One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
The Dota Pro Circuit is in full flow. The next big tournament in this seasonal circuit is the PGL Arlington Major. Texas is the location, Esports Stadium Arlington is the venue of choice, and seventeen brilliant Dota 2 teams will be eyeing their chances here.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
Gaming prowess, teamwork, and sheer determination: these are the ingredients that make esports tournaments so compelling to fans and punters alike! In our below guide, we delve into what has made these spectacles a cultural phenomenon of the 21st century, and list all the most exciting events that exist within this budding industry.
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As mentioned earlier, online betting sites nowadays come in massive numbers. However, not all have accepted esports betting seriously enough. The three that weren’t afraid to get down and dirty and always feature an abundance of esports bets are as follows:
bet365 is still the fan favourite when it comes to esports betting. Even though this platform got its exceptional reputation thanks to coverage of conventional sports, the esports betting section continues to grow. Esports titles are numerous, all notable esports events have futures and match-based coverage, so you’ll always have bets to explore.
GG.BET is all about esports! The number of bets and the quality of the odds will never let you down. These guys appreciate the fine art of online esports betting and have brought their platform to perfection. Everything runs buttery smooth, page-to-page navigation is fast and efficient, and customer service is top of the line.
Betway is another great option if you’re looking to bet on upcoming esports tournaments. The platform is intuitive, and features a dedicated esports section and a whole lot of options to choose from. We’re not just talking match-based stuff here, but a wide variety of futures as well. Betway’s mobile platform runs smoothly too, which means you can bet on esports wherever you are.
Year in and year out, the number of professionally organised esports tournaments continues to grow. The biggest esports tournaments are getting more and more lucrative, and 2023 is bound to be packed with a ton of them.
If you’re wondering about the biggest esports tournaments in 2023 so you can schedule your bets, the following ought to be exactly what you’re looking for:
First things first – let’s talk about the biggest and by far the most important tournaments in the professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports scene. CS:GO Major Championships is the name they go by, and if you’re looking to start betting on CS:GO esports, these are the events you should be aiming for.
Why? It’s simple – they are the biggest and most lucrative events that showcase what the pro CS:GO scene has to offer. This means they have the best viewership numbers too, and these dictate the online esports betting coverage. The more people watch the action, the bigger the CS:GO betting demand will be. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Typically, there are several CS:GO RMR events coupled with two CS:GO Majors every year. However, that’s slowly changing to just one massive event right before the players’ summer break. That said, the 2023 BLAST.tv Paris Major will be held in May and will be the only CS:GO Major Championship this year. Not only that, it will also be the final CS:GO Major Championship in CS:GO. That’s right, the next PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 will be based on the all-new CS2 powered by the Source 2 engine.
What CS:GO Majors are in the world of competitive CS:GO, LoL Worlds are in the world of competitive League of Legends. They are by far the biggest and most important events in the pro League of Legends ecosystem and, as such, deserve your utmost attention.
This prestigious tournament happens just once a year, usually sometime in October, and features all the best teams from across the globe. We’re talking about a proper esports spectacle here, one that lasts for a whole month, similar to what you’d expect from a big football competition like the World Cup or EURO.
The production quality is always extremely high; LoL Worlds only features the most experienced casters, and the quality of teams and players in play is always sky-high. As for the betting side of things, League of Legends betting sites always go out of their way ahead of and during LoL Worlds. We’re talking extensive coverage of futures, the play-in stage, and of course the main event.
The second-biggest international League of Legends tournament is worth mentioning as well. It might not have the charm nor the lucrativeness of the Worlds, but the Mid-Season Invitational is still an immensely popular event that millions of people tune into every year.
Mid-Season Invitational is exactly that – an international event in the middle of the competitive season that serves as training grounds ahead of the World Championship. They feature the best teams from the top regions who are pinned against each other in a ruthless tournament system that takes no prisoners.
