Esports has exploded in popularity over the last decade, attracting millions of fans. It is a multi-billion dollar industry expected to grow by 6.59% between 2024 and 2031. Esports betting is gaining more traction, allowing fans to engage deeply with their favorite teams and games.
Major esports events and tournaments are prime opportunities for bettors because of the variety of betting markets, high stakes, and unpredictable outcomes. In this article, we will review some of the biggest esports events with good betting scenes.
The International
The International (TI) is an annual global esports tournament organized by Valve. The first-ever TI was held in 2011 in Germany. This was the first official Dota 2 tournament, despite the game still being in its early stages of development. Participating teams either get a direct invite from Valve or emerge at the top as regional qualifiers.
Every year, there is a prize pool that is mostly crowdfunded, but the developers issue a part of it. In 2021, The International had the biggest prize fund in esports history, at $40 million. However, over the years, the amount of money has significantly decreased.
Esports fans can follow and bet on the tournament online. Some popular markets for Dota 2 on sports betting zambia sites include handicap, total maps, special bets, and match winner.
League of Legends World Championship
The LoL Worlds is the annual tournament of the esports game League of Legends. This event, hosted by Riot Games, is the pivotal point of each season. Unlike The International, where teams compete for only a prize pool, in LoL Worlds, the winners get to walk away with the Summoner’s Cup and a couple of million.
The first tournament took place in 2011. Typically, the event features around 20 teams from around the world. Betway offers live betting for League of Legends. Since it is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), expect to find betting markets like total kills, first blood, and match winner.
CS (Counter-Strike) Major Championships
The CS Majors are one of the most prestigious esports events held twice a year and sponsored by Valve. The first Major took place in Sweden in 2013, after Valve announced the release of Global Offensive, marking the beginning of CS:GO Majors. However, earlier Counter-Strike versions had tournaments that were not sponsored by Valve.
The CS:GO Majors have been held in notable cities worldwide, including London, Berlin, and Stockholm. In these tournaments, teams battle for massive prize pools. As a first-person shooter game, you can expect the stakes to be high and intense rivalry.
Some of the Major esports betting markets include first kills, total rounds, and map winners. You can stake this tournament on popular betting sites like Betway.
Conclusion
Esports’ biggest events attract millions of fans, providing excellent opportunities for betting enthusiasts. Some tournaments, like CS:GO, LoL Worlds, and The International, which started over a decade ago, have become some of the biggest global spectacles. As more people embrace esports, the betting markets will continue to expand.
