Our experts have visited, signed up and bet on esports with the best UK esports betting sites to bring you a comprehensive guide on how to find the best site for you, how to signup and bet on esports, the markets and competitions available and the wide range of signup bonuses available for new customers.
RANK | betting site | Rating | Max Bonus | Key Features | Welcome Bonus | Play or Sign Up | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£30 |
Key Features
|
Open Account Offer: bet £10 Get £30 |
Claim Offer Review |
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #ad | T&C apply |
2 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£30 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 Get £30 |
Claim Offer Review |
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled in 1st 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ | T&C apply |
3 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£30 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 get £30 |
Claim Offer Review |
18+. Play safe. New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. | T&C apply |
4 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£20 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 Get £20 + 50 Free Spins |
Claim Offer Review |
18+ New UK customers. Bet £10 on accas with 4+ legs, min odds 3/1 (4.0). Get 4x £5 Free Bets and 50 Free Spins, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org | T&C apply |
5 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£20 |
Key Features
|
Bet £5 Get £20 Free bet |
Claim Offer Review |
18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply. | T&C apply |
6 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£40 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 get £30 Free Bet + £10 Casino Bonus |
Claim Offer Review |
18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. | T&C apply |
7 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£30 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 Get £30 Bet |
Claim Offer Review |
New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet £10. Awarded as a £30 Surprise Bet. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Additional T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org. | T&C apply |
8 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£30 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets |
Claim Offer Review |
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on football (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. No cash-out. Get 4x£5 Free Bets for set markets and a £10 Slot Bonus for Big Bass Splash, 30x wagering, to withdraw max £250. Rewards expire in 20 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly | T&C apply |
9 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£10 |
Key Features
|
Get £10 Weekly Free Bets |
Claim Offer Review |
Punters can receive up to £10 in free bets per week with the loyalty bonus. Place 5 x £5+ bets for a £5 Free bet. Place 10 x £5+ bets and receive a further £5 free bet. | T&C apply |
10 |
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Expert Review |
Max Bonus
£50 |
Key Features
|
Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses |
Claim Offer Review |
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. | T&C apply |
What exactly are Esports?
Esports are a type of Video game competition and are also known as electronic sports. Esports are frequently organised multiplayer video game tournaments between professional players, either individually or in teams. Esports are distinct from regular video gaming in that they are competitive (human-vs-other humans) and frequently have an interesting spectator component, like traditional sports.
Professional or amateur gamers typically compete against one another in esports events for a large financial award.
So what are Esports betting sites?
Betting sites are online bookmakers where punters can search for a sport or event and place bets on the outcome of said event. Esports is no different. They may not be physical sports like football and basketball, but they are still big enough events to be bet on by viewers. Over the years the esports obsession has grown into a worldwide phenomena and now there are countless betting sites around the world that allow you to bet on the esports events. This means that fans and punters are truly torn for choice when it comes to finding the best betting site to place their esports bets.
Is betting on eSports legal?
In the UK, we’re fortunate because this has been a question that has troubled many countries. With the rise of gaming, there has been a huge debate as to whether eSports gambling falls under sports betting or gaming regulations. In the past year alone, we’ve been watching other countries as they struggle to regulate this whole niche. With the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), eSports gambling has been managed well in recent years.
Back in 2016, the UKGC took the responsibility of this area and started to introduce regulations to make it as safe as possible for consumers. Alongside Denmark, Malta, Italy, and Spain, the UK now offer legitimate websites where eSports is available.
Of course, you will need to be 18 years of age to even think about betting on eSports. With eSports betting occurring on legitimate platforms, your identity and age will need to be verified before you create an account or withdraw from this account. For those found to be underage, the account will be closed, and you’ll find it hard to recover any funds left in the account.
In 2016, as part of a wider discussion paper, the UKGC concluded that eSports betting counts as gambling. As such, the websites offering this service will need to follow all the same regulations as any other sport. Essentially, the UKGC and the 2005 Gambling Act work together to achieve three goals:
- Keep all gambling open and fair
- Prevent disorder and crime
- Protect vulnerable persons such as children
What eSports can I bet on?
Ultimately, this depends on the platform you choose. While some betting websites only cover the most popular games, others will attempt to cover all sorts of eSports events.
What are some popular games played in esports betting? Here is a list of some of the most common games bet on in the Esports category. It is not an extensive list as there are countless other games played at these huge events. These are a range of different types of video games played and watched by the vast majority of esports fans.
- NBA 2K
- Hearthstone
- League of Legends
- CS:GO
- Dota 2
- Fifa
- Call of Duty
- Rocket League
- Halo
- Fortnite
- Overwatch
In the UK, the list of eSports available for betting seems to be expanding each and every year. As more people watch the competitive streams on YouTube and Twitch, it opens the door to more competitions and more betting opportunities. For example, even games like FIFA have seen eSports betting markets.
If you have a specific game in mind, check that a prospective bookie offers this sport before you create an account only to be left disappointed.