Esports are quickly growing into a multi-billion-dollar industry thanks in part to the ability to wager on these matchups and tournaments at a sportsbook like BetOnline, which has its own dedicated esports section with fan-favorite games like Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Dota 2, and League of Legends.
But before you dive into this fresh market, you should read about the 5 mistakes new esports bettors make and how to avoid them
1. You Don’t Know the Game
If you never watched hockey before and didn’t know how the sport worked, you’d probably have a difficult time winning bets for it, right? The same thing goes for esports, and it’s true to an even higher degree as games are created uniquely different from one another or else there’d be serious lawsuits.
So, you could probably bet on the United Football League without ever watching it because you know how the NFL and college football work. But knowing everything about League of Legends isn’t really going to help you betting on Call of Duty, for example.
The simple fix is to find a game you’re heavily invested in either as an esports fan or an active player yourself. Study the rules, the maps, any patches that could change gameplay, the most popular teams and players, and follow them on social media and watch streams on Twitch. Don’t bet blindly on a game without doing your research first.
2. Stuck on the Past Hype
Another common mistake from new bettors is thinking established teams will always win like they have in the past. If someone has a team that was really successful at Counter-Strike 2 in 2019-21, that might not mean much of anything in 2025 if the core of their team has retired or moved on to another game.
You have to keep track of current performance as some games have really volatile play like Valorant and it’s possible that a normally good team has a losing streak. These are gamers, so you never know what someone may be going through in their personal life that could be affecting their sharpness and performance come match time.
Keep up on social media with any updates like last-second player swaps before matches.
3. Betting Too Many Favorites
People like to bet on heavy favorites because of reputation, but again, check out the recent performance. There can be great value found betting on an underdog to win outright instead of making another bet on FaZe Clan at -420 odds. You’d have to hit a large number of those bets in a row to equal the payout of just one good underdog victory.
That’s not to say you should always be backing the underdog, but do the research and find the spots with value where an underdog who’s been recently hot has a real shot at winning. Games can feature wild momentum swings and that’s how upsets happen.
4. Parlays Are a Pipe Dream
For literally any type of gambling, parlays are fun but usually a fool’s bet. Every leg must hit to get the win, so all it takes is one bad moment to sink a parlay. They should only be used as low-risk, high-reward bets, and you usually shouldn’t include more than a few legs.
5. Poor Bankroll Management
Don’t blow your month’s bankroll on one contest because the favorite with -400 odds choked and you went all in for what would have been a weak payout. Stick to betting consistent unit sizes, track your bets in a spreadsheet, and figure out which types of bets (match winners, first blood, props) you do best with.
