Stake Esports Betting: CS2, League of Legends, Dota 2 & Valorant
Esports has gone from a niche to a fixture on the sportsbook, with world-class tournaments streaming almost every week. Here's how betting on competitive gaming works on Stake, from series formats to live map markets.
Match Winner
Map 2 Winner
Total Maps
Handicap
Match Winner
Game 4 Winner
Total Games
Handicap
Match Winner
Map 1 Winner
Total Maps
Handicap
Match Winner
Map 2 Winner
Total Maps
Handicap
Match Winner
Total Goals
Both Teams Score
Handicap
Prime time for Canadian fans. North American leagues usually play in the evening Eastern Time, while European events land in Canadian mornings.
The main esports on the board
Each game has its own rhythm, formats and favourite markets.
Betting on series, maps and rounds
Esports matches are usually played as a series of maps or games. That gives every fixture several layers of markets: who wins the series, who takes each map, and how many rounds or kills a map will produce.
Because teams play many matches a year, form and head-to-head records are easy to research. Map pools in shooters and draft picks in MOBAs add extra angles that traditional sports simply don't have.
Popular esports markets
| Market | Typical games | What you're backing | Example (CA$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series winner | All | The team that wins the BO3 or BO5 | CA$25 @ 1.55 → CA$38.75 |
| Map winner | CS2, Valorant | Winner of a single map | CA$10 @ 2.10 → CA$21.00 |
| Map handicap | CS2, LoL, Dota 2 | Favourite to win 2–0, or underdog to take a map | CA$10 @ 2.40 → CA$24.00 |
| Total maps | All series | Over/under 2.5 maps in a BO3 | CA$25 @ 2.05 → CA$51.25 |
| Total rounds / kills | CS2, Valorant, LoL | Combined rounds or kills on a map | CA$10 @ 1.87 → CA$18.70 |
| Tournament winner | Majors, Worlds, Champions | Outright winner of the event | CA$10 @ 8.00 → CA$80.00 |
Live betting tips by game
Counter-Strike 2
Economy decides a lot. A team on a forced buy is far weaker for the next round, and pistol rounds swing the opening of each half.
League of Legends
Objectives like dragons and Baron often matter more than early kills. A gold lead can evaporate after one lost team fight.
Dota 2
Drafts with strong late-game heroes can look behind early and still be favourites. Read the draft before backing the early leader.
Valorant
Map choice and side matter — some maps heavily favour attackers or defenders in the first half.
Interested in virtual football? Our FIFA betting guide covers EA Sports FC in detail.
Following esports from Canada
North American leagues play in convenient evening slots, while European events typically fall in Canadian mornings and early afternoons. Asian tournaments — especially League of Legends in Korea and China — often run overnight.
Canadian players feature on rosters across many top titles, giving local fans plenty of reasons to follow along. Keep an eye on roster moves, which happen often between splits and seasons.
Research checklist
- Recent form over the last 10 series
- Map pool or champion pool strengths
- Stand-ins and roster changes
- LAN vs online results
Stake esports betting FAQ
Back your team on Stake
Register with GETRAKEBACK to unlock Rakeback, then head to the esports section of the sportsbook.