All You Need to Know About StarCraft Betting – In One Place
Welcome to the ultimate guide to the UK’s best StarCraft betting sites. On this page, you’ll find all you need to know about placing bets on this popular eSport. We present our top five UK StarCraft bookies that offer the best user experience, competitive odds and cover the most tournaments; we will also share our hints and tips to help you see a return.
| StarCraft Betting Sites | Bonus Offer | Highlights | Rating | Secure Link | T&C’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 BetVictor | Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets | 25+, 93.45%, eSports Online Blog | 5/5 Score | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 (odds 2.00+) on any football market within 7 days of registration. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Debit Card/Apple Pay payments only. Click for T&Cs. Please Gamble Responsibly. |
| 🥈 bet365 | Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets | 19+, 94.25%, Live Streaming | 5/5 Score | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required |
| 🥉 888sport | £30 in Free Bets | 25+, 94.23%, eSport Markets | 5/5 Score | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • To withdraw any winnings from the Casino Bonus, wager the Bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&Cs apply. 18+. BeGambleAware. |
| ⭐ Ladbrokes | £20 in Free Bets | 22+, 92.55%, Large eSport Selection | 4.5/5 Score | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min €5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x €5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. |
| ⭐ William Hill | Up to £30 in Free Bets | 22+ , 94.82%, Trusted Brand | 4.5/5 Score | Visit Site! | 18+. PlaySafe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum of £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding virtual markets). Full T&Cs Apply. https://www.begambleaware.org/. #ad |
As you can see from the table above, we have selected five StarCraft betting sites that we are confident will provide everything you need. All our online betting sites are fully regulated and licenced, ensuring a safe environment.
- 🥇 BetVictor – StarCraft In-Play Betting
- 🥈 bet365 – Best Range of Tournaments
- 🥉 888sport – Great Responsive Modern Design
- ⭐ Ladbrokes – Well-Known High Street Brand
- ⭐ William Hill – Safe & Secure Betting
All major StarCraft tournaments are available, and in the next section, we take a look at the value they offer. We are sure there is plenty to find.
StarCraft Betting Sites: Odds and Payouts
Whether you are StarCraft betting or betting on any other sport, an easy way to compare two or more StarCraft bookmakers is by seeing what odds they offer on any given event. Odds can fluctuate between different StarCraft betting websites and choosing a bookmaker that offers good odds should be a priority to anyone wishing to place a bet.
| The Odds on StarCraft at the Best Bookmakers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StarCraft Betting Sites | Intel Extreme Masters | World Championship Series | Global StarCraft League (GSL) | Major League Gaming (MLG) |
| BetVictor | 92.74% | 93.17% | 94.04% | 93.24% |
| bet365 | 94.21% | 92.67% | 93.98% | 92.61% |
| 888sport | 93.84% | 94.01% | 93.81% | 93.19% |
| Ladbrokes | 92.91% | 92.97% | 93.54% | 93.84% |
| William Hill | 93.14% | 93.17% | 94.24% | 94.24% |
We looked at the historical odds that were offered at Intel Extreme Masters, World Championship Series, GSL and MLG tournaments. We analysed a match at random in each of the tournaments and using the available prices was able to determine the return to player figure (RTP). You can see the results of our research in the table above.
The Most Popular StarCraft Tournaments
One of the amazing things about playing StarCraft is that if you are good enough, it’s not only great fun, you can even win money by doing so, and some players even make a living out of it. StarCraft has plenty of tournaments, and as you can see, the prize money on offer is truly life-changing.
| The Most Common StarCraft Tournaments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament | Logo | Nation | Teams | Year of Foundation |
| Intel Extreme Masters | Intel Extreme Masters | International | 16 | 2010 |
| World Championship Series | World Championship Series | International | 16 | 2012 |
| Global StarCraft League | Global StarCraft League | South Korea | 16 | 2010 |
| Major League Gaming | Major League Gaming | International | 10 | 2018 |
| Nation Wars | Nation Wars | France | 16 | 2016 |
StarCraft Tournaments really took off in 2003 when pro-gamers came together to form teams. Helped by sponsorships by tech giants Samsung, SK Telecom and KT, StarCraft was one of the favourite games during the World Cyber Games. So far, over $4,000,000 has been awarded in prize money.
StarCraft: The Bets You Can Place
Now we’ve looked at StarCraft betting sites and the tournaments you can bet on, in this section, we will explore the different types of bets you can place and see how they compare with other online betting markets. If you are interested in betting to see a return on your stake, choosing the right bet is vital, as we will explain.