MSI events feature non-stop action from start to finish. There are no easy matches – all participants are eyeing the ever-elusive title, which drastically improves the entertainment factor. As for betting opportunities, MSI and LoL Worlds have pretty much identical (read immensely deep) coverage. Lots of futures, a great variety of props and, of course, match-winners will be waiting for you, no worries.
When talking about the most lucrative esports events ever, Dota 2 The International takes up all of the top spots. Valve’s Battle Pass system ensures that the Dota 2 The International is the most lucrative event year in and year out. Even though their prize pools have significantly dropped following the most recent Battle Pass changes, The International 10 is still the world’s most lucrative esports event with a prize pool of $40 million.
Just like LoL Worlds, The International is only held once every year. They are typically scheduled before LoL Worlds, since the two MOBA fan bases tend to intertwine to an extent. All in all, if Dota 2 betting is your primary concern, then you’ll have to keep close tabs on the International, year in and year out.
VALORANT’s rise to success has been quite epic. Yes, Riot Games know how to make high-quality esports-focused games. However, there weren’t many people who could foresee VALORANT’s rapid growth back when the game was initially released.
VALORANT is a rare game built specifically to be a competitive esports title. It was the driving force behind all of its gameplay elements. Considering that, perhaps it’s not even that surprising to see it climb the esports ladder and be right up there with the big three.
The VALORANT competitive ecosystem revolves around the VALORANT Champions Tour. The final event of the competitive season is called VALORANT Champions and it brings together the most competitive teams from each of the game’s main regions. The prize pools are massive, the venues are mesmerizing, and the action is unforgettable.
Those aforementioned tournaments are just the tip of the iceberg. There are lots of other esports titles out there, each with its own professional community, hardcore fans, and lots of betting options to choose from. These are the ones you should explore:
CS:GO is still the most popular and most decentralized esports title out there. It’s decentralized in a way that it doesn’t have a single dominant league-like competition, but a series of third-party organized events that are a part of several different circuits. The biggest CS:GO esports tournaments you can bet on are the following:
When it comes to the MOBA genre, League of Legends and Dota 2 are the most dominant names. League of Legends’ competitive circuit revolves around regional championships and two major international events which were described above. Here’s a closer look at the biggest leagues as well:
In addition to the International, there are other Dota 2 events you should keep tabs on:
There’s more to VALORANT than the Champions event. Here are the events we’re referring to:
Both PC and PUBG Mobile are enjoying a lot of popularity out there. These battle royale games still have healthy competitive scenes worth checking out:
Wild Rift is an up-and-coming mobile MOBA with a lot of potential, here are some tournaments that we have betting guides for:
Even though RTS games are no longer enjoying a lot of popularity, StarCraft II is still there to represent the entire genre with the following tournaments:
Yes, Rainbow Six is still alive! The tactical FPS’ pro scene has two notable events you should check out:
Even though Overwatch 2 didn’t exactly sweep players off their feet, the competitive scene is still there and online bookies still feature betting odds for the biggest events.
Let’s not forget about Halo. It’s not exactly the most popular FPS title out there, but it’s still going strong!
Here we have a popular MOBA game developed for smartphones, in many ways identical to Arena of Valor. The competitive system is a bit different, though:
Apex Legends is the best-looking and one of the most popular battle royale games at the moment. Unfortunately, the competitive elements of Apex Legends are nothing to write home about. The ALGS Championship is the only event worth pointing out here, really.
The competitive nature of Mobile Legends is difficult to resist. But, as far as the competitive stage is concerned, the only event you should keep tabs on is the Mobile Legends World Championship. There’s no need to look any further than that.
Brawl Stars is popular smartphone fighting game that has a surprisingly popular esports scene. The key event you’ll be able to bet on is the Brawl Stars World Finals. If you’re a fan, go ahead and check it out!
