Esports Betting: A Complete Guide For 2024

With a global audience of over 544 million viewers and esports markets raking in an estimated $2.39 billion (USD) in 2024, the esports betting industry is booming! Gamers and sports bettors alike are often surprised to learn you can bet on esports, but it’s quickly become known as a fast paced, exciting way to get involved in your favourite games. Many of the top Canadian sportsbooks cover major esports tournaments, like the League of Legends World Championships and Overwatch Champions Series. Below, we’ll introduce you to the top esports betting sites, plus popular esports markets, titles, and bookmakers.

Table of Contents

1. Top Esports Betting Sites in Canada
2. Best Esports Betting App
3. How to Bet on Esports in Canada
4. How to Choose an Esports Betting Site
5. Esports Betting Legal Status in Canada
6. Esports Betting Strategies: Top Tips and Tricks
7. Most Popular Esports Betting Markets
8. Esports Tournament Betting
9. Major Esports Events in 2024
10. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games
11. First Person Shooter Games
12. Sports Games

Top Esports Betting Sites in Canada

What’s more soul-sucking? Comparing countless sportsbooks—or farming for your latest build? As someone who’s done both, let this consumed writer guide you to the best esports betting site for you!

Ranking	Sportsbook	Join Link
1	BetWarrior	Join BetWarrior!
2	Pinnacle	Join Pinnacle!
3	NorthStar Bets	Join NorthStar Bets!
4	BetVictor	Join BetVictor!
5	TonyBet	Join TonyBet!
6	bet365	Join bet365!

1. BetWarrior

If you’re in the market for esports betting sites that run at nitro-speed across mobile and desktop sites, scope BetWarrior for the speediest live betting odds and superior technology. But if you’re a Canadian bettor looking for an app for all your esports wagering needs, you’re SOL. While BetWarrior has a mobile site, it doesn’t have a dedicated Canadian app. Still, we can let it slide since the mobile site is up to snuff, and BetWarrior knows its stuff when it comes to live esports wagering.

Bet on esports across various genres like multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Mobile Legends, and tactical first-person shooters like Valorant and Counter-Strike 2, to name a few. Plus, BetWarrior boasts all the top betting markets, super solid live bets, and ease of navigation throughout the betting site.

Available esports on BetWarrior

2. Pinnacle

Offering a superior esports betting experience, Pinnacle is among the best esports betting sites in the biz. It has a standout dedicated esports platform sporting an undeniable gaming feel and the top esports titles. Plus, with the best betting odds around thanks to the sportsbook’s low vig and high betting limits, Pinnacle is the perfect place for high rollers to win bank.

The betting opportunities, odds, and options are really where it’s at for Canadian bettors eyeing up Pinnacle. With all the popular esports titles on the market, there’s something for everyone, from real-time strategy games, including Age of Empires, StarCraft: Brood War, and Warcraft III, to shooter games like Overwatch, Rainbow Six, and Counter-Strike. Oh, and we can’t forget Rocket League!

Available esports on Pinnacle

3. NorthStar Bets

Although this isn’t the best esports betting site in our books due to its limited selection, NorthStar Bets is a well-established sportsbook that made it onto our top list of the best Canadian sportsbooks for its user-friendly interface and top-notch sports insights. But, hey, if you’re new to esports wagering, this limited esports section might make deciding on a bet a little easier.

This esports betting website offers Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, and Valorant. Slim pickings, we know—but NorthStar Bets has all the standard betting markets with solid betting lines from outright bets on the match winner known as money lines and handicap betting options (AKA point spreads). Plus, if you’re looking for exclusive first-bet bonuses, we’ve got you—just sign up using our link!

Available esports on NorthStar Bets

• CS2
• League of Legends
• Valorant

4. BetVictor

As far as esports betting websites go, BetVictor is a decent option—especially if FIFA or NBA esports Battles are your vibe. Despite another being another sportsbook with a skimpy esports selection, BetVictor goes above and beyond as one of the only sites offering esports prop bets—and solid betting odds for every upcoming competition and tournament for its available esports titles.

