New Jersey has had a rich history of sports betting and gambling. The state has historically had a reputation of being more permissive of betting than other states in the US gambling scene. With Esports growing to be a sizable industry, and the stigma on gambling blurring, it’s opened ways to an enormous multi-billion dollar industry for Esports and betting fans alike. Where people can freely indulge in wagering on their favourite Esports teams and players, lawfully.

Online Esports betting is a lot like betting on traditional sports betting, although slightly differently. You can bet on individual teams and players and many more parameters or “betting lines”, depending on the type of game you’re betting on. Esports betting can vary depending on your choice of game or genre. For example:

Sports games: FIFA, PES, NFL, NBA2k, Rocket league etc.

First Person Shooters: Counter-Strike, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, Valorant, etc

MOBAs: Dota 2, League of Legends etc.

Battle Royales: Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends etc.

Fighting games: DragonBall FighterZ, Street Fighter series, Tekken etc.

Each game has different rules and options to bet on.

There are several different types of bets in Esports gambling that you can try. Some of them are:

• Standard or Money-line bets: These are the simplest kind of bets where bettors bet on the outcome of a match. For example: who would win between two opposing players in a match. Predicting the winner awards you with payout. The most popular kind of bet.

• Outright bets– In this type of bet, bettors have to predict the outcome of the tournament. For example: which teams would make it to the final etc. The bets are placed on teams, regions or players.

• Special bets– Special bets are based on predicting specific events to occur in the game. For example, a team destroying the other team’s tower in the first 10 minutes in a MOBA. You can place a bet on whether you think that’d happen or not. You can bet on goal differences, which player will have the highest score at the end and so on. Special bets are usually harder to predict.

• In-play bets– These bets are basically all about betting live while a match is happening. These bets are very much like special bets, that is, being tied to events inside the game. But the prediction window is smaller as you place your bets during the match time. These are pretty tough to predict and complicated for new bettors.

We’ll look into this topic more deeply when we’ll talk about wagering tricks as different types of games would require different things to take account of while betting.

New to Esports betting and wondering where to start? No need to fear. Our online Esports betting guide will cruise you through the basics of what you need to know and equip you with enough knowledge to jump right in.

Although the process of betting is elementary, there are some important things you need to remember before jumping in. This is necessary for beginners to understand to ensure you lower your risks, have a comfortable experience and maintain longevity in the game.

Step 1: Set yourself a budget

As a beginner learning the ropes, in any kind of gambling, it is highly advised to start off small. Only start with an investment amount you think you can afford to lose. Don’t treat wagering as a get rich quick scheme. Greed will always lead to making mistakes and losses. Trust the numbers, not your guts.

Step 2: Pick your choice of sport, team and matches

Different games offer varying styles and options for betting. For example, a First Person Shooter and MOBA will have different options to bet on based on the differences of those genres. You should pick an Esport that you are familiar with to some extent. You should also make sure the game you pick is decently popular in the mainstream Esports community. An Esport with a small player base and audience will not see big payouts in betting or might not be available for betting at all.

Step 3: Pick your Bookmaker

These are websites that facilitate your bets. It is where you go to bet on teams, players and events. These websites encapsulate all the betting information including Esports events, teams, odds etc for you to look at. They calculate the odds and handle win payouts. It is vital to pick a trusted Bookmaker. Some examples of popular bookmakers are GG.BET, ArcaneBet, Betway etc. Not all bookmaking websites cater to all regions and countries so do your research into picking the best one in your area.

Step 4: Look at the Odds

Look at the current odds given by the bookmaker. Odds reflect the expected outcome or general sentiment of the betters. If the odds of a team winning are low, but they end up winning, the payout for anyone who put their money on the team will be higher compared to if they’d lost. Because it was the lesser expected outcome.

Understanding Odds:

Odds are of 3 distinct types. Decimal, Fractional or Implied Probability. You’ll most often come across Decimal Odds, however.

Decimal Odds

E.g. 3.44

Decimal odds give you the easiest conversion from stake to return.eg.

Bet $10 with odds at 3.44

RESULT: $10 x 3.44 = $34.4 (Your $10 stake included)

Fractional Odds

E.g. 2/1

This is mostly for horse racing so you shouldn’t see this on Esports betting.

Implied Probability

E.g. 55%

This is a more readable way to denote odds, however, this can be highly inaccurate and is mostly just used as a reference to calculate risk.

It works as follows:

Decimal odds = 100 / Probability odds

E.g. 100/40 = 2.5

RESULT: A $10 stake would return $25 ($15 profit)

Step 5: Learn the tricks to earn wagers

Rather than just blindly looking at the odds, it’s better to do research and look at all the parameters and stats. Making a full analysis of the sport and subject is important to pick your strategy.

