Esports betting has taken over the world, which is why it has a presence in our country as well.
Gambling has been around for a very long time and whenever something new hits, people find ways to wager on it. Hence, e-sport betting is something everyone saw coming.
This was especially true with Australia. The country has a huge number of e-sports lovers. There are over 900,000 people that are a fan of it according to NewZoo (An E-Sports Analyst)
- In fact, in 2016, Australians were 0.3% of total ticket sales for all e-sports events. This is tremendous considering the ticket sales were a whopping $32 million. Not only is there a considerable sum of e-sports enthusiasts, but Australia also has a lot of gamers in general.
- According to NewZoo, there were over 10.6 million of them as of 2016.
That being said, online gambling is frowned upon in certain parts of the world.
As an Australian, you don’t have to worry about this. You have a huge choice of bookies to work with, helping you make the most cash. That’s why you’ll find this article very useful:
We’ll be running through the best games to bet on as well as the most premium bookmakers you could work with. If interested, why not read ahead?
How Legal Is It To Bet On E-sports in Australia?
It’s not illegal at all to bet on E-sports. However, there is an age requirement in place. You need to be 18 years if you want to bet online, be it on e-sports or not.
Not only should you be 18, but you also need to provide many documents to verify your identity. This includes passport/ ID copies as well as a utility bill. This should be handed over to your bookmaker.
Although illegal in other parts of the world, the practice is safe in Australia as there are countless licensed bookmakers in the country. This is especially true for the Northern Territory.
As there are so many stationed in the country, there are domestic companies competing with them as well.
How Do You Safely Bet On E-Sports?
The following points will touch on various ways to deposit and withdraw cash. They are the best ways to bet on e-sports (they apply to all forms of online gambling as well). If you’re wondering what they are:
Credit and Debit Cards
To get money to your bookie, you should consider using a credit or debit card. Card payments are accepted by the majority of bookies in the country.
In terms of what cards you can use, Master card and Visa are always accepted. If you use American Express, you won’t have much luck as most bookies don’t accept them.
Bank Transfers
Other than card payments, bank transfers are an easy way to get money to your bookmaker.
Although easy, bank transfers aren’t the quickest. You can expect the cash to show up to a day later.
E-Wallets
E-wallets are as quick as credit and debit cards. Fortunately, they’re accepted by all bookies as well. That being said, you may not want to send cash through it.
Some bookies charge a fee. Depending on who you’re working with, the money charged can be a lot.
E-Wallets are preferably the safest choice. This is as you’re not linking bank or card details to the account.
If you want to read more about Australian gambling laws go here.
Which Australian Sites Can You Bet On?
Now that we got that out of the way, you may be wondering which sites will allow you to bet on them. Let’s run through some of the best options.
LadBrokes.com – Ladbrokes has a range of e-sports to bet on. They offer users one wallet where you can bet on a range of things from poker to your favorite e-sports. What’s more, they have an array of jackpots at their disposal. You can win up to $10,000,000 if you’re lucky enough.
Bet365.com- Bet365 is one of the largest e-sports betting sites in the world. Because of this, they have an enormous userbase compared to its competitors.
If you ever get tired of their e-sports selection (you won’t), you’ll love that there are many sports you can gamble on as well. Many of these sports are what Australians love such as Rugby and Cricket.
Unibet- Unibet is based in Europe. It doesn’t have as large of a userbase as its 2 competitors, but it’s noticeably big. It is a product of the Kindred Group which has many betting sites.
With a Unibet membership, you can wager on all sorts of things. This includes e-sports as well as casino games and actual sports too.
Neds.com.au- Although not one of our favorites(and we won’t dive into it further on) Neds.com is becoming very popular in Australia. However, it’s unlikely that it will pass its 3 mentioned rivals. They’re known exclusively for their e-sports bettings.
How Do You Make A Lot Of Money On E-Sports Betting?
Like any form of gambling, it can be dangerous to bet on e-sports. This is especially true if you’ve never done it before. It can get hard to make some cash but if you follow a few tips, you can see the cash rolling in:
- It’s vital that you study up before you place your money. You need to research a lot on the players as well as study stats. The stats will help you make a favorable gamble.
- Working with a well-known bookie means you’re not going to get scammed. Once again, you’ll have to do research, finding a large name to work with. From the people available, the 4 discussed above would be perfect for you.
- To ensure you keep the cash rolling in, you should never chase losses.
Best eSports Betting Sites Australia
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s evaluate our favorite e-sports betting sites.
1. Bet365 Australia
Security
If you’re wondering how safe the bookmaker is, it’s highly regulated. They hold a gambling license from the UK gambling commission. This means they function according to their guidelines. Thankfully for you, their regulations are very strict.
Fees
Bet365 easily lets you deposit money. You can do so from many credit card companies. They also allow a range of e-wallets.