BetVictor has been a leading powerhouse in the traditional sports betting industry for the better part of a century, with serious XP making enormous strides in the online gambling world. As an esports betting site, BetVictor is lacking in the “electronic sports” department in terms of selection—plus navigating the esports pages are low-key painful. But to make things a little less painful, use our link to sign up!

Available esports on BetVictor

• Dota 2
• Counter Strike
• League of Legends
• Valorant
• FIFA Esports Battle 
• NBA Esports Battle

5. TonyBet

Finally! A true OP site with the most popular esports games. Among the top esports betting sites, TonyBet is a leading competitor in the space. TonyBet’s esports gambling options are what make the site stand out from other Canadian sportsbooks. Check out TonyBet’s live betting options, featured squads like Team Vitality and Team Liquid, expansive markets, and top-of-the-line esports odds.

TonyBet offers a wide variety of live esports on their streaming platforms and betting opportunities, from wagering on the outright match winner to handicap betting on map spreads. With titles like Hearthstone, Overwatch, Starcraft II, and League of Legends, there’s something for all esports enthusiasts! Sign up and receive an amazing esports betting bonus with your first deposit.

Available esports on TonyBet

• CS: GO
• Dota 2
• Overwatch
• League of Legends
• Rainbow 6
• Starcraft II
• Hearthstone

6. bet365

Well, well, well—if it isn’t the GOAT of sports betting. bet365 is widely regarded as the best online sportsbook and dominates all our top ten lists. For those looking to bet on esports, the search is finally over! Unlike some esports betting sites, bet365 has an extensive selection of games, from Honor of Kings and Rocket League to PUBG and Crossfire, with diverse betting options and competitive odds.

Play with the pros and start placing bets today when you sign up with bet365—plus, we’ll hook you up with your choice of welcome bonus. From live streams to esports wagering tips, bet365 has it all with the hottest betting lines on tourneys like the Intel Extreme Masters, League of Legends World Championships, Blast Premier World Finals, and more!

Available esports on bet365

Best Esports Betting App

bet365 is the best app for esports betting Canada has to offer, thanks to its countless esports gambling options, superior odds, and convenient, user-friendly mobile platform. It’s available on Android and iOS, bet365 is highly rated and boasts GOAT online reviews. Although bet365 is the best esports betting app in our books—and would be a safe bet for most esports enthusiasts and bettors—there are tons of options catering to different types of bettors with a variety of wagering needs, so decide carefully!

bet365 app rating:

Apple App Store	4.7/5 Stars	105.5K reviews
Google Play Store	4.5/5 Stars	15.5K reviews

How to Bet on Esports in Canada

Now that you’re up to speed on the greatest esports betting sites Canada has to offer, let’s do a walkthrough of what you can expect when you start to bet on esports.

1. Choose a Reputable Sportsbook

With all the stats on the best online betting sites under your belt, choosing the right sportsbook for you should be a breeze. And don’t worry—all our recommendations are 100% legit (after all, if these bookmakers are handling your hard-earned money, they should be fully licensed and regulated).

2. Create Your Account and Deposit Funds

Gotcha gamers are painfully familiar with online payments (Raiden nearly broke the bank), but for any newbies, listen up. Have your government ID ready for verification, enter your personal details, create a username and password, select your preferred deposit methods, and always read the fine print.

3. Place Your Bet On Esports

Most online sportsbooks have a dedicated esports tab that bettors can click through to find popular esports tournaments, top-tier teams, and the different types of bets available. Placing your first bet online is a cinch! Simply find odds that pique your fancy, click, and confirm.

4. Track the Game and Your Bet

Our favourite way to track games is by watching top gaming squads like Team Vitality, Team Liquid, and Cloud9 play LIVE with A-list online esports betting sites’ top-of-the-line streaming platforms. This way, you can watch your esports bet win big—or fail miserably—in real-time (either way, such a rush)!

