Bet365 Esports Betting 2026 – Games, Markets and Tournaments

A quick overview of the esports section. Coverage depends on the tournament calendar and on the country you bet from.

Esports is hugely popular in India, but the bookmaker stopped accepting Indian customers in 2023, after the 28% GST on online betting deposits, and has not returned. There is no India account, no rupee wallet and no esports offer for Indian players. India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 also targets online money games, although its commencement and court challenges are still pending. If you are looking for esports betting sites that accept Indian players, see our bet365 alternatives in India.

In countries where bet365 is licensed, esports sits in the sports menu like any other sport. A first esports bet there follows these steps:

1. Open an account and pass the identity check (ID and address);
2. Add funds with a payment method offered in your country;
3. Open the esports section and choose a game such as CS2 or Valorant;
4. Pick a match from the list, grouped by tournament, and choose a market;
5. Add the selection to the bet slip, enter your stake and confirm.

The bet slip is the same one used for football or cricket, so you can combine esports picks into doubles and accumulators. Settlement follows the official result published by the tournament organiser, and the operator’s rules cover cases such as walkovers, forfeits and changed formats, which are worth reading before you bet. None of this is possible from India.

Four titles make up most of the esports section, and they get the deepest markets:

• Counter-Strike 2, the biggest esport for betting;
• Dota 2, with The International as its showpiece;
• League of Legends, with regional leagues and LoL Worlds;
• Valorant, Riot Games’ tactical shooter.

Other titles can appear around major events, but coverage beyond these four is irregular and varies by country and calendar. Each game is covered in more detail below.

Dota 2 is a five-versus-five strategy game where long matches and comebacks are common. The International is the most famous tournament, alongside a busy calendar of other international events. Typical Dota 2 markets are match winner, map winner, first blood, total kills and map duration.

Counter-Strike is the biggest esport for betting. Matches are played as best-of-one or best-of-three series across maps, with each map going to 13 rounds in CS2’s regulation format. The sportsbook covers the Majors and other big international events, plus many second-tier leagues. Popular CS2 markets include match winner, map winner, map handicap, total rounds and pistol round winner.

League of Legends has the most structured calendar in esports, with regional leagues feeding into the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship. The bookmaker lists regional league matches as well as LoL Worlds. Markets include match winner, map handicap, first blood, first tower, first dragon and total kills.

StarCraft II, a one-versus-one real-time strategy game, has one of the longest-running pro scenes in esports. Titles like this appear on the betting menu only occasionally, usually around bigger events, and with a short list of markets such as match winner and map handicap. Coverage depends on the calendar and the country, so do not expect them every week, and be careful betting on a game you do not follow closely.

Valorant, Riot Games’ tactical shooter, has a global circuit that ends with Valorant Champions each year. The format is similar to Counter-Strike, so markets are familiar: match winner, map winner, map handicap and total rounds.

In licensed markets the esports section works the same in the official app and on the mobile site: you browse matches, open markets, build a bet slip and cash out from My Bets. Official apps come only from the App Store, Google Play where allowed, or the operator’s own local site. There is no India app and no genuine India APK, so download links offering one are unofficial. Our bet365 app guide explains how the mobile app works and how to spot a fake.

Esports-specific welcome bonuses are not the norm. Offers vary by country and are usually general sports offers: in the UK, for example, new customers have been offered £30 in Bet Credits for a £10 bet at odds of 1/5 or more. Whether an esports bet qualifies depends on the terms in your country, so read them first. Existing customers may also see Bet Boosts or Acca Boost on eligible bets. There is no offer and no bonus code for India. See our bonuses page and the registration guide for how sign-up works where the bookmaker is licensed.

Most esports bets fall into a few market types. Here is what they mean:

Market depth depends on the event: Majors and world championships get the widest menus, smaller leagues mainly get match and map markets.

Betting interest peaks around a handful of events each year:

Regional leagues fill the rest of the calendar, so there is usually something to bet on most weeks.

In licensed markets, the sportsbook offers in-play markets on major esports matches, with odds updating after rounds, kills and objectives. Next map winner, round winner and live handicap markets are the most common. Cash Out is available on many esports bets, so you can settle early if a series turns. Live streams of esports events are usually watched on the organisers’ own channels, while bet365 shows live scores and stats in the betting screen. Odds also move before the match with news: a roster change, a stand-in or a team switching its map pick can shift prices long before the first round.

How the esports offer compares, in short:

• Strength: coverage of CS2, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant;
• Strength: full markets on the biggest tournaments;
• Strength: in-play betting and Cash Out;
• Strength: a licensed, regulated bookmaker;
• Weak spot: not available to players in India;
• Weak spot: smaller leagues have limited markets;
• Weak spot: fewer games covered than esports-only bookmakers;
• Weak spot: offers and coverage vary by country.

Esports can be less predictable than traditional sports because rosters, patches and formats change quickly. A few practical tips:

• Follow roster changes and stand-ins, which can change a team’s level overnight;
• Check map pools and recent map results in CS2 and Valorant;
• Watch for game patches that shift the meta in Dota 2 and LoL;
• Treat best-of-one matches as high variance;
• Compare odds and avoid betting on games you do not follow;
• Set a budget and never chase losses.

No method guarantees a profit; these habits only help you make more informed, controlled bets.

Esports betting is only for adults aged 18 or over, even though many fans are younger. Keep stakes small, take breaks and use the limits that licensed bookmakers provide. See our responsible gaming page, and for other sports read our cricket and football guides.