Esports betting is the practice of gambling on a video game match. Esports betting can be done before the match starts or during the match. The 3 types of esports betting are fixed-odds betting, private betting, and skin/loot box betting. Betting games may include ' (CSGO), League of Legends (LoL) and Dota 2. Bets may be placed on such events such as: match winner, tournament winner, final score, odd/evens bets and over/under bets. Esports betting isn't regulated in same way as traditional gambling, thus sometimes underaged individuals end up betting. Esports betting is also substantially more complex than bets on traditional sports.
The 2014 CS:GO match-fixing scandal involving iBUYPOWER resulted in lifetime bans for players. In response, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) was created to monitor tournaments, enforce standards, and coordinate with sportsbooks.
Esports betting legality varies by state. As of mid-2025, 16 states explicitly permit esports wagering through licensed sportsbooks, including Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, West Virginia and Virginia. Some states exclude esports from their legal sports betting statutes, while others remain in legal ambiguity.