How to Choose an Esports Betting Site

Choosing the right esports betting site for you is a lot like cultivating different gaming builds. All teams have unique features and nuances; some teams prioritize healing and shielding, whereas others rely on their OP DPS characters to wipe out the competition, and it’s the same for sportsbooks.

Certain sportsbooks cater to noobs offering esports betting bonuses and handicap betting in the way of point spreads. Conversely, there are bookmakers with low vig rates and high betting limits appealing to high rollers. So, review our review to determine which sportsbook is best for you.

When comparing esports betting sites, consider the available live esports betting options, games and betting markets currently offered, accepted deposit methods, and if there’s a mobile app. For a speedrun into all of these sportsbooks, check out our top ten list and individual site reviews.

Once you find your perfect esports sportsbook, check back with us for exclusive esports betting bonuses. After you sign up through one of our referral links, you’ll be ready to play the odds and win alongside your favourite teams—or at least, the ones you’re betting on. Good luck, fellow gamers!

Esports Betting Legal Status in Canada

When the Canadian senate passed Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, legalizing single-event sports betting back in August 2021, traditional sports and esports betting became legal here in Canada. With esports betting legal at the federal level and local regulations controlled by individual provinces and territories, it’s best to review your regional betting regulations through our Canadian gambling laws and legal sports betting page.

Across Canada, the legal betting age is 19, with the exception of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, where the minimum age is 18. Plus, every province and territory has its own regulatory bodies (e.g. Alcohol and Gaming Corporation of Ontario). Although Ontario is currently the only province with additional regulations allowing private sportsbooks (Alberta soon to follow!), there are many safe esports betting options for every Canadian bettor! Just promise us: you’ll play responsibly and only use licensed and regulated betting sites.

Esports Betting Strategies: Top Tips and Tricks

You’re in luck—we’re here to share our secrets and supply superior esports betting tips! Keep in mind, unlike traditional sports, esports largely rely on players’ and esports teams’ strategic prowess and mental resilience, so even seasoned sports bettors can learn a trick or two.

Of course, understanding the game mechanics and main objectives will help you bet with confidence and recognize solid gaming odds across esports betting sites. However, tracking esports teams and players’ stats like wins and losses, assists, kills, and objective completions is crucial to placing any smart esports bet—especially prop bets! And don’t forget to consider team synergy and opponent stats!

Once you’re up to speed on the gaming side of things, it’s time to gear up for some gambling! First things first: don’t be afraid to shop the odds! Comparing odds across different esports sportsbooks is a super solid strat to gain a betting edge.

But before you become one of the extreme masters of gaming odds, we recommend setting limits and budgeting your bets, as it’s easy to get lost in the sauce—win or lose! Please review your preferred sportsbook’s responsible gambling resources and daily limit options to create safe gambling habits.

Most Popular Esports Betting Markets

While there are a variety of different types of bets and plenty of games in each betting site’s esports section, not all esports games boast the same selection of esports betting markets.

Money Line

Alrighty, noobs, let’s level up your betting knowledge. With money lines, you’ll bet who will win outright. Just remember: positive odds signify the underdogs, whereas positive odds identify the favourite to win.

Parlays

Think of these as your betting combos. Parlays consist of two or more bets across various games that all must payoff for your wager to win; however, since these are riskier bets, they have higher payouts!

Props

Besides live betting and skin gambling, props are the best way to join the action! Props involve specific in-game and individual players’ performances, like the number of kills, assists, and total maps played.

Futures

Before you come for this poor writer’s job, these “futures” refer to the outright winners of multi-stage competitions like the various tournaments hosted by the Intel Extreme Masters pro gaming tour.

Live Betting

RTS, anyone? As the name suggests, live betting happens in real-time after the match begins! In-play gambling allows bettors to enjoy the thrill of ever-changing odds and join the larger esports ecosystem.

