Dota 2 Betting Australia
In this review we'll take a look at Australian Dota 2 betting sites: what to bet on, where and how, and which niche Dota 2 betting markets to look at if you're interested in betting on something other than The International.
Best Betting Site for Dota 2: Top 10 in Australia
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Dota 2 Betting Advice
The main advice for those who want to bet on DOTA 2 is don't live in South Australia. Esports betting is banned there. However, you can bet on Esports in the rest of Australia. Just keep in mind, Dota 2 is one of the most complex games, and definitely the most complex among popular Esports disciplines.
So before you place bets on Dota 2, at least start watching the matches. Or better yet, play the game yourself. At first glance, Dota 2 might seem to be the same as League of Legends, but it's much more complex. Over 100 characters are just the tip of the iceberg.
The hardest thing to understand about the dynamics of Dota 2 at the entry level is the multitude of items to purchase, most of which have more than one ability that changes a character's power. And in Tier 1 team games, it's all about interaction. There's nothing more impressive than a perfectly coordinated teamkill that decides the outcome of a battle.
Here's what you need to know to understand how a Dota 2 game is played:
You will figure it out faster and better if you play the game yourself. Tutorials on YouTube can also help. In general, we assume that if you're interested in our article about Dota 2 betting, you have a general idea about the game. But just in case, here's a quick recap.
What is Dota 2 Betting?
Bets on Dota 2 are a regular section of Esports. There is always something to bet on in this game: for example, a bet on which team will be the first to destroy a tower will be settled in just a few minutes. For niche tournament matches, the Dota 2 betting sites tend to offer a narrow selection of bets, but the advantage of Esports is that even a typical bet on the match winner will come with a live stream.
Dota 2 map
The main distinguishing feature of Dota 2 is its complexity. The broadcast moves from hero to hero all the time, and at first it will be difficult for you to understand who is trying to kill whom and why. Over time, you'll get used to evaluating the entire map that's in the corner of the screen. You will start to understand what kind of techniques each player is using and what he/she is preparing the hero for by pumping him in a certain way.
Dota 2: picking heroes
In this article, we'll give a short introduction to the world of Dota 2 and the bets on it.
Where to Watch DOTA 2 Live
If you're going to bet on the game, it's a good idea to watch it directly on the Dota 2 betting sites. Unfortunately, not all Australian Dota 2 betting sites provide live streaming. But there are other options:
Do all Esports Betting Sites provide Dota Betting Markets?
Pretty much all of them. There is a couple of betting sites that only offer CS:GO out of all Esports. But the vast majority of betting sites who offer Esports betting also provide bets on Dota 2.
Dota 2 Bet Types
There are several bet types on Dota 2. Bets on match winner are accepted by all Dota 2 betting sites who have the game. However, the other bets are not available on all Dota 2 betting sites and not for all matches. As in classic sports, the betting options for major tournaments are more extensive than for lesser-known tournaments and leagues.
Dota 2 betting markets at Picklebet
Betting options on Dota 2:
What does it all mean?
1/Х/2. The common reference for the simplest bet on a win. In best-of-3 and best-of-5 matches, it's "1/2" - who wins. But Dota 2 also has a best-of-2 format, where a draw is possible.
Map Handicap. A bet on the winning team with a specific map handicap (-1.5) or (-2.5), or with the same positive handicap. Integer handicaps (-1) are very rare in Esports betting.
Map - Kills (Frags) Handicap. A bet on one of the teams to get more kills (frags) by a certain margin. The team does not necessarily have to win. In Dota 2, a win is not decided by kills (frags). The objective is to destroy the opponent's ancient (throne).
Over/Under Maps. A bet on how many maps are played in total in bo3 and bo5 formats. In bo2, obviously, two maps will always be played.
Over/Under Kills (Frags). A bet on how many total kills of heroes will be made on the map (or in a match).
Race to Kills (Frags). A bet is on which team is fastest to complete a certain number of kills of the opponent's heroes.
Race to 10, 20, 30 kills at Picklebet
To Destroy the 1st Tower. The towers guard half of the map, which belongs to your team. They line up on both sides of the map and in the middle. Destroying a tower is difficult because it has a large health bar and is painfully firing back. Bets can be placed on which team will destroy the opponent's tower first.
To Destroy the 1st Barracks. A barrack is essentially the same as a tower. Only this construction is directly in front of the ancient and is better fortified. While destroying a tower does not mean anything, taking down the barracks is a win signal, as the ancient is close. Also, destroying the other team's barracks gives your team stronger creeps. You can bet on which team destroys the opponent's first barracks sooner.