A lot of bookies cut fees for whatever you deposit. This isn’t the case with Bet365(as well as our 2 favorite picks below). What’s more, money is added quickly to the site.
If you want to withdraw cash from your account, you won’t be charged. It’s also effortless and all you have to do is click the ‘withdraw’ link in your account page.
Most of the time, the money would go immediately to your account. However, this depends on the method of withdrawal so it can take up to a day.
What Can You Bet On?
In terms of sports, there is a lot to bet on. Some of these sports may not be played in your country. If you’re wondering what they, see below:
- American Football
- Aussie Rules
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- F1
- Golf
- Greyhound Racing
- Horse Racing
- Ice Hockey
- Motor Racing
- Rugby
- Snooker
- Soccer
- Tennis
Of course, they offer e-sports too, and that’s what we’re here for. These are:
- Overwatch
- PUBG
- King of Glory
- Fornite
- StarCraft 2
- Hearthstone
- Rainbow Six
- Super Smash Bros
These are just a few and there are many more. What’s best about bet365 is that they offer live streaming for many tournaments, be it e-sport related or not.
When you first join, you’ll love the $100 free you get in credit, so keep that in mind.
2. Unibet Australia
Security
Like Bet365, Unibet is regulated by the UK Gambling Association. It has another regulatory body as well. This is the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner.
Security is very important to Unibet. This is why there are security mechanisms with each of your payments. ESSA, EGBA, eCOGRA and Gamcare protect you.
Are There Fees?
In terms of fees, you won’t be charged anything for deposits or withdrawals. That being said, there are a few restrictions in place.
The minimum amount you can deposit is 10 pounds. This amount is the same for withdrawals as well.
You can transfer the money with a range of cards and e-wallets. The money is added almost immediately. When withdrawing cash, the speed of its transfer depends on the method used.
What Can You Bet On?
Unibet is great for its casino games. This includes casino, live casino, bingo, lottery, and poker. Of course, there are e-sports for you to place your money on as well.
If you’re wondering what they, your options are:
- Overwatch
- League Of Legends
- Dota 2
- Starcraft 2
- Fifa
- Overwatch
Unfortunately, there is no live streaming feature. However, Unibet is quite game-changing. You should know they’re the first gambling site to be available to mobile users.
3. Ladbrokes Australia
Ladbrokes is a top rated esports betting operator in Australia. Here is why:
Security
Like our two other picks, Ladbrokes is a gaming platform that’s regulated by the British Gambling Commission. Similar to Unibet, the Gibraltar Gambling Commission also monitors their work.
Because of this, they’re quite safe to work with. In fact, their website is very encrypted. It offers high tech SSL to keep your personal information secure.
All of the casino games offered on the site are regulated by eCOGRA. Like Unibet, ESSA regulates Ladbroke’s payments.
Are There Fees?
Ladbrokes charges no fees. This is the case for deposits as well as withdrawals.
Similarly, there’s a range of card and e-wallet options for you to deposit cash with. In fact, you can do so with Western Union as well.
There is a minimum deposit in place. If you’re adding money through a card, you need to make it at least 5 pounds. When doing so with an e-wallet, you’ll need to pay 10.
The minimum you can withdraw is 5 pounds. This is much less than other gambling sites.
What Can You Bet On?
With Ladbrokes by your side, you’ll be able to bet on a range of casino games. Some of these include: Bingo
- Poker
- Lottos
- Virtuals
- Slots
Of course, there’s e-sports to bet on too. These are:
- CSGO
- League Of Legends
- DOTA 2
- Starcrafts 2
- FIFA
- Overwatch
Ladbrokes has a live stream, letting you bet while you watch your favorite tournaments.
What E-Sports Should You Bet On?
Let’s talk a little about what tournaments are the best to bet on in Australia.
The Fortnite World Cup
The launch Fortnite was in 2017 and has become a global sensation. Fortnite royale has over 125 million users. It has an annual tournament with a $500 thousand cash prize.
When betting in the Fornite world cup, Ladbrokes.com is our go-to.
Call Of Duty Championships
There are many Call of Duty championships. Many of them are available for Australians to bet on.
From this assortment, the main Call Of Duty Championship takes place in August every year.
From the sites available, Bet365 is the best place to bet your money on.
Halo Championship Series
Not many Australian bookies let you bet on Halo. From what we know, Ned.com.au is a good choice for this.
Betting on the Halo championship is worth it as they offer some of the largest prizes around. In 2018, the prize money was $1 million USD.
Conclusion
From the above points, it’s clear that betting on e-sports in Australia is similar to the other forms of online gambling.
Overall, our favorites are bet365, Unibet and Ladbrokes. These are some of the best bookies if you’re planning on betting on e-sports in Australia.