The United States of America is the second-largest gaming market globally, with many fans looking to bet and make real money from esports online. Esports betting sites now partner with various game developers to provide a source of entertainment for everyone in the US.
If you are looking to bet on esports in the US, it is legal in the following states: Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Selecting an esports betting site in the US is difficult because various operators offer similar services to players. Also, the plethora of betting sites could be overwhelming and challenging when selecting. So, here on a platter of gold, we have reviewed everything you need to know about esports betting in the US.
There are several esports betting sites in the US; however, some stand out more than others. Our top five esports betting sites offer high odds, generous bonuses and promotions, a wide market range, and other perks.
We examine all eSports betting sites in the United States and recommend the best options to our readers; providing the best gambling experience for every sports bettor.
Since preferences vary from player to player, we ensure our reviews explain the standards we consider before a betting site can make it into our books.
Players' safety is the first feature we consider when reviewing eSports betting sites because you entrust your personal information and real money wagers to the bookmaker. Hence the reason why it's at the top of this list.
Our reviews only recommend safe and secure online betting sites with a license and regulation certification from a renowned gambling authority. This ensures that all gamblers have access to safe and secure betting products and services.
So, if an eSports betting site doesn't have a license, we won't recommend it. You can select any of the top eSports betting sites listed above or check for certificates at the bottom of the betting site.
The eSports industry is still rapidly growing in the US, so various eSports betting matches exist. We compare the available events or markets on every eSports betting site and provide the best options on the market. Although offering a wide range of esports markets doesn't guarantee the best gaming experience, most professional gamers would rate operators that cover different products higher than those limited to one category.
We recommend bookmakers that offer more value with various sports betting options. For example, it's common to bet on the match-winner; you can also predict who wins the first round, the total number of fouls in a game, and many more high-value events. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Is there a better way to start eSports betting than a massive welcome bonus and promotions? Bonus rewards and promotions form an integral part of eSports betting. Various betting sites offer members welcome bonuses, loyalty rewards, and seasonal promotions.
We recommend eSports betting sites that offer new US players free bets, risk-free bets, or matched deposit bonuses to boost their gaming adventure. Regular players can also unlock loyalty rewards and other eSports promotions.
Placing bets with high-reward odds can either multiply your eSports betting account or make you go bankrupt. The best part about your favorite eSports games is you can win real money by placing bets; the prize increases with higher odds. We will continually examine the odds of each eSports betting in the USA so you would know how much you'll win from your bets.
One of the most interesting aspects of eSports betting is following your favorite games live and enjoying all the actions in real-time. If you prefer placing in-play bets, we recommend you register on a betting site with live eSports streams so that you can utilize odd changes on your favorite games. Although you can always stream live with another app, you get the best live eSports betting experience on a site with embedded live streaming.
Esports betting becomes more exciting when you have various platforms to bet on your favorite games and win real money. Mobile sites are very common in the US eSports Betting space, as they are quick and easy to load once you have a good device and internet connection. These sites are usually built with HTML5 and embedded with TLS and SSL encryptions to keep your details safe.
The best US eSports betting operators also provide mobile betting apps. The desktop site is ideal for punters who prefer gambling at home, while other users can download the mobile app from the eSports site or App Store and enjoy their favorite esports on the go.
You'd need to enable location services to use eSports mobile apps. The app uses a Geolocation feature to track your location, restricting gameplay to only states where eSports Betting is legal in the US.
The best online sportsbooks in the US provide various payment options to make funding betting accounts and withdrawing easy for gamblers. It only makes sense to offer bettors a wide range of payment channels so they can choose whichever seems convenient at any point.
It's important to know that all available payment methods for eSports betting in the US are safe and secure; however, transaction periods differ from one method to another.
These are the most popular payment options on online gambling sites worldwide, as transactions are fast and easily accessible. You must select the option and input your credit or debit card details before confirming the transaction. You would find MasterCard, Visa, and Maestro among the card options on most online gambling sites.
The best betting sites in the US offer various e-wallet options for eSports gamblers. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and Trustly transactions are quite fast and secure, with no added charges from the betting site operators.
American Express (AMEX), Paysafecard, and Neosurf are among the most common prepaid card options for eSports bettors in the US.
Some crypto online USA sportsbooks now accept payment in digital currencies. Although they are very volatile, you can transact with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other accepted cryptocurrencies.
You'd need a secure crypto wallet and the equivalent amount in the cryptocurrency before you can perform these transactions. Keep an eye out for volatility; a certain amount of crypto coin might be worth more or less in the next few hours.
Despite the technological advantages of the other payment options, you can still make transactions via a bank or wire transfer. Although this method may take several days to complete, it's still a safe and secure option for all sportsbooks bettors.
