So what are sports? And how do e-sports bets work?

E-sports is a phenomenon that has increased massively in Germany over the past ten years. Many of the world's best esports teams are based in Germany, with teams like the Underdogs, Valiance and Wicked having their roots in this part of Europe. It should therefore come as no surprise that online sports betting sites have also become very popular in Germany. Like any conventional sport, esports is also suitable for sports betting.

This article explains how to find the best online esports betting sites and also gives some tips on how to make your esports bets successful.

So what are sports? And how do e-sports bets work?

Those who place bets typically use real money to do so, with cold hard money being the currency most opt for. However, some players may choose to use in-game items (skins are a popular choice) to place these bets, placing items of varying rarity in exchange for real money or something else.

Best esports leagues and tournaments

But regardless of whether the biggest games in esports are simulation-based or completely fictional, they all have in common that their leagues and tournaments are immensely popular. League of Legends, for example, hosts several leagues and tournaments throughout the year, all of which are organized by the game's developer, Riot Games.

Overwatch doesn't have quite that many different tournaments, but that's because it's still growing. The Overwatch League kicked off this year with 16 teams from around the world, from Shanghai to San Francisco and many places in between. Several new teams will also join the league's second season, including organizations in Washington and Paris. Then there's the Overwatch World Cup, where players group by nationality to claim the trophy for their country.

CS: GO and Dota 2, the two games developed by Valve, offer a much easier format to follow, with the two games hosting a number of "majors" throughout the year. These "majors", which take place all over the world, are sponsored by Valve itself. The largest of these majors, and indeed the tournament with the largest prize pool in all esports, is Dota 2's The International, which is the main competition for this game.

Betting tips and strategies

Before placing a bet on an esports based market, you must do your due diligence at all times. As mentioned in this article in due course, there are several local and international esports based tournaments that take place annually. Esports bet you want to place and you should be on a betting website that offers the best odds to place that exact bet - keep a huge portfolio of esports betting websites. Before betting on a esports player or team, read ready-made e sport betting tips, check out cyber sports statistics, past match results, in-person games and form guides and other statistical information.

You should analyze the gambling behavior of top players and find out if their gambling behavior stops chasing the top players when they compete against each other. Some players play more defensively while others play more aggressively. Watch live streams on Twitch, YouTube and popular betting sites while placing bets on esports-based markets. In-play bets are much easier to place when you are broadcasting an esports game live.

You could also be careful to place safe bets. For example, in the early stages of a tournament, if a top performing player has to play a lower ranked player while the odds in favor of the higher ranked player for a bet variant are on the lower side, this could prove to be a safe bet.

Some closing words

Teams and people compete against each other, they play a game. The main difference to a normal computer game is the presence of another group of people: the players. They place their bets, they win, they lose and that could make esports a favorite pastime for gamers.

How will e-sports develop in the future? It's not easy to predict, but judging by the pace at which it is developing now, it is likely to flourish. And it is likely that there will be more players ready to play - and more players ready to place their bets.