Gone are the days when watching people play video games was frowned upon - it’s now considered a competitive sport by many. Esports has grown beyond recognition in the last five years, and this is reflected in the growth of esports betting revenue.
Data from Statista shows revenue grew from just under a billion in 2019 to 2.5 billion in 2024. People love betting on their favourite esports and more bookmakers are introducing these betting options.
It’s an enjoyable way to gamble and part of the popularity is the fine choice of payment methods available. Sites give you ample ways to kickstart your adventure and fund your accounts - here are some of the most popular payment options we’ve seen.
The majority of esports bettors opt for debit or credit card payments as they’re the most accessible options. Everyone has a card of some sort and you’re used to paying for things with it.
There are things to be aware of relating to card payments at betting sites, most notably the availability of different payment providers:
As briefly noted, you could have withdrawal concerns when using card payments, though this is only when using credit cards to bet on esports. Some esports betting sites don’t let you withdraw to a credit card, which might lead to complications when you wish to take out your winnings.
From a deposit limit perspective, debit/credit cards tend to offer the lowest on most gambling sites. It depends on the operator and you rarely have to pay deposit fees either.
The prominence of esports betting has risen alongside the growth of cryptocurrency in the gambling sector. They seemingly go hand in hand, which may have something to do with gaming culture. People interested in games and competitive gaming are far more likely to use cryptocurrency than the standard population.
A massive range of crypto payment methods are available at online esports bookmakers, but some of the most commonly used are:
It’s developed into a fantastic payment method for bettors mainly thanks to the security involved. Cryptocurrency uses some of the best payment security out there, so it’s a fine way to keep your money safe while gambling. The anonymity of crypto payments makes it harder for transactions to be tracked too, so there’s no risk of banks getting involved and blocking payments to online betting sites - which may happen via card payments or bank transfers.
Another reason for crypto’s popularity in esports betting is the development of cryptocurrency bonuses. Plenty of sites are introducing these to give special rewards when you deposit via crypto payments. This can involve matched deposit bonuses or cashback whenever you use specific cryptocurrencies.
One word of caution - crypto payments tend to have the highest minimum deposit at betting sites. This isn’t always the case, but it’s very common to see cards set a low minimum deposit and crypto payments to be almost double the amount.
PayPal is the number one e-wallet in the world and is used across all continents and a wide range of websites. It’s available at plenty of esports betting platforms though perhaps isn’t as prominent as different e-wallet options. Nevertheless, when PayPal is available it’s a hit choice for players thanks to the safety and security features.
All PayPal transactions are watched for suspicious and fraudulent activities, your financial data is encrypted and protected during payments and you often require 2FA to link your PayPal to a gambling account.
A few additional e-wallets you might see are:
Generally, e-wallets have low deposit minimums and are favoured by esports punters for their withdrawal capabilities. Most betting sites accept e-wallet withdrawals and they typically get processed a lot quicker than all others. This is the difference between getting your winnings in 24 hours or 4 working days!
Like PayPal, other e-wallets have excellent security features. The fact you don’t have to provide card or bank details to the gambling site makes them highly popular. Many esports bettors will explicitly look for sites accepting e-wallet payments.
The final payment method used at esports betting websites is an intriguing one. Payment vouchers are mainly provided through either of the following platforms:
People create accounts on either platform and then buy vouchers. The voucher is then used to create a payment on the esports betting websites. It might seem overly complicated, yet payment vouchers have a couple of key advantages:
Another thing to note - payment vouchers can’t be used for withdrawals. Some see this as a disadvantage but it can be beneficial. It’s another layer of security, meaning people can’t try to withdraw money to your Paysafecard/Neosurf accounts.
In summary, you’ve got a horde of excellent payment methods to choose from when gambling on esports matches and events. They each have pros and cons but all will provide great security elements to ensure you and your money remain safe.