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VBet
Excellent esports markets
8.1/10Rated 8.1 out of 10
- Wide range of markets, including niche sports
- Licensed by the UK Gambling Commission
- Large in-play schedule
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
9 licensed sportsbooks compared
Best Esports Betting Sites in the UK for 2026
Licensed sportsbooks in the UK with markets on CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and other esports.
Best Esports Betting Sites in the UK
1 2 
BetMGM
Wide esports coverage
9.1/10Rated 9.1 out of 10Welcome offer
4 x £10 Free Bets
- High-value welcome offers
- MGM Rewards points in the US
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org Deposit £10+ and place a sports bet within 7 days. Min odds apply. Free bets expire in 7 days.
3 
LeoVegas
Wide esports coverage
9.0/10Rated 9.0 out of 10Welcome offer
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
- Polished, mobile-first app
- Owned by MGM Resorts
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org Deposit £10+ and place a sports bet within 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtuals, esports and horse racing.
4 
bet365
Wide esports coverage
8.9/10Rated 8.9 out of 10Welcome offer
£30 in Free Bets
- Sharp odds across major sports
- Unmatched live and soccer markets
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org Min deposit and qualifying bet required. Min odds and time limits apply. Bet Credit stakes not returned.
5 
William Hill
Wide esports coverage
8.8/10Rated 8.8 out of 10Welcome offer
Bet £10, Get £30 Bonus
- Founded in 1934, one of the UK's best-known bookmakers
- Deep horse racing and football markets
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org £10 sportsbook stake at min odds 1/2. Excludes virtuals.
6 
Unibet
Wide esports coverage
8.7/10Rated 8.7 out of 10Welcome offer
£40 in Free Bets
- Licensed in several regulated markets
- Strong football and racing coverage
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org £20+ sports bet at min odds 2.0 within 7 days, debit card or instant bank transfer. Free bets expire in 7 days.
7 
Betway
Wide esports coverage
8.5/10Rated 8.5 out of 10Welcome offer
£40 in Free Bet Tokens
- Clean, easy-to-use app
- Strong football coverage
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org £10 pre-event bet at min odds 2.0, debit card only. Tokens expire in 7 days.
8 
Betfred
Major esports events
8.7/10Rated 8.7 out of 10Welcome offer
Bet £10, Get £30 Sports + £20 Bet Builder Free Bets
- Generous welcome offer including bet builder free bets
- Wide horse racing coverage
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org £10+ first bet at Evens or bigger, debit card deposit, settled within 7 days. Free bets expire in 7 days.
9 
Highbet
Major esports events
7.9/10Rated 7.9 out of 10Welcome offer
£30 in Free Bets
- Racing and football free bets for new customers
- Runs on a UKGC-licensed platform
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org £10 first bet at min odds 1/1 within 7 days of registering. 2 x £10 racing + 1 x £10 football acca free bets.
How we ranked them
We checked which licensed sportsbooks in the UK offer esports and how deep their coverage goes: the number of titles, tournaments beyond the majors, and map or round markets. Books with the widest esports offering rank first; ties are broken by our overall score.
What to look for
- Coverage of CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant
- Map, round and handicap markets, not just match winner
- Live betting with stream integration or match trackers
- Tier 2 tournaments as well as the majors
Esports betting under UK rules
Esports betting is legal in the UK with Gambling Commission-licensed bookmakers, on the same terms as any other sport. The most popular titles for betting are Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and Valorant, with tournaments running almost every week and big events filling arenas across Europe.
Esports differs from traditional sports in a few ways. Rosters change often, patches can alter which teams are strongest, and many matches are played online where information is limited. A good esports sportsbook needs to keep up with all of that and offer markets for map winners, handicaps and totals as well as the match result.
Research looks different too. Instead of team sheets and injury news, esports bettors follow roster announcements, map pools, recent patch notes and head-to-head records on specific maps. Smaller online qualifiers can have thin information and lower limits, so the biggest LAN events are usually the most predictable place to start.
Why VBet comes first
VBet is the only sportsbook on our UK list rated excellent for esports, which is why it tops this ranking despite placing lower overall. Its strength in niche sports carries over: it lists a wide range of titles and tournaments, including smaller events that bigger bookmakers often leave out. It does not offer live streaming, so you will need to watch matches on Twitch or YouTube.
BetMGM, second here, gives wide coverage of the major titles with a stronger overall product and live streaming on its sportsbook. LeoVegas, bet365, William Hill, Unibet and Betway also cover the main competitions well, while Betfred and Highbet stick to the biggest events.
Esports markets explained
Esports markets borrow from traditional sports but are built around maps and series:
- Match winner: usually settled on a best-of-one, best-of-three or best-of-five series.
- Map handicap: for example, a team at -1.5 maps must win 2-0 in a best-of-three.
- Map winner and correct map score.
- Total rounds or kills: over or under bets for a single map.
- Tournament outright: priced before and during major events.
Points to watch
Check the rules on substitute players and technical pauses before betting, as settlement can vary when a match is replayed or a roster changes at the last minute. Esports audiences skew young, and UK-licensed bookmakers verify age before you can deposit or bet, as betting is restricted to over-18s.
Skin betting and unlicensed crypto sites that operate outside UK rules do not offer the protections described here, such as dispute resolution and GAMSTOP self-exclusion. All the sites on this page hold a Gambling Commission licence.