Paddy Power eSports
Having initially been founded in 1988, Paddy Power quickly became Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, gaining an excellent reputation for their range of markets and additional features. As a result, it comes as little surprise that the bookmaker were one of the first to introduce eSports betting markets to their site, bringing in a whole new form of customer. Whether it be Dota 2, League of Legends, StarCraft 2, Overwatch or Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Paddy Power offer a wide range of options on their excellent online betting platform.
At present, punters at Paddy Power are generally only able to bet upon the match winner and outright tournament winner markets, however their range of markets does increase for more high-profile eSports events. Let’s take a closer look at the eSports offerings of Paddy Power for those interested in gaining a better understanding of their progress in this area.
Paddy Power eSports History
Having first offered eSports betting markets back in 2011, mainly in the form of Counter Strike, Call of Duty and Halo events, Paddy Power took a brief hiatus from the eSports world as a result of a lack of interest from customers. However, with both League of Legends and Dota having gained significantly in popularity, they quickly reversed their decision, choosing to introduce StarCraft 2, Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone in the process.
Paddy Power eSports: League of Legends
League of Legends has quickly become the most popular eSports title around, with the game offering players a combination of both speed and intensity. In terms of betting markets surrounding the game, punters at Paddy Power are able to bet upon the 2-way betting market, as well as outright competition winners. When it comes to major events such as DreamHack, significantly more markets are on offer, including individual map winners and first to 10 kills. The likes of Cloud9, Fnatic and Edward Gaming are among the favourites for the upcoming Spring Split, with odds ranging from 7/2 to 4/1 for the trio.
Paddy Power eSport: Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Counter Strike: Global Offensive is the most popular first-person shooter eSports game at present, and despite not being readily available at Paddy Power, more and more events are being covered throughout the eSports calendar. Events such as the ESEA, ESL Pro League, iBUYPOWER Masters and Dreamhack summer and winter are all available to bet upon, however they again come in the form of match betting and outright winner markets.
Paddy Power eSports: Other Titles
Overwatch, Dota 2 and StarCraft 2 are three other eSports titles that regularly feature with Paddy Power, with the profile of the tournament generally determining the number of markets that will be available to punters. The International, DAC, Halo World Championships, CWL Championship, Blizzcon and Smite World Championship are just some of the major events offered to customers at Paddy Power.
Elsewhere, Paddy Power do not currently offer any promotions when it comes to eSports, however their generous welcome offer can certainly be used in conjunction with such markets, meaning that eSports fans do not need to miss out. Given the improvements that Paddy Power have made in other areas of their betting platform, it is likely that their eSports offerings are likely to be enhanced in this area too, something that will be music to the ears of gaming fans.
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