The place where U.S. esports fans find trusted and legal betting sites.
Esports betting in the USA offers you the chance to bet on top competitive games, including:
The EsportsBets team welcomes you to a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about esports betting in the USA.
Stay tuned as we break down the essentials to help you bet smarter on esports.
Esports betting follows a similar structure to traditional sports wagering, The basics remain the same:
Weโll dive deeper into the details later in this guide.
While the mechanics are similar, esports betting differs from regular sports wagering in a few key areas:
There are four main types of esports betting:
Esports betting continues to grow, providing exciting wagering options for fans of competitive gaming!
โ
1. Understand the esports world
Before placing bets, it’s crucial to know your game by familiarizing yourself with:
You canโt expect long-term success in esports betting without understanding the fundamentals.
โ 2. Sign up for an account
โ 3. Make your first deposit
โ 4. Check the odds
โ 5. Place Your Bet
They might be enormously popular, with certain events commanding millions of viewers. Esports are video games played in an organized and competitive environment between individuals or teams.
These games may involve survival battle royales, real-time strategy games, first-person shooters, multiplayer online battle arenas games, or simulations of physical sports.
You can follow the action and watch the event as it is streamed live to millions of viewers through platforms like YouTube and Twitch. As such, esports have become increasingly popular among fans and a lucrative enough for online gambling sites in the US to add esports
Today, you will find two main types of Esports: real-life sports simulations and classic games. If you prefer real-life sports simulations, you will find games like Madden NFL 25 and NBA 2K25, while classic game fans can play games like Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, and LoL.
๐ First person shooter (FPS) esports
These games simulate action from a first person perspective. Simply put, you experience the action from the perspective of your character. Popular examples include Call of Duty, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Counter Strike 2 (CS2) formerly Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). Typical markets include first blood, total kills, first map, race to โnumber ofโ kills, race to โminutes ofโ time survived, most headshots, match winner, round winner, first double, triple, quadruple, and Pentakills.
๐ Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) esports
These games involve two teams, each setting its base on each side of the map. The focus is to destroy the other partyโs base while protecting yours. Popular MOBA games include League of Legends (LoL) and Dota 2. Typical markets include first blood, first tower, total kills, first dragon, race to โnumber ofโ kills, race to โamount ofโ gold, baron, first double, triple, quadruple, and Pentakill, and first team fight win.
These games will involve players playing simultaneously in real-time and let them manage resources, build bases, and command them as they employ strategies to outdo opponents. Popular RTS games include StarCraft: Brood War, StarCraft 2 and Age of Empires.
๐ Sports sims esports
These games simulate real-life sports and offer the easiest route for Esports beginners. Popular games under this genre include FIFA, NBA 2K, and Rocket League.
A wide range of Esports options exists, with each game providing different options/markets on which you can bet. Below, we look at the most popular betting options:
It is the most straightforward bet where you predict the winner of an esports match.
Involves betting on the team or player winning an entire esports tournament. In most cases, the top esports betting sites in the US will offer this option before the competition begins.
The bet lets you bet on whether the team or player scores more or less than the specified threshold set on the platform.
The bet allows you to predict whether there will be an odd or even number of players killed, games won, or rounds played.
You will find other specific bets for individual games.
The US online gambling scene is highly regulated, with esports betting legislation varying state by stateโsimilar to traditional sports betting and iGaming (online casino gaming).
The following states have legalized esports betting.
๐ฝ View the full list below:
State | Mobile Sports Betting | Legal Esports Betting |
---|---|---|
Alabama | โ | โ |
Alaska | โ | โ |
Arizona | โ | โ |
Arkansas | โ | โ |
California | โ | โ |
Colorado | โ | โ |
Connecticut | โ | โ |
Delaware | โ | โ |
Florida | โ | โ |
Georgia | โ | โ |
Hawaii | โ | โ |
Idaho | โ | โ |
Illinois | โ | โ |
Indiana | โ | โ |
Iowa | โ | โ |
Kansas | โ | โ |
Kentucky | โ | โ |
Louisiana | โ | โ |
Maine | โ | โ |
Maryland | โ | โ |
Massachusetts | โ | โ |
Michigan | โ | โ |
Minnesota | โ | โ |
Mississippi | โ | โ |
Missouri | โ | โ |
Montana | โ | โ |
Nebraska | โ | โ |
Nevada | โ | โ |
New Hampshire | โ | โ |
New Jersey | โ | โ |
New Mexico | โ | โ |
New York | โ | โ |
North Carolina | โ | โ |
North Dakota | โ | โ |
Ohio | โ | โ |
Oklahoma | โ | โ |
Oregon | โ | โ |
Pennsylvania | โ | โ |
Rhode Island | โ | โ |
South Carolina | โ | โ |
South Dakota | โ | โ |
Tennessee | โ | โ |
Texas | โ | โ |
Utah | โ | โ |
Vermont | โ | โ |
Virginia | โ | โ |
Washington | โ | โ |
West Virginia | โ | โ |
Wisconsin | โ | โ |
Wyoming | โ | โ |
*District of Columbia | โ | โ |
Just because a state has legalized online sports betting does not automatically mean esports betting is legal.