• Look at past match results between the teams

See if any players or teams had better performances against certain teams that caused them to win. Look out for roster changes which can impact performance and affect historical data-based predictions.

• Check the maps

In some games like CS:GO, Call of Duty, teams will likely play on different maps in different matches. Some teams will have strengths, and weaknesses depending on the map and might affect the outcome. In hero shooters like Valorant, Overwatch, maps can make certain hero picks more effective than others on a given map.

• Event Format

Depending on the format of the matches, the likelihood of certain outcomes can change. For example, a Best of 1 has higher chances of an upset or unexpected result. A draw is very likely in a Best of 2. A Best of 5 should favour the most consistent team than an unexpected result.

• Player Lineup

Check whether the teams perform better or worse with certain lineups. A worse player as a stand-in can affect the team’s chances of victory.

• Have the teams travelled a lot?

In cases where teams have to travel for long periods of time across regions to attend events, there is a very good chance their performance will suffer due to tiredness and jet lag. Teams who have travelled less or not at all will fare much better mentally and physically in the game.

• Past match performances

Obvious one. But very important. Stay up to date with all recent historical statistics about teams and their performances. Some teams are on their peak for several months but then hit a visible decline due to burnout or any other reasons.

• Observe Community betting

Look at the highest-ranked betters and what their opinion is. Talk to veteran betters and others in the betting community. There is always some insight to be had and something to learn.

• Don’t believe people’s information blindly and make your own decisions

Some individuals might just want to throw off others’ predictions by giving out false information, to sway the odds and gain higher profit for themselves. Hence it’s better to not take everything at face value and make your own end decision through research.

After you have selected your preferred bookmaker and created an account with them, login and go to the cashier section. Here, choose from a list of secure payment methods available. Follow the prompts to enter your payment information. After completing the transaction, the amount should be credited to your account right away. You can now put up wagers towards your favourite Esports tournament matches.

Some common payment options include:

• Credit and Debit cards: remain the most popularly accepted means of payment across bookmaker websites. MasterCard and VISA being the most common.

• Web Wallets: These are basically e-Wallets that allow you to transfer funds to a virtual wallet for placing bets instead of linking your credit or debit card directly. This helps you avoid giving any sensitive financial information to the bookmaker. Skrill and Neteller are some of the most widely used e-Wallets.

• Pre-Paid Cards: Prepaid cards are like e-vouchers. They can be purchased directly from real-life retail shops instead of online. It is favoured by people who don’t have access to a bank or means of online payment. Or maybe just simply want to be anonymous. You will be given a unique PIN number that you will need to enter into your chosen bookmaker website. A drawback to this method is that you can only deposit money into your account through this method but you will need to have another payment method to withdraw your winnings since you can’t withdraw in vouchers. Paysafecard and Flexipin are some common vouchers that work. Aside from Mastercard and VISA gift cards in some regions.

• PayPal: PayPal remains one of the world’s most reliable online payment service. It helps you void giving your personal financial information to the bookmaker and provides an extra layer of security in transactions. Note: Some countries could have laws against online gambling which stop PayPal from being used in that country for that purpose.

• CryptoCurrency: Cryptocurrencies can also be used to bet on bookmaker websites. These are usually not available globally due to country-specific crypto laws but are usually used to cater to smaller regions and markets. For example, AstroPay caters to Brazil and the USA. GiroPay caters to Germany and Austria etc.

• Direct Bank Transfers: Bookmaking websites commonly allow you to directly transfer the amount from your bank account to theirs. The betting site will provide you with its bank details.

Having a proper customer support service can make or break new bookies. Bettors want long-term stability and someone who can help resolve any issues they might stumble upon. Most major bookkeeping websites will have support staff to help you out. You can contact support staff any time for help from the website, using their features like talking to their on-site live-chat assistant if they have one. Or by mail or calling their hotline.

NJ politicians were initially skeptical of Esports betting being allowed. Their main concerns were:

• Underage Professionals
• Match Fixing

A large no. of the professional Esports players were minors. The US and NJ are adamantly against wagering on professionals who are under 18. Furthermore, Esports was still not as regulated as compared to traditional sports nor considered as well established. Thus more prone to match-fixing and scandals. Which made bookkeepers hesitant.

After repealing PASPA(a federal betting ban) in 2018, that disallowed sports betting in general, the state got permission to launch it’s betting markets. However, they left out Esports betting/gambling from the equation. This decision was eventually reversed by NJ politicians and NJ Esports betting was finally allowed. However, it came with some stipulations: That NJ betting bookkeepers can only offer to bet for Esports matches where all participants were 18 years or older. Due to the nature of Esports, quite a large no. of players were minors. Which led to many matches being excluded from the betting market.