Two of the world’s most popular things, football and racing, combined into a highly competitive esports sensation. Epic Games is now the owner of Rocket League, but they aren’t doing all that good with the game’s competitive ecosystem. Rocket League Championship Series, commonly known as the RLCS, is still the only event worth betting on.
The competitive stage of Call of Duty never really lived up to the expectations. Still, the Call of Duty League is worth exploring if you’re into competitive first-person shooters.
Arena of Valor is a popular MOBA game for smartphones. It has one big tournament worth looking into. The name is AoV International Championship.
Obviously, you can bet on virtually any esports match out there. Online esports betting sites have immensely deep coverage these days, so you’ll always find what you’re looking for. But, besides match-based bets, you’ll often find best on the outcome of entire tournaments.
These are typically called futures or outrights and you’ll find them in their respective sections. Some bookies have them in subcategories under each game, while others have a dedicated category with nothing but futures.
Futures/outrights basically allow you to bet on esports tournaments… or more precisely, their final outcome. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the winning team – futures/outrights come in a variety of flavours.
Of course, available options depend on the esports title you’re pursuing.
At first, it may seem daunting to keep up with all the different esports leagues and gaming events – especially if you don’t know how or where to start.
However, whether you are an experienced esports punter or just a beginner, there are many resources that can help you stay up-to-date.
Most esports tournaments and organisations do a great job of keeping fans informed of future events, team roster changes, patches/updates that could change gameplay and more.
Below are the best ways to follow all the most important developments in the world of video game tournaments.
Perhaps the easiest and most convenient way to follow esports competitions is by downloading one or multiple esports apps.
That way, you can track gaming tournaments, read esports news and stream professional matches all from the palm of your hand.
Some esports apps are best suited for general esports information, others for news and others for in-depth tourney tracking. Here are our top three esports tournament apps for 2021:
If you enjoy betting on the go, refer to our complete guide to esports betting apps.
Statistics are important for understanding the nuances of any professional sporting event, and video game competitions are no different. There’s virtually no end to the different kinds of stats out there, especially considering that each esports game produces data based on its unique gameplay.
However, in general, tracking the stats of players and teams over the course of a season can help you predict how they’ll perform in upcoming esports events.
Esports Charts is currently the most comprehensive resource for studying and tracking esports tournaments. Filter by team, player, league or by tournament to find the information you need.
Then, study those statistics to make smart betting decisions that can result in better outcomes overall.
For more resources to help you make better bets on esports tournaments, check out our betting tips and esports academy to get started.
As professional video game competitions grow in popularity, so do the prizes offered. Esports tournaments prize pool money can vary widely depending on the game, the region and the size of the tournament itself.
Many smaller local tournaments award just a few hundred dollars or euros – or less – to first-place winners. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Dota 2’s The International tournament regularly features a prize pool worth tens of millions of dollars.
In 2011, one StarCraft II tournament even awarded 25 bitcoins to some of its losing players, worth only $25 at that time. At the time of writing, that consolation prize would now be worth more than $1.2 million.
As you can see, esports tournaments’ prize pools can be very lucrative. Some players, like N0tail and JerAx, have both won nearly $7 million playing video games. However, the money involved can also just be an extra incentive to test your skills against friends.
Here are the esports tournaments with the largest prize pools in history.
To learn more about professional video gaming prize pools, visit Esports Earnings. They offer a comprehensive, searchable index that you can filter by game, team, tournament, player and more. You can also refer to our list of Esports Earnings which is updated frequently!
While streaming services and stats sites can help you keep up with professional video gaming, esports tournament platforms let you try your hand at actually participating in those events.
Each day, there are thousands of gaming events with real cash prizes awarded to the winner, no matter if you’re an amateur or semi-professional. So, if you’re a serious gamer looking to turn your passion into a career, check out the following platforms for video game tournaments.
Battlefy has been hosting and facilitating esports events since 2013. This platform is very straightforward, offering hundreds of gaming tournaments for over 40,000 games. You can even organise your own tournaments for free, with game-specific features and a variety of tourney formats.