Sometimes, some eSports betting sites allow players to withdraw winnings via the same method used to deposit. We advise you to check which options are available for deposits and withdrawals, then select anyone you deem fit.
American software developers like Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, and much more work tirelessly behind the curtains to provide the most popular esports available today. Let's take a quick look at the most popular esports US gamblers bet on.
LOL, a production of Riot Games is unarguably the world's most popular esport, featuring millions of people around the globe. Although players get to share massive winnings, it is still one of the only esports whose prize money takes a back row compared to the participation. You can place first blood, dragon kills, match duration, kill counts, and inhibitor bets in League of Legends
This is one game you cannot complete because there is always more. Thanks to the biggest global tournament held in Seattle and a prize pool of over $25 million, Dota 2 has gained the top spot among the most popular esports. You can wager on the first team to strike the first blow and destroy the enemy tower, match duration, and the player with the most kills.
FIFA is unarguably the most popular online football sport, with massive demand from players globally. However, there aren't many betting options for this game of football. You can only place match-winners, handicaps, and outright bets. Outright bets are reserved for the biggest events where you bet on the winner of a tournament rather than a single match.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the best online first-person shooter games. This multiplayer game allows up to 10 players to compete in two teams (Terrorists and Counter-terrorists). One reason why it's interesting is you cannot respawn in multiplayer games; once you're dead, you're dead!
You can place various bets on Counter-Strike: match winner, correct score, handicaps, total maps, pistol rounds, and map winner.
RL is one of the best esports games in 2022, attracting players from various countries to major leagues competition and tournaments. Of all the interesting game features, totals, live bets, and head-to-head stats are a great way to continue real money bets. You can counter your bets and wager also openers and favorites.
CoD is one of the oldest first-person shooter games with various missions you need to pass, and it gets more exciting now that you can place bets. The Call of Duty League is a good choice for new gamblers. The league lasts for months, gathering players with the best abilities, a wide audience, and a prize pool at the end.
Starcraft is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that benefits both gamers and esports bettors. Various US betting sites offer real money bets for this RTS video game. You can place match-winner, long-terms, totals, and resource player versus player in the World Championship Series Global Finals, the biggest Starcraft competition.
Overwatch was established in May 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment to provide a highly-competitive first-person shooter and multiplayer game. The game features various characters, fighting rounds, small maps, and high-quality graphics. The Overwatch League and the Overwatch World Cup should be your go-to options for real money bets. You can wager on the correct result, total kills per team and player, and head-to-head kills.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Siege, a popular and complex game in the same category as Counter-Strike, is an ideal choice for gamers and bettors who fancy military simulations. Total bets and player versus player stats are the most common bets for the game. You can also access money line bets, prop bets, and live bets. Rainbow 6 is quite addictive, so we advise that you gamble responsibly.
Skins betting is a new type of betting common in video games. Skins are virtual items you can own inside games to decorate weapons or characters. Generally, skins are just for aesthetic purposes, to customize your character.
Now, wagering these skins on third-party sites to win real money is skin betting. You can earn skins as a reward for unlocking new levels or buy from an online store within the game. While some skins are very common, the rare ones can cost various thousand dollars in real life.
Fantasy betting is an esports game of skill where bettors assemble a virtual team and get points based on the real-life performances of every player on the team. Fantasy betting can have a fixed odd market or a tournament where the winner takes a part of the total reward.
At the beginning of a season, you get an allocated budget to select players of your choice within the fantasy betting competition. You compete against other teams, just like the teams competing in the league. You can only succeed in a sport you understand, so do your research and make the right decisions.
Map winner bets are common in games played over a series of qualification rounds; you would hear of best of 3,5, and 7. The number of rounds is always odd, so the games do not end in a draw. So, betting on a team to win Map 3 means you want them to win the third round. You can also wager on the total number of rounds a team would win.
First blood bets are quite straightforward; you're betting on the player or team that gets the first kill or scores the first goal in a match. Some of the best esports betting sites allow you to select the player who deals the first blow. Of course, the odds are high and very common in the final stages of a competition.
You get a shot at winning real money by predicting the winning team after a match ends. Winning team bets are the most popular on esports betting sites. The odds of betting on the favorites are lower than the underdog's, so it's okay to risk a bet sometimes.
The best way to place winning team bets is by following the game live; this helps you monitor the situation in real-time and utilize odd changes.
Robert is responsible for all content on BettingGuide US. Robert previously worked as a poker dealer during his college years at MIT where he studied Computational Science and Engineering. With a great interest in gambling, Robert likes to go in-depth when writing so that you can make a wiser choice when choosing an operator.