eSports Betting vs Horse Racing Betting: What Are the Differences?

The growth of the online sports betting scene has boomed over the last ten years. However, betting on events has been a focal in sport since the ancient times. Since then, the regulations and safety measures have improved, ensuring that all bettors can feel as safe as ever when making their wagers. 

Breakthroughs in technology have seen online betting become the most popular source for bettors to make their predictions on the biggest events, with horse racing consistently ranking higher than most other sports in terms of betting interest. 

Betting on has been a famous pastime throughout generations, but being able to wager on the latest eSports action is one of the newest offerings at online sportsbook. 

But, are there any differences that should be taken into account for racing bettors that are looking to dip their toes into the world of betting on eSports?

What is eSports?

eSports has been one of the fastest growing sports sectors in the modern era, with gamers able to play titles in a competitive environment. 

It has also been a lucrative avenue for professionals within this sector, with some of the major prizes on the calendar offering huge purses to winning players. However, it has been the streaming of these events that has seen it come one of the fastest growing sectors. 

Millions of viewers tune into to Twitch to follow the action throughout major events, with some of the biggest centring around titles such as Overwatch, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. 

Therefore, due to the popularity of streaming events, it is little surprise that eSports has gained a cult following in terms of bettors on the events. 

Are There Similarities?

There are few similarities when it comes to betting on horse racing and eSports. One of the only things that both sports have in common is the fact that the sports are both a form of competition, which requires a winning selection. 

This ensures that bettors are able to predict on the outcome of events on the moneyline market. Meanwhile, bettors will also have the opportunity to find the best value in the market by making their selections earlier for some of the biggest events on the calendar. 

This is reflected at leading sportsbooks, as bets can be placed on major eSports events month in advance before the competition takes place. This is also available when betting on horse racing, as bets can be placed on significant races such as the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic within six months of the race taking place. Check out here the horse racing odds explained by TwinSpires.

eSports Frequently Changes

A key difference between the two sports is the fact that eSports regularly changes due to the need for video games to update and download fresh changes to game play. 

This could have a direct impact on the betting for events, as some teams may be better prepared for the changes that are made as it could suit their gaming style. This could make games more unbalanced, and create a level of unpredictability that isn’t available in any other sport. 

In contrast, while certain changes have been made in racing due to safety concerns in recent memory, the main tracks and formats of races haven’t changed too drastically. 

While these regular changes in eSports can be positive for bettors in creating value in the markets, they could also be seen as a negative, as previous form of teams could be undermined, making them more difficult to predict a winner. 

Consistent Action

Horse racing offers bettors the opportunity to wager on the action throughout the year, as the sport is in operation across the globe 365 days a year. However, during the course of seasons in the United States and Europe, you may only see the same horses on three or four occasions. 

Taking into account breaks from action is a big detail worth considering before making predictions. However, in eSports, the teams are regularly in action, meaning that previous form can be taken at face value. 

eSports teams compete in matches 15 times per week, meaning that recent results can be taken into account by bettors. Theoretically, this should make it slightly easier to predict winners in eSports markets than horse racing. 

Better Value in eSports Betting

As horse racing is one of the world’s most popular sports, it’s rare that a sportsbook lets slip when putting together markets for the biggest races. However, the same can’t be said when it comes to betting on eSports. 

The sport is insufficiently studied by sportsbooks, and they don’t analyse the markets as strictly as they do with other sports. Therefore, this can often lead to better odds being on offer when making selections on eSports, as you can get a favourite for a much bigger price than should be the case.