'Firsts' Dota 2 live betting markets at Picklebet
Roshan Kill. Roshan is the most powerful of the neutral creeps living in the forest. No player kills it alone, and even in pairs it is unlikely, so killing it requires a coordinated team effort. After death, Roshan drops valuable items that boost heroes. A bet is on which team kills the first Roshan
TOP 10 Best Betting Sites Dota 2 in Australia
The top betting brand is first and foremost known for its excellent betting service on popular traditional sports. But today's bettors enjoy more than just football, tennis and basketball, and Bet365 is well aware of that. That's why it can now also be called one of the best Esports bookmakers in the world. There are regularly 10-15 disciplines in the markets, but the so-called "Big Three", which includes Dota 2, are the best represented.
The Dota 2 betting site does not offer betting on Tier 4 events, but the range of Dota 2 betting markets will satisfy the majority of punters. All regular DPC and BTS regional tournaments are represented, and you can bet on niche events like the EPL World Series and Claro Gaming Apu League in the off-season.
Range of Dota 2 betting markets at Bet365 is controversial. On the one hand, there can be around 100 options on top matches, and it's great. Bets are accepted on the first opponent and Roshan kills, first tower and barracks destruction, different game situations and player stats. However, the options for Over/Under and handicaps are limited to just two markets. Instead of a wide range of O/U, the "Winning margin" market is offered. In order to win, you have to pick a winner and get into the range of his advantage on kills - obviously, not everyone will like such a non-standard option.
Tier 3 matches do not spoil the variety of markets, but apart from the Match and Map Winner, you can bet on O/U Kills and Kills Handicap, as well as Odd/Even - about 10-15 options in total.
Live streaming is only offered for Tier 1 competitions, although it would be nice to add video for Tier 2 tournaments as well.
Despite the flaws, Bet365 is the best Dota 2 betting site in Australia, as its service is enough to beat the competition. And here you can find one of the best odds on the market. However, the other bookmakers also have a lot to offer.
The popular Australian fully licensed bookmaker clearly makes money on horse racing, but understands that the interests of Esports fans must also be respected in order to remain competitive.
The Dota 2 markets and odds at Bookmaker.com.au are as good as the best among the competition. The Dota 2 betting site keeps a close eye on The International, majors and prestigious regular tournaments. There are bets on Tier 2 and Tier 3 tournaments like Sapphire OGA Dota Pit, European Pro League and Claro Gaming Apu League. Tier 4 tournaments with a high proportion of match-fixing are of no interest to the bookmaker.
The range of markets for top matches has 20-30 options with a good choice of Over/Under Kills and Kills Handicaps. Less variety offered for off-season Tier 3 events: 10-15 different bets are available. Note the presence of First Map/Match Result markets and other prop bets, very relevant to Dota 2.
Bookmaker.com.au does not provide live streaming for Esports matches. Among other disadvantages, note the strange abbreviations of team names on the match page, which at the same time does not include the name of the match itself. If you're looking at the extended markets with the prop bets included, keep the team names in mind, or you might get lost in a set of symbols like HKR, MK, NS, MNSP and others.
A unique representative of our list of the best Dota 2 betting sites because it is not a bookmaker in Australia. In other countries, Betfair has a traditional betting service with fixed odds, but in Australia only the betting exchange is legal.
There is no margin on the exchange and you can offer your own betting odds for events there. So you can often expect more competitive odds for exchange bets than on a betting site. Unfortunately, Betfair offers a small number of market types on Dota 2. For unpopular matches, you can only bet (or create bets) on the match winner. On the other hand, the ability to bet on and against (lay) markets can diversify the game immensely.
Betfair does not set any betting limits. You bet against other punters, which means you can bet on one market an amount that is balanced and guarantees you and your opponents an appropriate payout, whatever the outcome of the match. Unfortunately, Tier 3 competitions are not exciting for bettors as there is almost no liquidity: your betting offer will very often simply not be answered.
As you can see, the advantages of the exchange are balanced by its disadvantages. But the betting exchange provides a whole new experience to gamble which you may find lucrative. Betfair is worth a try for everyone who wants to start betting on Dota 2.
Another quality legal Australian service that runs on the same software as Bookmaker.com.au. Betstar not only offers betting on the popular DPC and BTS events, but also on Tier 3 tournaments like the European Pro League, Claro Gaming Apu League and others. So you can bet on Dota 2 both in the middle of the season and in the depressing off-season.
