Betting in eSports has increased in popularity and is forecast by industry experts to expand by around 11 per cent year on year until 2027. Whilst this is great news for the licensed and regulated operators in the sector, many unscrupulous individuals want to profit from the market and have set up scam sites to part new players from their money. Here we look at how to find legal eSports betting sites that are safe and secure.
Legal sites
Whilst eSports betting is well regulated in some areas, regulation is not yet universal. The recommendation to those wanting to bet on eSports is to seek out the best esports betting sites by taking into consideration a few suggestions that will help you steer clear of potential scam sites unlicensed operators that will go to great lengths to mislead and defraud bettors.
Licenses
Licenses vary between countries but in many jurisdictions overseas betting sites are only legal if they are licensed. The most common European based license that overseas customers can look for is the highly regarded UKGC license, the MGA license from Malta as well as the Curacao license. A legitimate betting site will have its company licensed before launch and will publish the number on the base of its homepage. It is wise to check this number against the regulator’s database as unscrupulous sites will often hold an invalid license.
Branding
Many sportsbooks have ventured into eSports. If you are looking for a legal, regulated site, consider sites that have an established reputation in the gambling sector online. Established brand names can offer a sense of security though make sure you land on a legitimate site and not a scam site. Scam sites are usually poorly designed with unresponsive pages.
Read reviews by industry experts
It is important to read reviews from recent and current players on an eSports betting site which will give the most recent feedback on the quality of an eSports betting site. In particular, read reviews by industry experts such as www.esportsbettingwebsites.com. The best review sites are independent and unbiased and will flag issues like the customer support response times which give an indication as to whether the operator is in business for its own interests by a poor response time or is reliable and accountable in dealing with questions and concerns. Experts suggest potential customers contact a customer support representative on the site to assess the service.
Best odds
With any bet, you want the best odds. In eSports, the odds can vary significantly from one bookmaker to another but be wary of unrealistic odds or bonus offers. Although some scam sites may credit your account with a deposit bonus you are often unable to withdraw any winnings from it. You can check online odds comparison tables to see if the bookie is offering a payout that fits within established, reputable sites.