✅ Nigeria Esports Betting Guide 2024 ✅ Esports Meaning, Games, Tournaments

Betting on esports is growing just as fast, if not faster, than esports itself. With all the top betting sites now offering a wide range of esports markets, we are here to guide you on all there is to know about the exciting world of esports.

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What are esports?

Esports (meaning electronic sports) are essentially competitive video games, played by professional gamers and streamed live to fans all around the world. Whilst competitive gaming has been around for years, the introduction of platforms like Twitch (a live streaming service for gaming) is what really propelled esports to new heights as it exposed the sport to people all around the world from the comfort of their homes. In addition to being streamed live, esports tournaments also attract thousands of fans who fill up even the biggest arenas to watch their favourite teams battle it out in a wide range of video games. Esports tournaments are entertaining spectacles filled with lights, special effects, and very energic fans that can rival the atmosphere of any music concert.

 

Esports are now by far one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and shows no signs of slowing down. What is probably most impressive about esports is the incredible number of viewers and prize money that is involved in the sport. In 2019, it was estimated that around 458.8 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch esports throughout the year with a mouth-watering $211 million in prize money being awarded to professional players across different the different esports tournaments.

 

With figures like these, it is no wonder that in the next few years esports is expected to overtake other traditional sporting markets in terms of the number of viewers and betting figures. One of the biggest obstacles, esports faces is the criticism of people saying that it is simply a bunch of kids playing video games and does not count as a real sport. This is definitely not the case, however as even though esports are much less physically demanding than other sports, they still require a lot of training, determination, stamina, focus, and skill to become a professional – all qualities which any athlete would say is crucial.

Esports can take place on PC (personal computer), gaming consoles (such as PlayStation or Xbox), or on mobile which means that one of the advantages of these sports is that they are highly adaptable. These means that unlike other sports, esports are not affected by environmental factors like bad weather or global pandemics. During the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, for example, esports were one of the few sports which remained relatively unaffected by COVID-19. It is important to note that esports and Virtual Sports (such as Zoom Soccer at bet9ja) are two completely different sports.

Check our extensive article about Virtual Sports here.

 

Esports in Nigeria

Esports popularity in Nigeria is growing steadily as more and more people are becoming interested in the sport. As of 2019, there was said to be over 1 million Nigerian gamers. Many people in the country have started forming their own esports teams, and esports organisations have been set up with the aim of increasing awareness of the sport to Nigerians. These organisations (such as Esports Nigeria) also organise local and regional esports tournaments across Nigeria, the winner of which will represent the country at the African Esports Championship in Kenya. Nigerian betting sites are also getting onboard with an increasing number of bookies providing esports betting for major tournaments all around the world.

There is still a long way to go for esports in Nigeria, however. While the there is a growing number of stakeholders, the industry is still lacking a lot of proper investment as well as a lack of mainstream awareness about the great potential that esports can have. Since there has never been anything like esports in the past, there is also an absence of legal frameworks in Nigeria regarding this sport which create obstacles when it comes to it reaching its full potential.

 

What does the future hold for esports in Nigeria?

Nigeria’s large population and passion for sports gives it a lot of potential to become a global esports powerhouse. With new esports organisations being set up, a larger number of people are being exposed to the exciting world of esports and want to know more about it. The first Nigerian esports convention is set to be held in 2020 whilst 50 Nigerians will be representing the country in a global esports tournament in South Korea organised by the International Esports Omnipotent Committee (which is the esports equivalent of the Olympic committee). The future looks bright for esports in Nigeria and once the government starts to take this industry seriously and provides a proper legal framework, we expect esports to take off rapidly.

 

What esports can you bet on?

One of the reasons esports have such a large fan base is because of the large variety of games that are available to play, watch, and bet on, with dozens of esports matches taking place almost every day. The most popular types of esports games are Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games (MOBA), First Person Shooter Games (FPS), Fighting Games, Real-Time Strategy Games, and Sports & Racing Games.

MOBA and FPS games are by far the most popular esports around. We have listed the top 5 most popular esports games below in more detail.

You can also bet on Esoccer which we described here. 

 

League of Legends esports

League of Legends is one of the most popular esports games in Europe and North America and is commonly abbreviated to LoL – not to be confused with ‘laughing out loud’ or ‘lots of love’! Forming part of the MOBA category, this PC icon consists of games taking place between two esports teams of five players per team. The aim of the game is to destroy your opponents’ ‘Nexus’ whilst simultaneously annihilating each other on one big map. Released in 2009 by Riot Games, there are dozens of major LoL tournaments you can bet on throughout the year, from the coveted League of Legends World Championships to the Legends Championship Series and the European Masters.

 

DOTA 2 esports

DOTA 2 (short for Defence of the Ancients) is another free-to-play MOBA game available on PCs. Like League of Legends, DOTA 2 is a multiplayer game featuring two teams of 5 players each who’s main aim is to destroy each other’s structure first. DOTA 2, however, is known for being one of the most complex esports games out there which takes a while to understand completely and can be difficult for inexperienced bettors to follow properly. Once learned though, DOTA 2 quickly becomes one of the most addictive games thanks to its highly immersive gameplay and is in fact the most popular esports game in the world in terms of prize money.

 

Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) esports

Counter Strike is a multiplayer first-person shooter game which is completely different to the two esports games above. Instead of being set in a fantasy world, CS:GO prides itself on its realism and features terrorists, counter-terrorists, contemporary weapons and plenty of war-torn landscapes. The aim of the terrorists is to plant bombs or capture hostages while the counter terrorists are tasked with stopping a bomb being planted or rescuing hostages. CS:GO is easily one of the most popular esports on the planet with tournaments consistently selling out whole arenas and many tournaments having prize pools of over $1 million.