There are dozens of markets to bet on for the top matches. The selection of markets for unpopular events is quite limited, but the number of options per match rarely falls below 10. Many other Dota 2 betting sites only offer betting on match wins.
Betstar doesn't have live streaming of Esports events on their website, but if you know what Twitch is, that's not a problem. For mobile betting fans, we recommend downloading the app from Google Play.
Australian betting platform Ladbrokes has nothing in common with the UK one, apart from the brand name. But in terms of Esports betting and betting on Dota 2, they're just as good and can be considered one of the best Dota 2 betting sites.
The Dota 2 betting site provides markets on almost all professional levels except Tier 4, and that's enough to bet on Dota 2 game at any time of year. Between the majors and the Internationals there are regular DPC and BTS tournaments, the prestigious Gamers Without Borders and Gamers Galaxy, and plenty of Tier 3 events like the Claro Gaming Apu League.
The number of markets to bet on Dota 2 depends on the level of the match. For the most popular games, there are a few dozen markets, good spreads of O/U and handicaps, and bets on different game events. For unpopular matches, there are around 10 options: not only team wins but also basic selection of Over/Under Kills and Kills Handicaps.
There is no live streaming of Dota 2 on the site, but Twitch will help you out. Download the Ladbrokes mobile app from Google Play if you like to bet on Dota 2 from your mobile device.
There are several shooters available in the Esports section of Neds: CS:GO, Valorant, Call of Duty, Rainbow 6 Siege. What about betting on Dota 2?
Overall, the service is pretty good. For the best Esports matches, there are a few dozen markets to bet on, although for Tier 2 and Tier 3 events it's squeezed down to 10-15 options. There are no bets on Tier 4, as the bookmaker is wary of match-fixing, and it is justified.
The website and app support live streaming, although Australian bookmakers don't usually show matches on their betting sites. The mobile app can be downloaded from Google Play.
Most Australian punters bet on Dota 2 and other sports from their phones, so MoneyBall has not developed a betting platform for the website. The bookmaker only accepts bets through the app, which can be downloaded from Google Play. Surely some people would prefer to bet on the website as well, at least because the computer screen can accommodate more information, and it's quicker to navigate through the sections. But if you're used to betting from your phone, there's no problem with the MoneyBall app. It loads and runs quickly, the design is quite ascetic, and the navigation is convenient.
The betting service itself is controversial. If you don't see Dota 2 markets, that doesn't mean they don't exist. The Dota 2 betting site only accepts bets on Tier 1 and Tier 2 matches, so Dota 2 disappears from the betting markets in the breaks between big tournaments and in the off-season. The range of bets is quite limited. About 20-30 markets are provided for the most popular matches, but only around 10 for Tier 2 events.
Dota 2 is clearly not a priority discipline for MoneyBall, but if you only bet on the top matches, while following traditional sports more often, you can try this betting app.
Judging by the betting markets, Picklebet wants to present itself as an Esports bookmaker. The Esports disciplines are highlighted in a separate list above the list of traditional sports.
The bookmaker is offering Esports betting on more than 10 disciplines in the middle of the season, with Dota 2 not among the key ones. Tournaments up to and including Tier 3 are available. In general, Picklebet is interested in very niche events in other Esports disciplines, but the lower professional level of Dota 2 is not among them, like many other Dota 2 betting sites.
A good selection of bets is only expected for the most popular matches. For the top tournaments, several dozen different bets may be offered, although the figure is clearly not a record. The situation with Tier 3 is the same as at many bookmakers who have added Dota 2 just to have it, with not a lot of markets or excellent odds. For unpopular matches, only Match/Map Winner markets are available.
Live streaming of some games is available on the website, but you have to register to watch it.
The bookmaker focuses on traditional sports, especially Australian horse racing, but also has something to offer to Dota 2 fans.
Pointsbet only covers Tier 1 and Tier 2 tournaments, so you won't find less prestigious events like the BTS Pro Series Southeast Asia. It's not good news if the big tournament season is over, because there's not much to bet on.
The range of bets is only good for the top matches. For unpopular events, there are mostly only markets for match wins, and it's not always possible to bet on the winner of the map. There are also no Over/Under and Handicaps.
Pointsbet does not provide streaming of Esports. Note the availability of a Cash Out, which is not often available for Dota 2. Mobile apps can be downloaded from Google Play.
