Today we explain why eSports gambling is now more popular than ever, tell you about one of your favorite bitcoin sportsbooks which carries over 200 eSports events, and compile their offerings into an easy-to-read format.

Bovada esports

eSports Gambling at Bovada Sports for May 2020

You’ve probably noticed by now that a lot of (most) sporting leagues and events have been cancelled due to the coronavirus scare. This includes basketball, baseball, soccer, and just about everything under the sun — with a few notable exceptions. The biggest such exception is that of eSports which are now, unsurprisingly, more popular than ever (along with eSports gambling). Of all our recommended bitcoin sportsbooks, we’ve noticed that Bovada carries the largest overall selection of eSports, which currently dominates their sports events selection.

The next closest category in size is virtual sports, which are basically simulations of sporting events that take place without any sort of human interaction. They offer condensed, 100% pre-programmed versions of matches from popular sports leagues like the NFL, NBA and various soccer leagues. After that, there is still a handful of regular sporting events listed, mainly those that allow for some degree of physical separation between the competitors: tennis, badminton, table tennis, golf, and horse racing. There are even a couple of soccer leagues still continuing competition (against medical advisory) to be found in Eastern Europe and Central America.

Why eSports Gambling is Thriving

The interesting thing about eSports is that they do not require players to be in close proximity to one another in order for matches to be played. A lot of the bigger eSports competitions (especially tournaments and grand finals) are held in event centers that are often packed to the brim with spectators, allowing players to connect through a LAN (local area network). However, in today’s environment which encourages social distancing in order to help prevent the spread of covid-19, professional eSports leagues are finding well-tested high speed internet to be a suitable alternative.

Additionally, eSports fans still have plenty of ways to watch their favorite competitions. They can readily be located on popular streaming platforms, most notably twitch.tv. Thanks to websites like Twitch, eSports can be accessed anywhere by anyone with a dependable internet connection. This has helped it reach an incredibly large fan base across 6 different continents. All-in-all, over one billion people are expected to watch at least one eSports competition online during the course of this year — and this was predicted to be the case even before the coronavirus put an even bigger number of people in doors and most sports leagues out of action likely for the rest of the year.

The trend has been similar in bitcoin sportsbooks as well, as most are in the process of adding new eSports games, leagues and events to their offerings. With over 200 listings spread out across 9 different titles, Bovada is no exception to the rule. Below is a list of some of the games and events Bovada currently has available for eSports gambling. For more information on some of the hottest eSports titles and what they are all about, click here to read our feature article on the subject.

eSports Gambling Events Currently at Bovada

CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)

  • ESL One: Road to Rio
  • ESL Benelux Championships
  • ESL Meisterschaft 2019
  • Svenska EN
  • eFire Master League
  • CLUTCH
  • ESEA Advanced Season 34 Europe
  • ESEA MDL Season 34 North America
  • Elisa Invitational


StarCraft II

  • Global StarCraft II League (GSL)

Lol (League of Legends)

  • Riot Brazilian Challenger Circuit (BRCC)
  • Riot Korea League (LCK)
  • Tencent Pro League (LPL)
  • Riot European Masters Spring
  • Pacific Championship Series (PCS)
  • Riot Japan League (LJL)

Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients 2)

  • BFS Isolation Cup
  • WePlay Pushka League
  • China Development League
  • Oceanic Esports League
  • MarsTV DPL-CDA Professional League
  • Live Media Liga Pro Gaming
  • China Pro League

Rainbow Six

  • Russian Major League

Overwatch

  • Overwatch League (OWL)

King of Glory

  • KPLGT Spring
  • King Pro League

bovada poker for bitcoinAbout Bovada

With roots going back all the way to 1994, Bovada is one of the oldest sportsbooks still in operation. It was founded as a U.S. customer-focused offshoot of Bodog in 2011 and started accepting bitcoin as a method of payment in 2016. Since Bovada is a long-established name in sports gambling, it can afford to do certain things right, such as offering a wide array of sporting events and different types of wagers that can be made. It also excels when it comes to taking care of its customers and their money. Bovada also offers a signup bonus of 150% on a first-time deposit up to $5000.

Bovada accept both Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) for cryptocurrency deposits, but does a few things a bit differently than crypto-centric sportsbooks. For one, all bets are made in terms of dollars (USD). It takes them a relatively lengthy period of time to process both deposits and withdrawals, so it is recommended to fund your account well ahead of time prior to the event you wish to wager upon, as well as to have patience while waiting for your withdrawal. It can also take a while to complete the account verification process, but once you have, you can rest assured that your money (and personal information) is in good hands.

Click here to read more about Bovada in our Casinos section.

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