Betting on eSports has become a pretty big business in a comparatively short period of time, and it has brought together two worlds that hadn’t seemed to go together before. For regular bettors, the idea of betting on what are effectively video games might have appeared a little odd. For eSports players, the degree of interest from a world which had seemed only to be interested in the “conventional” side of sports must have caught a lot of people by surprise. Nonetheless, there are entire bookmakers in the present day committed to betting on XBox one games and other consoles, so it’s clearly worked out OK.

Of course, betting is something that should only be done when in possession of as much factual information as possible. Just as you wouldn’t bet on a tennis match without knowing about the players, the surface and the importance of the tournament, there are a lot of details you’ll want to know before you head to OddsNinja the guide to Canadian online bookmakers and find out the latest odds on DotA 2 or WoW tournaments. As part of your intelligence-gathering mission, the following tips are worth bearing in mind.

Know the markets on which you’re betting

If you’re an experienced bettor starting to wager on esports, then the first thing to get a handle on is what you’re actually betting on. If it’s a FIFA tournament or a Madden competition, it’s pretty simple: you’ll have most of the same markets you’d have for a Champions League game or an NFL showdown. Whereas if you’re betting on CS:GO or similar, then there’ll be some markets you don’t find in regular sports. Depending on the game, markets like number of kills or Map Winner can be found. Knowing what these markets are and what they mean is pretty essential to betting on them.

Follow the teams and players on live streams

While regular bettors will follow soccer or tennis on TV or via the bookmakers’ live streaming services, following esports is a different proposition, and one newbies may need to get used to. Most esports players and teams of note will have their own Twitch channel on which they live stream their playing time. This is a good way to get to know teams, and also to see how seriously they take their sessions outside of competition. It’s worth remembering that some teams will keep their best players back from the public gaze around tournament time, so you’ll need to factor that in too.

Find a reliable bookmaker

This is solid all-purpose advice. For any esports fan who hasn’t bet before on anything, it’s important to know what makes a reliable bookmaker. Also as new betting sites, including some dealing specifically in crypto, spring up it is important to ensure that they are following the same protocols concerning security that more established names do. Look on any betting site you visit to ensure that they have a valid gambling licence. If they don’t, keep your funds well away from them; there is no reason for them not to have sought a licence.