Who Will Win
A very simple yet popular bet when using StarCraft betting sites, as the name suggests, you are choosing which player will be victorious. For example, BeST is competing against ggaemo in the StarCraft CasterMuse Starleague. Simply pick who you feel will win, set a stake and confirm the bet.
Map Winner
You can also bet on the individual map winner by betting on the overall winner of a head-to-head battle. Depending on the tournament, three (BO3), four (BO4) or five (BO5) maps are used to determine the victor. That means rather just one betting opportunity; you can bet on the maps individually.
Example: If we take our earlier example of BeST competing against ggaemo in the StarCraft CasterMuse Starleague, BeST is the red-hot favourite at odds of 2/7, compared to 5/2 of the rival. As the game is over five maps, we can place bets on either player winning each of these maps. You will often find that pre-game the odds of a player winning an individual map are often the same as winning the head-2-head overall, this means rather than just placing one bet, you can bet on all the maps. If you think a whitewash is possible, you can even combine bets to create accumulators.
How to Use it: To place a bet on an individual map is an easy process and just as simple as placing a ‘to win bet’. You first need to find the game that you want to place a bet on. Select eSports, and then StarCraft, you will see a list of games coming up, select the one you want. The first option you’ll see is the ‘ to win bet’ with the names of the competitors listed. Scroll down, and you’ll see betting options for the different maps. A good tactic is that the map odds will be fixed pre-game, but the odds will fluctuate during the game, allowing you to take advantage if a good player has a bad start.
Under / Over
The Under / Over wager is one of our favourites when StarCraft betting and if you’ve ever placed bets on other sports, such as football or rugby, you’ve probably experienced this bet type before. The StarCraft bookie will set a number of maps for a player to win, you just decide if the actual figure will be higher (over) or lower (under) than that total.
Correct Map Betting
Another type of bet that is popular at StarCraft betting sites is predicting a StarCraft battle’s final score. As most SC 2 tournaments are played on a BO5 (best of five) basis, you can take your betting to the next level by predicting what will be the final score. We really like this bet if we think one player will sweep the other. We also like betting on a 3-2 scoreline if there is little between the two players and we expect a tight contest.
Live Betting on StarCraft
Our older visitors will remember a time when betting; you had to ensure that your betting slip was completed and handed into the bookmaker before the event started. Thankfully this is no longer the case, thanks to technological advances, you can place bets while the action is taking place.
live sports betting, which is also called in-play betting at some online sports betting sites, enables you to place bets, even if an event has already started. Missed the first map? It is not a problem as when StarCraft betting online, you can still place your bets, even on the third map. Another bonus about in-play betting is that the odds change, giving opportunities to take advantage of in-game events.
StarCraft Bonuses
Although StarCraft betting is becoming increasingly popular, it’s doubtful you’ll find a StarCraft bookie that offers game-specific promotions. However, you can open a new account with a StarCraft bookmaker and take advantage of a special one-time deal. These special deals range from matched deposits, a free first bet and enhanced odds. You can use these to place your StarCraft bets.
- Live Stream Games
- Good StarCraft Odds
- Excellent Mobile App
If you plan on placing several bets at a time, it is well worth considering joining these bets together to form accumulator bets. Accumulator bets place your winnings on the next selection, which can turn your winnings into astonishing amounts. There is, of course, a catch. If one of the bets lets you down, the bet is lost.
StarCraft: A Quick Overview
In our eSports betting guide, we refer to the game as StarCraft when in fact the game is actually StarCraft 2, but as the majority of players refer to the game with its original name, we’ll stick to that for simplicity. The first game in the series was released for Windows on March 31, 1998, and as you can imagine it’s a far cry from the latest version but groundbreaking back then and was named “the best real-time strategy game ever made” and was voted the seventh-best game of all time by IGN in both 2003 and 2005
On July 27, 2010, Blizzard Entertainment released StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the official sequel to StarCraft for Windows. The game introduces a new 3d game engine and the Havok physics engine. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and was released on March 12, 2013 before the final part of the trilogy was released on November 10, 2015; StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.
StarCraft Betting Tips and Tricks
Few things are better than seeing a return from your bets, especially if you have put time and effort into researching your bets. And whether you are a casual bettor or someone who takes it a bit more seriously, the basic rules apply, here are a few StarCraft betting tips.
- Watch the games often – Use YouTube & Twitch to research.
- Pick the right bet type – different bets for different styles.
- Use In-play betting – the odds change often.
- Know your player – How do they play?
- Accumulators – Combine bets to increase your winnings.
The golden rule is to make sure you a knowledgable about what you are betting on. When StarCraft betting online, it’s really easy to research as all games are streamed. How does a player play? An aggressive player is often a good bet in the maps betting market. And if you are confident that a few of the players you are backing will win, think about combining bets to enhance your pay-out.
