Esports betting: how MLBB, Dota 2 and Valorant markets work

Esports titles that usually carry betting markets

The esports list in a sportsbook moves with the tournament calendar, but these three titles are usually there:

Sportsbooks call each game a "map", even though every MLBB and Dota 2 game is played on the same battlefield. Beyond these three you may also find Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends. The esports section shares the same MYR wallet as the other sports, as the sports betting guide explains.

Series formats: BO1, BO3 and BO5

The number after BO is the maximum count of maps in a series. Whichever team reaches a majority first takes the series, and any remaining maps are not played.

Two exceptions are worth knowing. MLBB grand finals sometimes run as BO7, needing four map wins. Some Dota 2 group stages use BO2, so a series can end 1-1 and the series market may include a draw. Check the format in the match name before you bet, because it changes what every line means.

Series winner, map handicap and total maps

The series winner is the simplest market: which team takes the series. A map handicap adds or subtracts virtual maps, much like the set handicap in badminton:

• -1.5 maps in a BO3: the team must win 2-0.
• +1.5 maps in a BO3: the team wins the bet by taking at least one map.
• -1.5 maps in a BO5: the team must win 3-0 or 3-1.
• -2.5 maps in a BO5: only a 3-0 counts.

A worked example with illustrative odds: in a BO3, RM20 on Team A -1.5 maps at 2.40 returns RM48 if A wins 2-0 and loses if A wins 2-1. In the same series, RM20 on Over 2.5 maps at 1.95 wins whenever a third map is played, returning RM39 whichever team takes the series.

Valorant adds round handicaps and round totals for a single map. A map ends when a team reaches 13 rounds; at 12-12, overtime continues until one side leads by two. A map finishing 13-11 has 24 rounds, so Over 21.5 rounds wins, while Team A -3.5 rounds loses because the margin is only two.

First blood, kill totals and in-map objectives

In-map markets look at what happens inside one game rather than at the series result:

• First blood: the team that scores the first kill on the named map. In MLBB and Dota 2 it usually comes within the opening minutes, so the bet is settled quickly.
• Total kills (Over/Under): both teams' kills added together. Example: a 45.5 line on Map 1 of a Dota 2 series, finishing 28-19 in kills, makes 47, so the Over wins.
• Kill handicap: for instance Team A -5.5 kills. Winning the map with a 30-26 kill count is not enough, as the margin is only 4.
• Objectives: first Roshan in Dota 2, first Lord or Turtle in MLBB, first tower, or map duration over a set number of minutes.
• Valorant: pistol round winner, first-half winner or the player with the most kills.

Each market refers to a specific map. "Map 2 first blood" is settled on Map 2 alone. If Map 3 is never played because the series ended 2-0, Map 3 bets are normally voided and the stake returned. Short definitions of these terms are in the esports betting terms glossary.

Postponements, technical pauses and stand-ins

Esports depends on servers, internet connections and hardware, so disruptions happen more often than in physical sports. Common situations and their usual effect are listed below. Exact rules differ between sportsbook providers.

Two further risks get less attention. First, broadcast streams are often delayed by several seconds or even minutes, so what you are watching may be behind the sportsbook's data feed. Second, match integrity: the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has investigated match-fixing cases, particularly in lower-tier leagues. Small, little-known fixtures carry more of that risk.

Esports betting is for adults aged 18 and over, even though much of the audience for these games is younger. How prices move while a map is being played is covered in the in-play betting guide, and converting odds formats in the odds formats guide.

Frequently asked questions