Some states allow traditional sports betting but restrict esports wagering.
Always check your stateโs specific regulations before placing bets on esports.
While esports betting continues to grow, the number of legal and regulated betting sites remains limited. Not every esports site is worth your time, which is why we only recommend betting on legal platforms licensed by official regulators in your state.
๐ฝ Check out our recommended sites below:
![]() | DraftKings - For a solid coverage of betting options and competitive odds, DraftKings is your go to platform. Join the Esports party through the Fantasy Esports section, allowing you to play games like CS:GO, Call of Duty, League of Legends, and Rocket League. The task is simple here: join DraftKings, choose the Esports contest you wish, draft your lineup, and watch the action as you rake up points based on the performances of your players! |
![]() | FanDuel - FanDuel is also noteworthy. While it compares to DraftKings in several aspects, FanDuel falls short on its Esports betting options. Unlike DraftKings, which has around five Esports games, FanDuel only hosts League of Legends tournaments accessed through its Fantasy section. Signing up is easy, and plenty of other betting options are available for pre-match and live bets. |
![]() | Sleeper - Sleeper is another platform that passes as a top daily fantasy site but caters to Esports fans. Those signing up will play League of Legends, and if you are adventurous enough, you can try your luck in fantasy sports like fantasy football and basketball. The highlight is the mock draft, where you can demo before the actual draft. It is a great tool for beginners, including those looking to take part in the LoL tournaments. |
What if esports betting is restricted in your state?
If your state does not allow esports betting, you can explore:
Fancy a trial? Here is what our experts check as we recommend your next platform for Esports exploits:
Nothing beats having a wide range of Esports gaming options and markets for players to bet on.
They are always a nice gesture to welcome and retain customers. We give a thumbs up to those sites with new and existing player bonuses and favorable terms and conditions.
We expect competitive odds on these betting sites to ensure profitable returns for the players.
We ensure each site is legalized by the official regulators in that state. These sites should also have a reputation for high-level security, positive user reviews, and fair play.
The banking section on esports sites is essential to ensure effortless transactions. Popular and convenient payment options, such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers, facilitate easy, fast, and secure transactions.
If youโre a US esports bettor, youโre likely aware that real-money esports betting is subject to strict state-by-state regulations. However, there are alternative ways to engage with esports wagering legally.
Social Sportsbooks & Sweepstakes Casinos
One popular alternative is social sportsbooks, such as Fliff, which operate under a sweepstakes model. This model is:
How Sweepstakes & Social Casinos Work
Many social sportsbooks also include a social casino or sweepstakes operation, offering:
These platforms allow you to enjoy casino-style games without wagering real money, including:
No Purchase Necessary
By law, sweepstakes casinos must operate in a โno purchase requiredโ environment, meaning:
For those in states where real-money esports betting is restricted, social sportsbooks and sweepstakes casinos offer a legal and entertaining alternative!
Booming esports scene: Esports betting is rapidly growing in the USA, offering wagers on popular games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Call of Duty, NBA 2K and more, while attracting a younger audience compared to traditional sports betting.
How to get started with esports betting: Start by gaining an understanding the games. This includes playing the games, getting acquainted with the structure of the game competitive environment, finding out who the top players and teams are, watching esports and reviewing the types of markets available. Be sure to sign up to a trusted platform. winners.
Betting options: You’ll be able to place bets on various markets including pre-match, futures, live bets and props.
Legal landscape: Esports betting legality varies by state. While some states have fully legalized esports betting, others include it under broader sports betting laws, and a few restrict it entirely.