NJ bookmakers can’t offer the same level of freedom with Esports betting lines as they can with the NFL, NBA etc. They must first seek permission for it from the state’s DGE(Division of Gaming Enforcement). The Borgata became the first NJ bookmaker to accept Esports bets.

New Jersey is taking steps towards more widespread esports betting in the state. It is passing legislation that will help Esports betting grow even more. The bill, namely ‘A637’, is pushed by Assemblyman Ralph Capulto in NJ. Some features of the bill include:

• The bill would allow betting on skill events like Esports, as well as competitive eating etc.
• The DGE would be required to form a regulatory framework for these events. The wagers would be limited to $100, or $500 take-out.
• Betting would still be banned on any Esports events where the majority of the participant ages are below 18.

The American betting market makes up a huge percentage of the global betting market. Experts say the legislation has the potential to make Atlantic City the Esports capital of the US and boost the local economy. With the growth of Esports as a whole, the demand for betting on it is not going anywhere. If a place is not conducive to the growth of Esports betting, the demand is not going to diminish. It is just going to find another place which is. A lot of money flows through the Esports betting scene. And this legislation will make sure New Jersey sees a piece of it.  The bill aims to capitalize on the growing Esports market and betting subculture. We can safely say things are only looking up for the Esports betting scene in New Jersey.

New Jersey made a momentous decision by passing legislation for legal Esports betting in 2020. The move marks a great moment for the American betting industry as a whole. The move makes Esports betting available to fans of the game and veteran bettors alike. State regulators had made an exception in November by granting a one-time approval for online Esports betting for the League of Legends championship tournament in Paris.

Bettors can place bets on a large number of Esports tournaments that have betting lines offered for them. Many major Esports titles hold several tournaments or at least a major tournament sponsored by the developers every year. Here are some important Esports tournaments you can look out for :

First Person Shooters(FPS):

• The Blast Premier Series is a successor to the Blast Pro Series. They are a professional CSGO Esports league based primarily in 2 regions: North America and Europe. They structure it around 2 seasons, the Spring and Fall season. Where the winner of those season finals will participate in the Global Finals at the end of the year.

• Dreamhack Masters: Dreamhack Masters is a series of CS:GO tournaments held twice a year by Dreamhack, ending with a LAN event where the teams meet each other in Sweden.

• Intel Extreme Masters is the longest-running global pro gaming tour in the world since launching in 2007. They have held tournaments for a wide range of games including CSGO and have a big presence in Asia, NA, and European regions. Their Counter-Strike circuit will kick-start its 15th season in 2020.

• ESL One Series

These are CS:GO tournaments organized by Electronic Sports League and are one of the most well funded and organized tournaments for any Esports out there.

• Call of Duty League(CoD)

Call of Duty Esports has a league format called the “Call of Duty League”, that consists of city-based teams that face off against each other. You can find many sites to bet on these matches. 

• The Pro League is a professional Esport league for Rainbow 6 Siege. It is hosted by

and organised by ESL(Electronic Sports League) in association with Ubisoft. It runs in a seasonal format.

• The Six Invitational is an annual professional Rainbow Six Siege tournament hosted by Ubisoft, the game’s developer and publisher.

Battle Royale:

• PUBG Global Series is a major tournament series organized by PUBG Corporation in early 2020, which is supposed to culminate in the PUBG Global Championship later down the year.
• Fortnite World Cup is an annual Esports competition of Fortnite, organized by Epic Games.
• Fortnite Championship Series is Fortnite’s flagship tournament series that is open to championship rank players.

MOBAs:

• The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. The League of Legends World Championship has gained tremendous success and popularity, making it the world’s most-watched Esports tournament.

• The International is an annual Esports world championship tournament for the video game Dota 2, hosted and produced by the game’s developer, Valve. The international has been held consistently since 2011.

Sports: 

• The FIFA eWorld Cup is an Esports tournament held by FIFA and it’s partner EA Sports. Each tournament has players competing on the latest iteration of the series. The open qualifying format allows millions to compete in it.

• Global Series 2020: To qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup 2020, competitors must earn enough EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series Ranking Points through their performances at marquee live events, which players can qualify for through online competitions.

• Open, previously known as PESLeague, is the showpiece event at the end of the competitive PES Season for 1v1 competition. The event was originally founded in 2003 and determines the official 1vs1 Pro Evolution Soccer champion.

• Pro is the 3v3 team competition version of the competitive PES League.

• The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is a biannual Rocket League video game tournament series produced by Psyonix. It was first announced in 2016 by Psyonix. It consists of qualification rounds in North America, South America, Europe and Oceania.

Most major bookmaker websites have their own mobile apps for US users. It is an easy and convenient way to check stats and odds on the go. Many of them allow you to place wagers right from the app. A lot of them also provide bonuses for signing up to their apps.