esports bet you like.
- Easy to play – betting on esports is simple to pick up. Just choose which esports games you want to bet on and check the rules.
- Too many teams – there are many esports teams, which can make it hard to know which team to pick. It’s not so simple picking the on-form team.
- Placing too many bets – as there are so many esports betting options, it’s easy to get sucked into placing too many esports bets, which can bet detrimental in the long run.
Other sports to bet on
Esports is not for everyone. So, with that in mind, there are a number of other sports you can choose to bet on instead.
Rugby league
Fast-paced contact sport
Aussie Rules
Cross between football and rugby
Cricket
Exciting batting game between two teams
FAQs
What are best esports betting sites?
The best places to play are safe Australia esports betting sites. This means you’ll need to check there is a licence before you start playing here. The best esports bookmakers allow you to place esports bets across a wide array of online esports covering some of the more obscure events. This means that top sites will have both major and minor tournaments as well as competitive gaming opportunities. Additionally, these sites will have some of the best odds in place, offer live betting options as well as fantasy esports and more unusual eSport options such as Starcraft II and Overwatch.
Can you bet on esports in Australia?
Yes, there are a growing number of betting sites that offer esports betting markets across a range of different esports. Some of the top esports include Dota 2, Starcraft II and CSGO to name a few. Most sites give you a great esports betting experience thanks to the ability to claim a free bet and watch many esports events.
What betting sites offer esports?
There are a number of esports bookmakers. These include the likes of Picklebet, bet365, Sportsbet, Bet Right, BetStar, Neds and Bookmaker.com. Depending on the site, there will be different esports titles on offer as well as a variety of major esports events. However, almost all betting sites offer esports live streaming.
Can you make money betting on esports?
Yes, you can make money when you place esports wagers on major tournaments and teams. However, it’s always important to remember that in Australia esports betting is still gambling so there is no guarantee that you will win. You should always remember to play for fun and not aim to win esports betting.
What is the best esport bet?
The best esports bet really depends on which eSport you’re actually betting on. For instance, when it’s CSGO, some of the best esports bets you can place include group winner, top fragger and first blood. If you’re playing Dota 2, then top esports bets include map or first blood.
