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It seems strange to think that just a few short years ago, esports was a fringe activity indulged in by a relatively select few. Fast-forward to today, and the esports industry has exploded in size and, with it, a burgeoning esports betting scene.
Nowadays, punters can either bet with traditional sports betting books, such as Betway, STS, bet365, or they can elect to place their bets with a new breed of online betting service that deals exclusively with esports, such as Cyber Bet or Unikrn.
So what’s the ideal route? Does any site offer better odds than others? In this article, we are going to try and find out.
How specific to esports do you want to be?
This is an important question. And the answer will likely be the key factor in determining which site to join. If you’re a sports bettor first and foremost, then simply head to the esports section of whatever online bookmaker you already use.
These days, the quality and breadth of service offered on sports betting sites for esports have improved markedly. They often now offer an extensive range of bets across a massive array of esports and tournaments. Truly, the landscape is much wider than even 12-24 months ago.
Alternatively, if you come from an esports background, and have not bet on sports before, try an esports betting service. Sites like Cyber Bet or Unikrn will offer as wide a range of esports bets as anywhere online.
Does one type of site offer better odds?
It is impossible to say that one site generally offers better odds than another. For sports betting services, you can use an odds comparison site to analyze a large number of bookmakers online. While there are some esports betting odds comparison sites out there, they are by and large, not as extensive or reliable as those available for the sports betting punter at present. Granted, that may well change in the future.
One thing to note is that some sites, such as Pinnacle, do offer their punters Best Value Odds. This tool monitors a select number of sites and to ensure the odds on selected markets are at least as good as the best available elsewhere.
However, it should be noted that it is rare you will find massive discrepancies in odds, especially for shorter priced selections, between bookmakers. As such, you can generally get decent value at any of the top bookmakers we have outlined above.
Conclusion
For the majority of people, I suspect a sports betting site that also offers an extensive (and improving) range of esports bets may be a more sensible option. That’s especially true if esports betting is going to make up just a small part of your bets for a typical week or month.
One final thing to note is that all sites, regardless of specialty, will have their own starter bonus offer. It is well worth checking out the terms and conditions of these offers to see which one will suit you best.