 

Fortnite esports

Fortnite is a third-person online battle-royale action game with over 250 million players worldwide. The game involves 100 players taking on each other in a fantasy world to become the last person standing. Fortnite is available to play on every platform imaginable and is an ever-changing game as the devlopers are constantly making updates and changes to keep the game fresh. One of the biggest Fornite betting events of the year is without a doubt the Fortnite World Cup. This tournament regularly attracts more than 2 million fans and has a prize pool of an incredible $30 million!

 

Overwatch esports

Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer FPS game where two teams of six players battle each other using a series of characters known as ‘heroes’. What is unique about Overwatch is that in addition to defeating the opposing team, there is a very strong emphasis on completing a number of set objectives. This means all players must work together if they are going to have any chance of winning the game. There is an Overwatch League where the top 20 teams in the world take on each other in scheduled matches and provides lots of exciting betting opportunities for punters.

 

Popular esports tournaments

 

How to bet on esports?

Betting on esports is the same as betting on any other traditional sport. All you have to do in go to your favourite betting site and search for esports the same way you would with any other sport. The most important thing about esports betting is that you choose a bookie that is reliable. Bookmakers should be established with a good reputation, user friendly, have many betting options with competitive odds, a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, and a selection of good bonuses and rewards.

 

Esports Betting Sites

Below is a list of some of the top esports betting sites available to Nigerians. We have included a mixture of both local and international sites to give you a more varied choice.

 

Esports on 1xbet

At 1xbet, you can bet on a variety of esports including CS:GO, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, FIFA, Rocket League, Starcraft and more. The bookie provides a very impressive number of markets to bet on as well as detailed statistical information like head to head information and league tables. 1xbet also offers its players an esports bonus calendar where players can take advantage of daily cashback offers on a wide range of different esports – perfect for trying out new games!

 

Interwetten esports offer

This bookie is relatively new to the Nigerian scene, but with lots of success back in its native Germany, Interwetten is looking to make a name for itself in Nigeria with a strong esports betting portfolio consisting of CS:GO, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Starcraft, Overwatch, FIFA, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, and King of Glory. Interwetten provides fantastic esports stats including past match results, head to head information, player records, and upcoming fixtures. The odds at Interwetten are also very competitive.

 

Esports betting at Betway ng

Esports at Betway Nigeria includes League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter Strike, Starcraft, Call of Duty, Rocket League, Overwatch, and FIFA. Within each sport, Betway offers the chance to bet on many different leagues from around the world as well as all the popular betting markets including match result, handicap betting, map betting, and correct score. In addition to betting prematch, you can also bet on esports live at Betway ng.

 

Bet9ja esports experience

Bet9ja’s esports offering is smaller compared to the other esports betting sites mentioned above. The African bookie provides esports betting for FIFA, CS:GO, DOTA 2, and League of Legends. In terms of markets, players looking to bet on esports at Bet9ja can only choose to wager on match winners. If you are new to Bet9ja, the bookie is offering a 100% welcome bonus up to a maximum of ₦100,000 which can be used on esports betting.

 

What are esports betting tips?

We have compiled a list of some esports betting tips to guide you as you prepare to make your esports bets. Just like any other sports, betting on esports requires its fair share of research and preparation to be successful.

 

Analysing form

As is the case with traditional sports betting, analysing form is very important when it comes to making accurate esports predictions about how the action will unfold. You can analyse a team’s form by using Twitch to watch team performances from past competitions or by using specific data sites such as Esports Earnings to read more about recent team results and to assess their current form. Knowing if a team is on good form at a particular time is crucial if you’re thinking of betting money on them.

 

Researching individual players

If you’re interested in making a bet on an individual player, it is important to remember that the more information you have, the high the chance of making a more accurate esports prediction! Search the web for information and read up about play statistics as well as extra useful information such as player training regimes and their workouts and diets. Esports matches can last for hours so it’s important to choose a player who is strong, fit and has enough stamina and energy levels to remain composed and concentrated over long periods of time.

 

Checking team rosters

Last-minute substitutions can change everything in esports matches. Remember that teams in esports, just like teams in traditional sports, will often have a great depth of talent at their disposal. They will have various player options going into competitions and the particular choices that are made can have a huge effect on the final outcome of a match, or indeed an entire tournament.

 

Playing the game yourself

It is not often that you can participate in a sport to get a proper insight into how it works. You can’t exactly get into an F1 car and drive around Monaco to get a driver’s perspective on the race. However, you can easily download esports games to get a better grasp of the game, familiarise yourself with the maps, and to figure out which tactics the pros are likely to use. If you know the game inside out, your esports predictions are going to be far more accurate and you will greatly increase your chances of winning your bets.

 

What are the most popular esports bets?

Below are some of the most popular esports bet types that you are likely to see offered by bookmakers when betting on the different esports games.

 

Esports facts

 

 

SoccerBetting365 Final Say

The world of esports is rapidly growing and there is a lot of potential for both esports in Nigeria as well as esports in Africa. Esports tournaments around the world have proven to attract millions of viewers while paying winners millions of dollars each year. Esports betting has also shown to growing stronger and stronger each year with the number of bets on major esports tournaments almost surpassing the number of bets placed on popular football competitions. We expect that once the Nigerian government recognises the true potential of esports, Nigeria could very well become a global esports centre.