Dota 2 is quite the popular game. It was released in 2013, and since then it has been the most played game on Steam. It is also one of the most crucial titles in the competitive gaming industry. Professional Dota 2 contests usually attract massive audiences from all over the world, and Dota 2 features in a lot of the high-profile eSports leagues and tournaments.
Similar to other popular eSports games, Dota 2 generates a massive betting interest. Moreover, it is the second most gambled game, right after League of Legends. Betting on Dota 2 with real money is a massive business, and it will surely become larger as the years go by. This is shown by how many Dota 2 betting sites exist.
In the beginning, Dota 2 betting was only available at several websites. That is no longer the case since it is available at tens of various places right now. Some are tiny sites that specialize in Dota 2 gambling, while others are mainstream sites that have added this game to the other markets that are on offer.
The overall standard of the above-mentioned websites varies quite a lot. Thus, it is crucial to think about some aspects before you choose which bookmaker you would like to join. Fortunately for you, we have made this quite easy. After some extensive testing and research, we have identified several places that stand out as the top Dota 2 betting sites that could be found online. These are the websites that we recommend you to join, and we have listed them here just for you.
There are a few reasons why we have chosen to recommend these websites. Above everything else is a simple fact that they are trustworthy and reputable places to wager. They will not refuse to pay your earnings or disappear overnight. These websites are all legitimate and are fully regulated and licensed. Unfortunately, that is not true for every Dota 2 bet website.
Here are several other reasons these sites are better than the rest:
- Excellent variety of Dota 2 gambling options
- Excellent coverage of Dota 2 contests
- Competitive Dota 2 betting odds and lines
- Generous rewards and bonuses
- Easy to deposit and quick withdrawals
- Helpful customer service
We can state that you will not be disappointed with what the sites we have recommended have to offer. If you are looking to wager on Dota 2, you should join one of these sites. No matter which one choose, you can be sure that you will have an excellent experience.
There is a lot more on this page as well. We have provided a short overview of the game and looked at why it is so popular. We have also detailed the largest Dota 2 leagues and tournaments.
| Rank | Sportsbook | DotA2 | Bonus | Review | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bet365 |
Yes | N/A |
9.7 |
Visit Now |
| 2 | 10Bet |
Yes | $200 |
8.8 |
Visit Now |
| 3 | Mr Green |
Yes | $100 |
8.5 |
Visit Now |
| 4 | Betway |
Yes | $30 |
8.3 |
Visit Now |
| 5 | Pinnacle |
Yes | N/A |
8.1 |
Visit Now |
Overview of the Game
Dota 2 got released in 2013, and it was followed by a 2-year open beta. It is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients that was a mod particularly specialized for the Warcraft III game. The game is free to play and is considered to be a MOBA. This is short for a multiplayer online battle arena that is currently a quite the popular genre.
Matches in Dota 2 are played by a couple of competing teams. Each of them consists of 5 players and every player that takes control of all of the playable characters that you can find in Dota 2. These characters are defined by their role, and there are 9 total roles. They are the following:
- Jungler
- Carries
- Initiator
- Disabler
- Support
- Nuker
- Durable
- Escape
- Pusher
Choosing the proper character is a crucial part of the game. All of them have their unique skills and abilities, and teams have to make sure that they have an excellent balance of various roles. A team that is unbalanced will be easily defeated.
Every character starts at level one at the beginning of every match. They gain experience as the match goes on, which makes them stronger and gives them access to brand new abilities. Even though they might die during a game, they respawn a while after.
The 2 teams occupy bases on 2 corners that are linked by 3 paths called lanes. Every base contains a structure referred to as an Ancient, and the teams have to try to destroy their opponent’s Ancient while defending theirs.
Most of the action in the game revolves around killing the opponents’ characters. There are also creeps to fight.
Note that this introduction to Dota 2 is intended to serve only as a short introduction to the game. If you are not already familiar with how you can play it, we recommend learning more before gambling on it for real money. Only knowing the basics will not help you make good gambling decisions. This guide goes into a lot more detail and is really worth reading.
Game Guide
Maybe the best way to improve your knowledge of the game is to play the game. This is not essential, but it can help. It will give you a lot more insight to the game than reading about it.
You can also watch video tutorials on YouTube. Even though this is not the same as playing, but it will give you a better understanding. There are many videos to choose from, and a lot of them are excellent.
Why is Dota 2 So Popular
There are tonnes of new games being released each year. Some are successful, but most of them are not. Only a few are as successful as Dota 2. Thus, what is it about this game that helped it become so popular? How does it attract so many users? More crucially, how does the game keeps them interested for such a long period of time?
We cannot provide answers to such questions. There is absolutely no way of knowing why Dota is so popular. However, we still have several ideas. We believe that some of these factors might be significant:
- In-game guides and tutorials
- Free to play
- Very in-depth
- Tons of associated content
- Exciting to watch
- Huge community
Just because Dota 2 is free to play does not explain why so many people enjoy it. However, it might explain why they start placing it. Even if they are not convinced that they will like it, they might have nothing to lose by trying it. A lot of the best video games that cost more than $50 nowadays and that simply must be one of the factors.
