The Rise of eSports Betting: How Stake.com Redefines the Way to Bet on eSports

eSports have grown to become a popular pastime among fans of gamers. Playing popular games with friends is no longer the only way to engage with the hobby. Fans can chill out on the couch, and watch professionals play some of the most competitive and difficult games in a tournament setting. The name given professional gaming – eSports, comes from the words “electronic” and “sports,” and perfectly fits the hobby we are discussing.

As any fan of sports might, sometimes, gamers want to wager on eSports. They might think about the better player not performing as well as they usually do, or they may have noticed an underrated player, suddenly racking up points. But, can eSports fans actually bet on their favorite games? In fact, eSports betting has been getting a lot of attention recently. One of the best places to bet on eSports is the popular casino/sportsbook, Stake.com 

Why Choose Stake?

Stake is a pretty famous gambling site, founded in Australia, and licensed in Curacao. However, while they may have gotten their start in the land down under, the business’ success has enabled them to open offices around Europe, and the rest of the world. Aside from their popularity though, what are the reasons one would decide to pick Stake.com as their primary sportsbook, especially when it comes to eSports? 

Not only does Stake have a pretty stellar reputation worldwide, but they also offer extensive and diverse coverage of many popular games right now. For example, you can find odds for Counter-Strike 2, Defenders of the Ancients 2, League of Legends, etc. However, Stake does not stop at the three most popular games in eSports. The odds makers have also created odds for Arena of Valor, Age of Empires, and a ton of sports games, including FIFA, NBA2K, and even eCricket. 

You won’t find this kind of diversity at other websites. Stake’s embracing of some of the less popular video games in eSports makes them unique in the business. The truth though is that even offering odds on games is pretty unique. Most bookies have not embraced this new market. However, Stake was one of the first, and remains one of the best sportsbooks for professional video game coverage. But, that is not the only thing that makes them unique. 

Gambling with Crypto

Where Stake differs from the competition is in the payment methods. While a lot of bookies focus on making deposits and withdrawals with traditional money, and may offer the option to bet using crypto, Stake is the exact opposite. Most of their fans pay using Bitcoin, while some prefer to stick to FIAT currency. While this news will certainly excite many gamers, who are already more likely to be interested in crypto, according to certain studies, it could also alienate those who don’t know much.

The good news is that Stake has made their crypto purchases safe and simple. You can use a digital wallet, debit or credit card to purchase Bitcoin very quickly, and then make your deposit. However, we would recommend learning a bit about Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency in general, before you start gambling with the digital currency. A lot of bettors may be put off by the volatility of the crypto market, but, for those who’ve gotten the hang of crypto trading, placing a bet on eSports using Bitcoin shouldn’t be an issue.

It is worth noting that Bitcoin is not the only crypto that Stake accepts. You can also place wagers using Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Dogecoin, and Tron. For those who prefer traditional payment methods, digital wallets, credit cards, debit cards, and vouchers are all available at the website too. As you can see, Stake.com has a bit of something for everyone. 

Live Streaming eSports

The casino is not content to just give you the odds. At Stake, you can also livestream your favorite tournaments. If you are interested in watching the biggest events, leagues, fixtures, and tournaments as they are taking place, you can do so directly from your Stake account. The best part is that doing this is simple as can be. All you have to do is log onto your account, check to see if you’ve placed any funds, and look at any upcoming eSports fixtures that the bookie has made available. But, that isn’t even the best part.

At Stake, you can place live wagers, as you are watching the game. Live betting is not a new phenomenon, to anyone who has been involved with sports. Simply put, you can wager on a game in real time. However, unlike future bets, live bets require quick thinking, and a willingness to take risks. In other words, they are not for everyone. A lot of players may prefer to strategize and think a little before they place a wager. For those bettors, future odds are probably the best call. But, for the risk-takers, live betting is a great choice. 

Preparing to Bet

Before taking any steps to place a bet, you should take steps to prepare yourself. Betting on eSports is no different than betting on, say, football. Football bettors would know everything there is to know about the clubs that are playing, their past matches, their recent strengths and weaknesses, and what players perform the best. It should be no different for fans of eSports. 

In eSports, teams from all over the world come together, boasting some of the best players. To stay ahead, read up on some of these players, how they fit into a team, and what game they thrive in. Check out past tournaments to find out which teams dominate which games, and then use that information, alongside the odds to make an informed decision.

Most importantly, do some research on how sports betting odds themselves work. It may be daunting at first, but once you start reading, you will find that the math behind them is actually very simple. Do that, and you will be ready to wager on eSports at one of the top platforms on the internet.