Fantasy

With fantasy sports, you can win big alongside your gaming dream team. Select pro players within a set salary cap to build your fantasy esports team and earn points with players’ real-world performances.

Social Betting

This particular form of betting is quite popular with gamers eager to bet against online friends. With social betting, there are often more live bets and players are encouraged to message other bettors.

Esports Tournament Betting

Since esports betting is still an up-and-coming market, there aren’t oodles of options available, unlike traditional sports betting. More often than not, sportsbooks only include major tournaments across top esports titles. Think League of Legends World Championships and any tournament hosted by the Intel Extreme Masters series.

Popular Esports Tournament Betting Options

The average esports sportsbook offers solid odds on popular tournaments’ money lines, futures, and parlays. However, there are some BAMF sites like BetVictor brandishing bountiful betting markets like handicap betting, game and player props, and over/under bets on most matches.

With limited esports betting options currently available on most sportsbooks, parlays are the perfect high-risk, high-reward option for esports bets. Betting on the outcomes of several matches or tourneys increases the risk of traditional money lines as each individual bet needs to pay off for you to win your parlay, but your payout also increases.

And don’t forget you can also bet on esports teams from the team’s highest score to the number of dragons slain (or “objectives completed,” if you’re boring). Check out how you can bet on top gaming squads like Team Vitality and Team Liquid with different sportsbooks, and find which betting opportunities pique your interest—preferably those with OP odds.

Major Esports Events in 2024

There are seemingly endless esports tournaments spanning across the globe—but we only begin to scratch the surface of the actually endless esports events you can bet on throughout the year.

With the end of the year nearly upon us, here are the remaining major esports tournaments of 2024:

Tournament	Esport	Location
BLAST R6 Major Montreal 2024	Rainbow Six	Canada
PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2024	PUBG Mobile	UK
M6 World Championship	Mobile Legends: Bang Bang	Malaysia
IESF World Esports Championship 2024	Multi-title	Saudi Arabia
OWCS Season Finals	Overwatch 2	Sweden
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024	Counter-Strike 2	China
ESL One Bangkok 2024	Dota 2	Thailand
PUBG Global Championship 2024	PUBG	Malaysia

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games

Okay, “multiplayer online battle arena” is a quite mouthful, so let’s stick with the shorthand. MOBAs, as the name so expertly suggests, are games where teams enter set battlefields and maps, prioritizing team strategy, distinctive character abilities and weapons, and battle other players. From battle royales to role-playing games, MOBA titles reign supreme in the esports betting industry.

League of Legends

League of Legends, by Riot Games, is the hottest esports on the market, with a massive international following, securing the most betting options and worldwide viewership in the millions.

First hitting the scene in 2009 as a free-to-play, fantasy MOBA, League has skyrocketed in popularity, with the League of Legends World Championship garnering over one billion hours of watch time. And let’s not forget about the Arcane Netflix series, which follows League of Legends’ favourite set of sisters, Vi and Jinx, with the release of the second and final season set for November 2024.

But back to the game—in League of Legends, competitors play as one of 168 unique champions to destroy enemy defences and take out other champions and minions while building their own defences and armies. With core political themes and the ever-present conflict between good and evil, plus magical powers and foxy champions (you best bet we stan Ahri, too), there’s something for everyone!

Major League of Legends Tournaments:

• League of Legends World Championship
• Mid-Season Invitational
• League of Legends Championship Series
• League of Legends Champions Korea
• League of Legends Pro League
• League of Legends European Championship

Dota 2

Sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), one of the key inspirations for League of Legends, Valve’s Dota 2 has basically the same gameplay as these other MOBAs but with a historical twist.

Admittedly, most new players find the League and Dota 2 controls and overall gameplay complicated—but let’s break down the basics. Two teams of five battle against each other with heroes all boasting unique abilities to defend their base and destroy their opponent’s defences. Before each match, teams can discuss strategies and select heroes accordingly.