The major potential downside of Battlefy is that their video game competitions do not provide prizes. Therefore, players looking for cash awards may want to consider other esports platforms.
Another popular community for esports tournaments is GameBattles. As one of the major pieces of the MLG (Major League Gaming) network, GameBattles hosts serious video gaming competitions throughout the year. They largely fall into three main categories: Ladders, Tournaments and Leagues.
By and large, GameBattles focuses its efforts on Call of Duty competitions, with offerings for 18 different CoD titles.
However, they also offer tourneys for other games such as Hearthstone and Overwatch. These range from amateur to semi-pro, all the way up to high-stakes professional play.
As such, we recommend GameBattles for experienced video gamers looking to seed into professional MLG tournaments.
Rounding out our list of the top esports tournament platforms is Toornament. This platform has partnered with many major game developers, including Riot Games and Nintendo, to provide simple and user-friendly competitions.
Toornament hosts innumerable tournaments across 454 games, spanning prize pools of just a couple bucks to well into the tens of thousands. By far the best platform for aspiring esports organisers, it offers comprehensive, in-depth guides for hosting, as well as excellent customer support.
In addition to the above, Toornament has designed a unique tournament engine that can support up to 4,096 players in a single esports gaming event. With advanced player management and modules technology, there’s truly no limit to the possibilities of hosting esports tournaments through this site.
Next up, Gamersaloon. It’s been around since 2006 and is one of the leading names on the market. The platform runs buttery smooth, features simple H2H challenges feature, and Twitch integration to help you get the most out of your livestreaming experience.
Other than standard esports tournaments, Gamersaloon also features head-to-head matches for cash. That’s right, you can get real money prizes by winning in your favorite esports titles. The stakes are bound to be high, no matter the sum you’ll be playing for.
As the name suggests, this esports tournaments platform was established with a heavy focus on competitive fighting games like Super Smash Bros. But, ever since the Microsoft acquisition back in December 2020, Smash has been rapidly expanding to all sorts of other esports titles too.
Smash.gg uses a free software for organizing esports tournaments. It’s nicely polished, fully functional, and doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Plus, they have a whole selection of weekly contests with thousands of participants.
If you’re into competitive fighting games and you’re looking for the right esports tournament platform, there’s no need to look further than Smash.gg. It has everything you need to hit the ground running.
Yes! It is perfectly legal to bet on esports tournaments, so long as you are of legal age and make honest bets. Always be sure to verify the licence of any esports operator in order to ensure that they can legally operate in your country.
Esports betting is very simple.
To make bets on esports tournaments, all you need to do is sign up at a legitimate esportsbook and make your first deposit. (Don’t forget to claim your welcome bonus!) Then, read up on your favourite team(s) to see how they’ve performed recently and who they’re up against next.
Finally, all that’s left is to choose your gaming events, select your betting markets and make your first wagers. Now you can sit back, relax and enjoy the thrilling action of esports competitions!
It’s a difficult question, one which we cannot objectively answer here. There are just so many good online esports betting sites out there. We recommend you take a loot at our recommended bookmakers at the top of the page. There you’ll find GG.BET, bet365, Betway, and more!
It all depends on what esports title you’re most interested in. If you’re a LoL fan, then you’ll be most interested in regional LoL championships as well as the two biggest international events – MSI and Worlds. CS:GO fans have a ton of events to look forward to – CS:GO Majors, Intel Extreme Masters, BLAST Premier Series. Let’s not forget about the likes of Six Invitational and The International, events that always have mind-boggling prize pools.
At the moment, the 2021 installment of The International is the record-holder for the biggest esports tournament prize pool of all time. The total prize pool amount for this spectacle was roughly $40,000,000, which goes to show you just how lucrative the biggest esports tournaments can be.
Through our in-depth guides and reviews, we are focused on providing the best insights into esports betting.