StarCraft: Interesting Facts
As you can imagine for a game series that spans almost 25 years, players of the game are fanatics and not only love playing the game; they spend hours watching others play, hoping to learn a few hints and tips about the game. Therefore it’s not surprising that some players have a god-like status with other players.
In this next section, we share some of the facts and figures that have surprised us about StarCraft. We will share why StarCraft could be the key to you leaving your job, explain why you shouldn’t cheat when playing the game and tell you about the best place to watch games. All will be revealed.
You Could Make it Your Job!
Playing StarCraft is not only great fun, if you are good enough you could also make a living out of it, and gender doesn’t come into it. As shown by Professional StarCraft II Zerg player Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn has been named the highest earning woman in competitive videogames.She has even won a place in the coveted Guinness World Records. Scarlett has earned $144,414 in winnings from 91 separate tournaments since 2011.
Cheats Don’t Prospure
eSports have had their fair shareof scandals involving almost all the most popular games. StarCraft is no exception, and a large cheating ring was exposed in 2010 when players were found guilty of losing games. As professional gaming has legal recognition in South Korea, those caught were handed suspended jail sentences of up to 18 months.
Barcrafting
We’ve already discussed that StarCraft isn’t just fun to play; watching games has in itself become a popular pastime, and millions tune-in to watch major tournaments. Such is the demand to watch games; some pubs have shunned traditional sports like football and instead broadcast games. Called ‘Barcrafting’, fans get together to watch the action, with a beer or two, of course!
StarCraft Gambling vs. StarCraft Betting
One thing that catches many people off guard is the difference between StarCraft betting and gambling. In the context of eSports, the terms are different. StarCraft betting is placing real money bets on professional StarCraft matches, while StarCraft gambling includes wagering on in-game skins and currency.
Another crucial difference between eSports betting and gambling is gambling involves the player’s own performance, typically in a 1-vs-1 game. StarCraft betting, on the other hand, is a wager on other people playing the game.
Keep these differences in mind when you’re looking to bet on StarCraft, or eSports in general, as some websites are geared towards brokering 1-vs-1 matches between players looking to gamble in-game skins.
StarCraft Betting: Conclusion
If you are looking for the best StarCraft betting site, you will likely already be a player of the game. Therefore, you must find one of the betting sites that provides you with everything you need to place bets quickly and offers you the best in safety and security. As all of our recommended sites are fully licenced and regulated by the Gambling Commission, you have peace of mind when you place a bet.
We have handpicked the best StarCraft betting sites that we feel offer the best odds, have a great range of tournaments you can bet on. Many of sites offer extras such as great blog posts that cover eSports gaming and are a great source of news and information while other sites including bet365, enable you to stream the action while you bet, ensuring you never miss a second of the action. Whichever one of our recommended sites you choose, we are confident they will have all you need and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions: StarCraft Betting Sites
We have now reached the end of our StarCraft eSports betting guide, and we hope you have found this article interesting and informative. In this next section, will make sure we have answered all the frequently asked questions we receive about StarCraft betting sites. Each of the questions has a hyperlink to the topic to help you find what you need with just one click.
🏆 What are the best StarCraft gambling sites?
As we all want different things in an online betting site, the ideal StarCraft bookmaker for you depends on your needs. However, we have done all the hard work for you and narrowed down the hundreds of bookmakers we have reviewed to just five. All these sites offer great value and are totally secure. You can grab a great new customer deal, as you can see in our list of the top StarCraft bookies.
🎁 Are there any bonuses at StarCraft betting sites?
Absolutely, most of our regular visitors have more than one account at a bookmaker as it enables them to take advantage of the one-time-only deals that are on offer for checking out their product. For just five minutes of your time, you can open an account and be rewarded for doing so. The promotions come in all shapes and sizes, for more information, check out our dedicated StarCraft betting bonuses section.
💡 Where can I get some StarCraft betting tips?
Having a betting strategy is vital for any form of betting if you want to see a return on your money. Time is very seldom wasted by doing research, and we always encourage our visitors to ensure they watch as many games as possible to learn about playing styles and tactics. For further hints and tips, check out our StarCraft betting strategy section.
🤔 Is betting on StarCraft legal?
StarCraft betting is 100% legal at our recommended betting sites. To ensure your safety and security, we only feature bookmakers on this page that are fully licenced by the UK regulator, the Gambling Commission. The UK has some of the most stringent rules in place and to be licenced companies must ensure the highest standards. All you need to decide is who you wish to join, what type of bet you wish to place and enjoy the fun.