Since its release in 2013, Dota 2 has made many claims to fame, from being the most-played game on Steam (until PUBG nabbed the title) to offering the largest prize pool in history back in 2021 with a whopping $40 million (USD). Despite losing the top spot in the esports industry, the Dota 2 competition is still as fierce as ever, with Team Falcon, Team Liquid, and Tundra Sports dominating the leaderboard.

Major Dota 2 Tournaments:

• The International
• Dota Pro Circuit
• ESL One
• ONE Esports Singapore Major
• EPICENTER Major

Fortnite

Ah, Fortnite—what a love-hate relationship. After blowing up in 2017, Fortnite continues to receive nominations for “Game of the Year” and maintain some pretty serious popularity!

Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite stands out among MOBAs for its multiple game modes, from the 2011 pay-to-play cooperative player-vs-environment game Fortnite: Save the World to the classic battle royale version. Fortnite is known for offering the coolest skins spanning across various genres and fan bases—and some pretty cringe dances.

For the classic Fortnite Battle Royale we all know and love (to hate on), 100 players airdrop into a set map where they can loot for weapons, armour, and other items while trying to survive enemy fire. Players can choose to go it alone, as a duo, or as a three to four-person squad and try to be the last one standing as the map continually shrinks.

Major Fortnite Tournaments:

• Fortnite Champion Series Global Championship
• Esports World Cup
• DreamHack Dallas
• Clash Royale League World Finals
• The Milk Cup: Finals

PUBG

PUBG, originally Player Unknown Battlegrounds, is one of the most played games of all time. Despite PUBG losing its title as the most-played game on the market, the fans are still as loyal as ever!

We can’t lie—PUBG gamers are a little intense at times, but for that reason, PUBG has one of the strongest gaming fan bases, staying at the top of the charts even after Fortnite’s debut. PUBG hit the scene at the beginning of 2017 as the first battle royale game and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. (As a platinum-rated player, you bet this writer was part of the problem.)

Most battle royale esports have the same game mechanics and objectives: find good sh*t and stay alive. However, PUBG stands out among the competition for its attention to detail with bullet physics, which considers wind, distance, and gravity, and a realistic approach to the PVP shooter landscape based on the creator Brendan Greene’s childhood stomping grounds.

Major PUBG Tournaments:

• PUBG Global Championship
• PUBG Nations Cup
• PUBG Continental Series
• PUBG Mobile Global Championship
• PUBG Mobile Pro League

First Person Shooter Games

Engage in high-stakes combat through the eyes of your main character, take out the competition, and survive enemy fire. First-person shooter (FPS) games have sparked a lot of discussions in mainstream media, and we can understand why—but in the right environment, they can have a positive impact on players’ cognition skills, quick-thinking abilities, reflexes, and overall joy with that sweet, sweet headrush of headshot happiness. Plus, you don’t need to be a sharpshooter to snipe yourself a solid bet.

Halo

Straight out of science fiction, game developer Bungie introduced the world to Halo back in 2001. With six versions to date, Halo is still prominent in the gaming community—and the lore just keeps coming!

We have neither the time nor the word count to cover Halo’s plot. But for those of you unfamiliar with this classic FPS game, humans inherit the Precursors’ (basically ancient alien gods) divine responsibility to the galaxy and battle other intergalactic enemies as well as humans infected by the Flood parasites—which are reincarnated Precursors. (Whew!) Meanwhile, the gameplay: shoot to kill.

If you want to become a Halo expert without picking up the controller, you can check out some Halo top team rankings, watch legends like OpTic Gaming, FaZe Clan, and Spacestation Gaming knock out alien scum left, right, and center, and bet on your new favourite game. With multiple game modes to choose from and numerous entertainment adaptations, Halo has captivated the masses for decades.

Major Halo Tournaments:

• Halo World Championship
• Major League Gaming Tournament
• Halo Championship Series
• DreamHack Halo Series
• (Ultimate Gaming Championship Halo Classic

Call of Duty

Starting as a 2003 WWII FPS game, Call of Duty has evolved from historical front-line battles to stealth missions, large-scale assaults, space warfare, and brawls with ghosts and Hellhounds (zombie-dogs!).

