The gap between FIFA eSports and real football continues to blur by the day. One place where it has become nearly indistinguishable is the betting scene, where bookmakers offer similar odds and markets for punters.
If you think betting on FIFA eSports is small fry, think again, as nearly two dozen broadcasters hosted the 2019 FIFA eWorld Cup to an eager crowd 50 million strong.
Clearly there’s a large market of fans with the potential to bet on virtual FIFA; but is it as popular as betting on real football events? Let’s find out as we put it side by side with real football and inspect the markets and tournaments you can bet on.
What is FIFA eSports?
FIFA eSports is a competitive gaming experience where players, and in some cases, teams, build squads to compete with other players and teams online for prize money in the hundreds of thousands of dollars either on console or PC playing FIFA by the video game developer, EA sports. The virtual edition even has its own World Cup with considerable prize pools for the winners.
How does betting on FIFA eSports compare with real football?
When it comes to betting, FIFA eSports, real football or not, the process is pretty much the same. You want to do your due diligence and take your time to find the best odds and a platform that offers secure betting on many markets and leagues. Whether real or virtual, your journey will always start with choosing the right bookmaker; click here to learn more about comparing bookmakers for either type of football betting.
Why should I bet on FIFA eSports?
It would appear that betting on real football and FIFA eSports are more alike than not. But why should you leave something proven like betting on real football for something else? The following are some reasons you might consider making that switch.
Fewer variables to worry about
What makes the beautiful game of football so enjoyable is the uncertainty. As a neutral with no stake in the game, the chance that anything that can happen keeps you at the edge of your seat for 90 minutes and whatever time is added.
But this is not true when you have a bet open on the game. Anything from a player not being in the right form to unfavourable calls from the referee can do irreversible damage to your bet.
Conversely, in FIFA eSports, where most of the referee calls are programmed to be as close to uniform as possible and where all the gameplay comes down to the skill of the players, it is easier to make more accurate predictions and less room for uncertainty.
Easier to monitor your stakes
Unlike actual football, where you might need to get a ticket and travel down to watch the teams you have staked on play, with FIFA eSports, you can simply stream the matches live for free on YouTube or Twitch. This way, you don’t miss any of the action or sacrifice your comfort.
Much quicker
One common problem with betting on actual football is that matches take too long. Every match takes at least 90 minutes, and if you have multiple matches on your slip, that’s a lot of minutes before you know if you have a winner on your hands.
FIFA eSports, on the other hand, takes only a couple of minutes before a winner is decided, with whole tournaments lasting only weeks compared to football seasons that span months.
Popular eFootball Betting Markets
The FIFA eSports betting market is the same as actual football, with these being some of the popular markets to bet on:
- Match result betting
You can bet on a player or team of players winning, losing, or a draw between both teams. - Double chance betting
You can bet that one of the teams either wins or draws the game. - Goals betting
You can bet that they score under or over a particular number of goals in the game.
What tournaments should you bet on?
If you are convinced, the following are some FIFA eSports tournaments you can bet on:
FIFA sanctioned
- FIFAe World Cup
- FIFAe Nations Cup
- FIFAe Continental Cup
- FIFAe Global Series
- FIFAe Champions Cup
- FIFAe Club World Cup
Tournaments based on real football leagues
- eChampions League
- eLigue 1
- E-League
- eMLS Cup
- eMLS League
- eSuperliga
- Virtual Bundesliga