Counter-Strike 2
Five-a-side tactical shooter. Matches are played as best-of-one, best-of-three or best-of-five maps, and each map runs to 13 rounds in regulation.
Esports Betting on Stake: Games, Tournaments and Markets
Stake grew up alongside the gaming community, and its sportsbook treats esports as a core product next to cricket and football. This guide covers CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant, the main map and handicap markets and what to watch for in live betting. Complete your Stake registration to bet on the next major tournament, with every wager counting towards the $100,000 Daily Races.
Current Stake promotions: Weekly Raffle $75,000 · Daily Races $100,000 · Wheel Wars $150,000 a month
Games covered
Stake lists esports by title, then by tournament. The four big games below get the most fixtures and markets. Other titles appear when tournaments are running, with availability changing from week to week.
Dota 2
A complex MOBA where long, swingy games are common. The International is its best-known tournament.
League of Legends
The most-watched MOBA, with regional leagues and the annual World Championship.
Valorant
Riot's tactical shooter, organised around the VCT circuit, Masters events and Valorant Champions.
Mobile and others
Titles such as Rainbow Six, StarCraft II, Rocket League and mobile esports appear when events are scheduled.
Esoccer and ebasketball
Short simulated matches of FIFA/EA FC or NBA 2K played by pros, with frequent fixtures around the clock. Real matches are covered in our football betting guide.
Tournaments and the calendar
Esports runs year-round, but the market depth peaks around the big events: Counter-Strike Majors, The International for Dota 2, the League of Legends World Championship in the autumn and Valorant Champions late in the VCT season. Between them, regional leagues and qualifiers fill the schedule. Smaller online tournaments are listed too, often with only a match winner market. Times are set for European, North American or Asian audiences, so many matches fall late at night or early in the morning IST. Our Stake app guide shows how to follow them from a phone.
Esports markets explained
Esports markets are built around maps (in shooters) or games (in MOBAs) rather than goals or runs. The exact list depends on the title and the tournament; the bet slip and cash out work as in our Stake sports betting guide.
| Market | What it means |
|---|---|
| Match winner | Who wins the series |
| Map winner | Who wins a specific map or game, such as map 2 |
| Map handicap | Series margin, such as −1.5 maps (win 2–0 in a best-of-three) |
| Round handicap (CS2, Valorant) | Rounds margin on a single map |
| Totals | Total maps, rounds or kills over/under a line |
| Correct score | Exact series result, such as 2–1 |
| First blood / first to X kills | Kill-based specials, where available |
Map handicap example
In a best-of-three, Team A is at −1.5 maps with odds of 2.20. A ₹1,000 bet returns ₹2,200 only if Team A wins 2–0. A 2–1 win counts as a loss on the handicap, even though Team A won the match.
How esports odds differ from traditional sports
Esports prices behave a little differently from those in cricket betting or football, and knowing why helps you read them.
Less data, wider margins
Outside the top leagues, public statistics are thin and fewer people bet, so bookmakers protect themselves with larger margins and sometimes lower maximum stakes.
Roster churn
Teams change players far more often than in traditional sport. A big name on the team page may not reflect who is actually playing this week.
Format effects
A best-of-one is close to a coin flip between evenly matched teams; a best-of-five gives the stronger side room to recover from a bad map. Tennis works the same way with best-of-three and best-of-five sets, see our tennis betting guide.
Settlement quirks
Forfeits, technical pauses and remakes are unique to esports. Bets on a map that is replayed from the start are handled under Stake's sports betting rules.
Live betting and streams
Watching while betting
Most tournaments are streamed free on Twitch or YouTube, and Stake shows streams or trackers on selected events. Tournament broadcasts usually run on a delay, so live prices may react before your stream shows the action.
Suspensions
Markets pause between rounds and during key fights, pauses and technical problems. Expect frequent short suspensions in live CS2 and Valorant.
Economy and draft
In CS2 and Valorant, a team's buy (economy) changes round odds; in Dota 2 and LoL, the hero/champion draft shapes the game before it starts.
Late-game swings
MOBA games can turn on a single team fight late on. Cash out, where offered, reflects these swings quickly.
Integrity: why caution matters
Top-tier esports is professional and closely watched, but lower-tier matches have a history of match-fixing cases across several titles. Bodies such as the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigate suspicious betting and publish sanctions, and bookmakers may suspend or void markets when there are concerns.
Practical rules: be sceptical of sudden odds moves in obscure matches, avoid "inside tips" sold on social media or Telegram, and stick mainly to established tournaments. If a match is stopped or a result is overturned, settlement follows Stake's sports betting rules.
Esports betting tips
- Check rosters and stand-ins One player change can transform a team. Substitutes are announced shortly before matches.
- Look at the map pool In CS2 and Valorant, teams pick and ban maps. A side that is weak on a likely map is weaker than its ranking suggests.
- Follow patches Game updates change which heroes, agents or weapons are strong. Teams adapt at different speeds.
- Prefer best-of-three over best-of-one Single-map matches are much more random; favourites lose them more often.
- Keep a time and money limit Esports runs around the clock. Decide when you stop before you start, and remember that betting is for adults aged 18+ only.
Stake holds an offshore Curaçao licence and is not licensed in India; check the rules where you live. Our responsible gaming guide lists the tools available.
More from the sportsbook
Stake's promotions page (October 2026) does not list an esports-specific offer. Esports wagers do, however, count like any other bet towards the $75,000 Weekly Raffle tickets and the $100,000 Daily Races leaderboard. These prize pools reward volume, so treat them as a side effect of bets you would place anyway, not a reason to bet more. Current offers are tracked on our Stake bonuses page.
Esports bets use the same bet slip, odds and cash-out features as every other sport. Fans of fast, stat-driven markets often enjoy live tennis as well.
FAQ
Which esports can I bet on at Stake?
Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant are covered most consistently. Other titles appear when tournaments are running. Our Stake review covers the rest of the sportsbook and casino.
What does "map winner" mean?
It is a bet on who wins one specific map or game in a series, rather than the whole match.
Can I watch esports matches on Stake?
Streams or match trackers are shown on selected events. Most tournaments are also streamed free on Twitch or YouTube.
Are esports bets settled if a match is replayed?
Technical issues, replays and forfeits are covered by Stake's sports betting rules, which describe when bets stand and when they are void.
Is esports betting riskier than other sports?
Lower-tier matches carry more integrity risk and less public information. Sticking to major tournaments and modest stakes is a sensible approach.