You can already guess how the gameplay works when you’re facing up against Nazis and fiery canine corpses. As an FPS, there’s a fair amount of customization in Call of Duty, from characters to weapons. Speaking of which—Call of Duty is known for its mystery boxes, which reward players with random weapons. But for a safer bet to win big, just follow gaming odds and bet on your favourite esports team.

With over 500 million copies sold, 100 million active monthly players, and a slew of adaptations from comic books to short films, the Call of Duty franchise has revolutionized online gaming communities and the esports landscape. Call of Duty continues to have an absolute chokehold on the gaming community, with over 20 versions to date, from Modern Warfare to Vanguard.

Major Call of Duty Tournaments:

• Call of Duty League
• Call of Duty Championship
• MLG Pro Circuit
• Electronic Sports World Cup Call of Duty
• Gfinity Call of Duty Open

Sports Games

Why hello, sports bettors—we could’ve bet we’d find you here. We know these trendy “electronic sports” might be new to our traditional sports-focused readers, but these next games are your gateway to a brand new world. Just think of all the betting opportunities! Unlike most of the other games on our list, these esports are rooted in reality, offering a virtual escape for sports fans. The gameplay is basically that of their real-world counterparts and feels like watching a live match with today’s graphics.

FIFA

Mom says to make some friends, join a sport, and touch some grass. Solution? FIFA! The perfect cross-over between video games and traditional sports.

Since FIFA 1993, this soccer (or rather, football) video game has transformed after three decades of yearly releases with a growing roster of real-world athletes, improved gameplay, and life-like graphics. Using motion-capture technology, the creators of FIFA aim to make the game indistinguishable from real life, from the animation of players’ movements to ball physics.

Your best bet to be a successful FIFA player is to understand the rules of soccer (football—sh*t, sorry) since the gameplay involves—uh—playing soccer. Players can control individual athletes or entire teams with the goal of scoring some goals. However, different versions of FIFA allow players to manage teams over multiple seasons, collect and trade digital cards, and curse the refs!

Major FIFA Tournaments:

• FIFA eWorld Cup
• FUT Champions Cup
• eChampions League
• ePremier League
• eLaLiga Santander

NBA 2K

So mom says FIFA doesn’t count—cue NBA 2K! This realistic basketball video game bounced onto the scene back in 1999 and has kept up with the times!

Again, players can control individuals or the whole team with numerous modes, from classic online play to managing teams as a general manager with MyLeague. With life-like character movements and live commentary, it’s the closest thing to basketball without hitting the court. NBA 2K is dedicated to constant improvement in terms of graphics, mechanics, and character roster.

Not to mention, there’s an official esports league team up with the NBA known as the NBA 2K League, so you know it’s legit! Immerse yourself with the greatest ebasketball has to offer in both single-player and multiplayer modes, build your team from the ground up, and enjoy state-of-the-art technology that translates real NBA footage into NBA 2K’s gameplay.

Major NBA Tournaments:

• NBA 2K League Finals
• MyTEAM Unlimited Tournament
• NBA 2K MyPark Tournament
• ESL NBA 2K Tournaments
• 2K Global Championship

Wrapping Up: Start Betting on Esports Today

Well, we covered more ground than the average PUBG player, so let’s speedrun this sh*t!

Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a seasoned sports bettor, there’s fun to be had, money to be made, and esports to bet upon featured in our list of Canadian sportsbooks. Check out our reviews for BetWarrior, NorthStar Bets, Pinnacle, BetVictor, TonyBet, and bet365 if you can decide which one is best for you after reviewing the available esports titles, betting options, and odds.

And remember—in its simplest form, gambling is a form of entertainment (just like gaming!), and you should only wager what you’re willing to lose. Please play responsibly. GG, everyone!

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