Dota 2 is absolutely beginner-friendly. Even though it is a complicated game, it is not too tough to get started on, thanks to the guides and tutorials in the game. This might prevent users from giving up on Dota 2 prior to getting into it. Moreover, when they get into it, they will realize soon enough exactly how in-depth it is. People will not get bored of this game quickly since there is so much to explore and do.
All the content has to play its part as well. If players want a break from playing the game, there is plenty of stuff that is game-related stuff that you can watch or read. The massive active community helps as well since there are many places to discuss different aspects of the game.
You might find the final factor quite interesting. People do not enjoy playing Dota 2, most of them enjoy watching other players as well. The professional contests get quite a lot of attention. However, the interest does not end there. Many players and tournaments broadcast their gaming on live streaming sites like Twitch, and most of them attract a tonne of viewers.
Even though there are bound to be alternative reasons why Dota 2 is so popular, we are completely sure that these are among the most important ones. Moreover, there is one thing that we are certain of, and that is that this game will not fade out any time soon. It is established as one of the top eSports games, and we have seen nothing to suggest that, that will change anytime soon.
Item Betting
The game features many cosmetic items that you can find or earn while you play Dota 2. They are also known as skins, they serve absolutely no real purpose except for altering the appearance of different parts of the game. But, they are really wanted by players. So much so, that there is a thriving marketplace in which these items can be purchased and sold for actual money.
The trading place for Dota 2 items is the Steam Market. Users can list their items for purchase and sale items from other players. This activity is authorized by Valve, which developed Dota 2. There are also a few third-party sites on which players can purchase and sell items as well.
Even though the mass of items is worth approximate amounts, some of the most in-demand ones can fetch much bigger sums. The most expensive skin that ever went on sale was for the astonishing $38,000. However, prices of about $1-2,000 are not that uncommon
Moreover, these items are being traded online, and some Dota 2 betting sites take them as an alternative to actual money. Thus, they can be used for gambling. The basic principle is the same as regular betting, but we are using items instead of money. Instead of staking a sum of cash of our bets, we stake our items. If we win, we get paid out with more items.
If you find gambling with Dota 2 items appealing, please ensure yourself that you first read this article. Betting with items is not regulated, and thus it is very risky. It is crucial to understand all the facts before you get involved, and we have explained them to you here.
Item and Skin Betting
We are often asked to recommend skin or item betting sites, but it is not something that we are prepared to do right now. Most of these websites are plain scams, or shady, and we have not found any that we currently feel okay recommending.
Premier Dota 2 Tournaments
The most crucial Dota 2 tournaments are classified as Premier Tournaments. They are the events that have the best teams and the biggest prize pools. They are usually held by famous franchises and organizers, and they are viewed as being quite prestigious.
There are a few Premier Tournaments that occur on a regular basis. These are some of the largest:
- The Dota Major Championships
- The International
- EPICENTER
- Dota 2 Asia Championships
- The Summit
The Dota 2 Major Championships and the International are easily the most high-profile events on our list. They are organized by Valve, and they have massive prize pools. There are 3 Major Championships each year, and every one of them has a fixed prize pool of about $3m. The International happens once every year, with a prize pool that varies and it managed to reach $20 million in the past 2 years.
Dota 2 Asia Championships
These Championships were initially held in 2015. The tournament had a $3 million prize pool, and there were 16 teams. Eight of them were direct invites, and the rest had to qualify. The winning team earned $1,284,158, and are called Evil Geniuses.
The following tournament was in 2017. This time, there were only 12 teams. Four of them were direct invites, and 8 came through qualifiers. Invictus Gaming won they are one of the qualifying teams. The prize pool was $600k. Even though this was quite lower than in 2015, it was still one of the largest of the year.
EPICENTER
This was initially held in 2016. It was created by Epic Esports Events, and it happened in Moscow, Russia. The tournament was split into a few stages, and it finished in a double-elimination bracket. Team Liquid (official site) were the winners, and they won half of the $500k prize pool.
This year’s EPICENTER also happened in Moscow. The prize pool stayed $500,000, and Team Liquid won again.
The Summit
This tournament has been running since 2014. It is being organized by Beyond the Summit, and there have been a total of 7 events until now. Each of them has been held in LA at a private house.
Coverage of the events always includes a behind the scenes look that shows the way players prepare for the tournaments. The prize pool is usually about $100,000.
We have provided this info about previous tournaments because it is interesting to read. It even leads us to a crucial piece of Dota 2 betting advice. It is vital that you keep up to date with the game’s tournament scene when you are gambling on matches. This is because you have to keep track of how the teams are performing if you want to make excellent betting decisions in future events. You also have to know which tourneys are coming up.