Sportsbet focuses on two Espotrs games - CS:GO and eFootball, but you can bet on Dota 2 as it is also on the list of disciplines. Objectively, it is the least competitive in the Australian legal betting market. Matches are added without any system: there may be bets on a Tier 3 tournament, but not on Tier 2. It's not uncommon for Dota 2 to disappear due to a lack of offers. When it does exist, you can't count on an abundance of bets. Often there is only a market for a Team to win a match, even if it is a bo3 and it would be logical to expect bets on the winner of the individual map.
So far, Dota 2 at Sportsbet is at best a supplement to bets on other disciplines, if it's even available. Perhaps the bookmaker will improve its service. We won't make any promises, but we will keep an eye on it and let you know if something changes.
Are Dota 2 Skin Betting Sites the Same as Dota 2 Betting Sites?
Among legal bookmakers, there are currently no Dota 2 betting sites that accept skins betting. Game authors are fighting this practice, and it is slowly becoming a thing of the past. A few years ago, such betting was popular. Despite the fact that "skin betting" sounds to many like "games for candy wrappers", some skins are very expensive and have great value in the community.
Is Dota 2 Betting Legal?
Betting on Dota 2 is no different to all other forms of Esports and traditional sports. Yes, it is legal, but sadly not across the continent: as of December 2022, Esports betting is illegal for residents of South Australia.
Biggest Dota 2 Events to Bet On
The International
The International, or simply TI, is the Dota 2 biggest tournament in the world and one of the highest-budget Esports events with the biggest prize pools. It is true that in 2022 TI slowed down a lot, and the prize fund was "only" 8 million dollars. But a year earlier Bucharest hosted the most generous tournament in the history of Esports so far - TI 10 with a prize pool of 40 million dollars.
TI qualifiers take place throughout the year. Teams compete in regional leagues. Qualifiers are held in three rounds with each round ending in a major. The winners receive prize money and qualifying points for TI.
20 teams participated in the International 2022 in Singapore.
Dota Pro Circuit
A professional Dota 2 league that is played throughout the year. There are 9 majors and 13 minors (smaller tournaments). Teams win more prize money and more DPC points in the majors.
At the end of the season, the more DPC points a team has, the better their chances of getting a direct invite to The International.
BTS Pro Series
A tournament from Beyond the Summit Studio that has two leagues: South East Asian and American (North and South). Each league has a prize pool of around $40 000.
Tournament games are played online.
How to Choose the Best Dota 2 Betting Site
The method for choosing the best Dota 2 betting site depends on what you plan to bet on and how often. We evaluate these Dota 2 betting sites based on several parameters:
Analytics and betting tips. We mention this out of the top, because it's a matter of the near future. Right now, the Dota 2 betting sites do not provide access to match analysis and do not give any betting tips on Dota 2. But in other sports, like horse racing, some betting sites have predictions and analytics. And there are Dota 2 analysts who talk about tournaments and teams, parsing the game and making assumptions. It is only a matter of time before the interests of the two sides meet. We will certainly write about the bookmakers who will provide this first. Given the complexity of the game, this is a serious advantage.
If you prefer to bet on Dota 2 only during the biggest events, you'll be fine with almost any bookmaker, which has Esports. All bookmakers will accept bets on the major tournaments, and most of them will have some sort of variety in the betting markets.
If you're interested in unusual bets, and not just Team to win and Over/Under Maps, then the range of markets will be crucial for you. Just above in this review, we have provided the bookmakers' descriptions, and it is noted which of the Dota 2 betting sites offer a wide range of different bets.
For some people, it is important to be able to bet on any day. These people want the Dota 2 betting sites that offer Tier 3 events. Not every Dota 2 betting site covers such matches and offer odds for them, because they are interesting only for a very small circle of people.
If you're only looking for the most standard bets on which team will win, you should probably choose a bookmaker for Dota 2 by general parameters: how easy is the navigation of a particular site, what bonuses the bookmaker offers, deposit options, how convenient and fast you can deposit and withdraw money.
And if you're just looking for the great odds, the smartest solution is to have a betting account with more than one bookmaker. For different matches and for different markets, the best odds may be at one bookmaker or the other.
Dota 2 Betting Bonuses
Unfortunately, you can't find out in advance what Dota 2 betting sites are offering bonuses for Dota 2. In Australia, it is illegal to attract new bettors through bonuses. To find out what ongoing promotions are available, you must first register to become a customer of a particular betting company.
All we can say is don't get your hopes up with Dota 2 betting bonuses. Esports promotions are not the most popular way to spend the marketing budget. Few bookmakers offer some exciting Esports bonuses. Almost certainly you won't find bonuses for Dota 2 until just before The International.