Best eSports Online Betting Sites

With the burgeoning industry that is eSports betting, a plethora of Canadian sites, where Ontario residents can bet on eSports, has sprung up. However, betting in eSports is a nuanced subject and there are ways to equip oneself with relevant information and facts that can aid in maximizing returns as well as fun - this page describes the best ways for betting in eSports from Canada and Ontario.

How To Choose The Best eSports Betting Sites for Canada

Some features stand out in making some operators top eSport betting sites in Canada. Before putting your money into any Canadian gambling site, we highly recommend that ALL of the following boxes be checked:

  • Gambling License Since every gambling site in Canada is based in an overseas location, it is important to check out their safety and security aspects. They must be licensed from a reputed authority and under the watchful eyes of a regulator and, preferably, been in operation for some time with no red flags against their name, especially from Ontario customers.
  • Security Features: All top Canadian eSports betting sites ensure that standard safety features are enabled - this includes user privacy, data and information security via encryption, independent trust certification and other safety aspects. These certifications or details are usually available at the bottom of the home page.
  • Betting Options/Markets: It's no point having just one or two betting options in a match or tournament. The best Ontario and Canadian sites offer multiple betting choices in eSports, both pre-match and live, and offer attractive odds. Odds will always be in favour of the betting house, but the good sites in Canada will make eSports betting fair and worthwhile for their customers.
  • Banking Methods: Depositing funds to bet and withdrawing winnings are key aspects of any good eSports betting site in Canada. Ease and speed of transactions, number of banking methods, and transaction limits are some of the things to watch out for.
  • Game Selection/Live Betting: Half the fun in eSports betting is in live, in-play gambling - nothing beats the adrenaline pumping rush of an exciting bet coming through in front of your eyes. All top Canadian sites cover a wide range of tournaments and games and offer many betting markets, including live betting.
  • Mobile Compatibility: The world is slowly shifting to mobile, and gambling is no different. All the best Canadian sites will have mobile-optimized options that will make eSports betting safe, convenient and fun.

Top eSports Bonuses for 2024

To attract Ontario customers, gambling sites in Canada will offer many bonuses and freebies to entice punters to try out their site. There are several well-known bonuses offered on Canadian sites, some of which require deposits while some don't have any such requirement and offer the option of making free bets. Some common free bonus options include:

Free Bet Sign Up Bonus

As the name suggests, this is essentially a bit of free cash for new Canadian customers to place a bet. The amount is usually small and is a great way to try out eSports betting on a Canadian site. Keep in mind though that any winnings will be subject to terms and conditions before you can withdraw them. This usually centres around a 'Wagering Requirement' which requires you to make additional bets using the free winnings before being able to cash out.

Free Roll Bonus

This type of bonus allows you to play in a tournament for free with attractive cash prizes for Ontario winners - you can then use these funds to make further bets or withdraw them. This is another great way to have fun without needing to deposit on a Canadian site. While winnings won't be a huge amount, it's still free money if you do make it to the prizes.

Esports Betting Games

There are a lot of games that Canadian eSports betting sites cover. While the list below is not exhaustive, these games have proven to be some of the most popular eSports for players and gamblers alike:

  • League of Legends (LoL): A title that has withstood the test of time, this fantastic multiplayer battle arena game is considered the world's largest eSport and is played in over a dozen international leagues and a global world championship. It's no wonder that a lot of eSports betting action in Canada concerns this particular game.
  • Dota 2: Two teams of five battle to destroy each other's 'Ancient' - the central structure of their team's base. This is another game that is equally fun to play and gamble on and counts itself as one of the most popular eSports on Canadian betting sites today.
  • Overwatch: This too is a MOBA (or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game and pitches teams in a 6v6 game against each other. Produced by the highly reputed Blizzard Entertainment, the cutting edge graphics of this game makes it good fun to play and bet on at Canadian sites.
  • CS:GO: One of the top first-person shooter games there is, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive sees players take on the role of either a terrorist or a counter-strike operative to achieve their objective. This game has proved very popular in tournaments and eSports betting on sites in Canada.
  • Valorant: Also a first-person shooter by Riot Games, this tactical shooting game was inspired by Counter-Strike and is set in the future. Offering a fascinating landscape, this too is one of the more well-received and popular eSports for Ontario and Canadian residents today.

Top Canadian Esports Teams To Bet On

eSports, just like regular sports, is gloriously uncertain which is what makes betting fun. However, some Canadian teams have performed more consistently than others and represent good value while betting - these include Luminosity Gaming from Toronto, Vancouver Titans, Overactive Media, Toronto Ultra and Team NP - each of these teams have won consistently or hold winning streak records and are a safe bet.

Popular eSports Events

  • League of Legends World Championship: Probably the grand-daddy of global eSports tournaments, the LoL World Championship is watched by millions and has some eye-watering prize amounts. This event is a haven for eSports betting on Canadian sites.
  • World Cyber Games: WCG is sponsored by well-known corporates such as Samsung and Microsoft, and enjoys massive popularity the world over. The result is that this tournament too has some great eSports betting action on Canadian sites.
  • Dream Hack: Originating in Sweden, this has become a global phenom and has a fantastic gaming festival as part of its overall offering, and is very popular on Canadian sites offering eSports betting.
  • M3 World Championship: The Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) has started gaining a lot of popularity in recent years, and there has been significant interest and Canadian eSports betting in this event. This global tournament was one of the most viewed championships this year and is expected to continue its popularity in the coming years.

How To Bet on eSports in Canada

The first step to eSports betting from Ontario is zeroing in on a preferred site available to Canadian players. Look for a site that is reputed, safe, covers a lot of eSports tournaments, has some bonuses, offers good odds and has convenient banking options. Next would be to register an account on this Canadian site (please give correct details while registering, otherwise you may run into issues while withdrawing), make a deposit, choose your bets and place them. Good luck!

Payment Methods To Fund Your Betting Account

Canadian eSports betting sites offer many common methods of depositing the withdrawing funds into your account. These include:

  • Credit and Debit Cards: The two most popular cards used on Canadian sites are Visa and Mastercard, but the very best Ontario gambling sites also accept Maestro, American Express and Diners. This method offers a safe and secure method for transactions.
  • Ewallets: This is a very convenient and very fast method to get money in and out of your account. Popular eWallets available on sites from Canada include Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, iDebit, and Interac
  • Cryptocurrencies: This is also a very convenient, quick and anonymous way to transact. All top Canadaian eSports betting sites offer transactions in high market-cap cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin.
  • Others: Other methods offered by Canadian sites include bank transfers, pre-paid cards and even cheques.

FAQs About eSports Betting

eSports betting is still a new area, so there are bound to be some questions before gamblers will put their money into these sites from Ontario or anywhere in Canada. Some common queries are:

How safe is eSports betting?
Provided the betting site is licensed and reputed, there should be no issues in betting on eSports from Canada, and these events are treated just like regular sporting events by a lot of bookies.

Which eSport game type offers the best returns?
There's obviously no telling the end result, but MOBA (multiplayer onlinebattle arenas) games are typically less volatile than FPS (first-person shooter) games.

What are some common bet types?
You can bet on outright wins, maps over/under, specific player kill count and various other markets that Canadian sites offer for different events.

Where can I watch live eSports action from Ontario?
The most popular platforms available from Canada at the moment are Twitch.tv, Youtube Gaming and Steam.tv. However, events are slowly also being covered by mainstream sports media channels.