Top Dota 2 Betting Sites

There are plenty of betting opportunities within the DOTA 2 Pro Circuit, including Regional Leagues and three Majors every season. There’s also a thrilling annual International which sees the world’s best teams battle it out for a multi-million-dollar prize. Not sure where to start? Give our DOTA 2 betting guide a go. This page covers what you need to know about DOTA 2 betting at some of the best online bookies in the business — whether you’re looking to spice up your tournament viewing or put your knowledge of the DOTA 2 esports scene to the test, it’ll have you betting like a pro in no time!

Beginner’s Guide to Dota 2

Defense of the Ancients 2 — or as it’s more commonly known, DOTA 2 — is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Valve Corporation. Valve is well-known for hit games like Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the latter of which is another popular esport for betting. Valve is also the company behind the Steam platform, a games distribution service and digital storefront. While DOTA 2 itself is a standalone game, its roots lie in a community-created modification of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — the original Defense of the Ancients.

DOTA 2 is one of the world’s most successful esport games, with over 10 million active players and a thriving professional scene featuring hundreds of teams. Each year, the DOTA Pro Circuit features around 25 high-level tournaments with prize pools between $300,000 and a whopping $1 million. These tournaments are held in huge arenas and bring together the world’s best competitors. With so many huge DOTA 2 events, esports bettors will never be short of opportunities to win big.

How to Play DOTA 2

Before you start adding to your betslip, we recommend getting familiar with fundamentals of the game. DOTA 2 is highly complex, and it’s known among gamers for its steep learning curve. The game is played in a team versus team format with 5 players on each side. This esport mixes real-time strategy with role-playing game elements, and there’s a high skill ceiling for esports players — that’s part of what makes it so exciting. A professional game can last anywhere between 15 and 75 minutes and a match usually consists of two to five games.

The two teams, named Radiant and Dire, choose five heroes each out of a pool of more than 100 options at the start of every game, during what is called the drafting phase. Each hero has different strengths and weaknesses determined by its stats and abilities. Heroes have at least three basic abilities plus an ultimate — a unique power that can dramatically affect the outcome of a game. The drafting phase is where much of the strategy begins. Teams take it in turns to pick heroes, attempting to put together a complementary roster while countering the strengths of the opposition.

The Dota 2 Map, showing the Radiant and Dire sides and the three lanes — top, mid, and bottom

After the drafting phase, the two teams proceed to do battle on a two-sided map divided by a river. The ultimate goal is to destroy the opposing team’s Ancient, a large structure inside the team’s base. Each game of DOTA 2 begins with what’s called the ‘laning’ phase, where each hero kills non-player units called ‘creeps’ in one of the three lanes in order to gain gold. Throughout the match, players can use this gold to purchase items and upgrades, hopefully tipping the scales in their favour. 

As the match goes on, each hero becomes more and more powerful. At some point, a team will decide to make the first move and engage the enemy in combat. Win enough battles, and the heroes and creeps will advance towards the enemy base, where they’ll lay waste to the Ancient and other structures. The first team to destroy the other team’s Ancient claims victory and wins the match.

The DOTA 2 Esports Calendar

Once you pick a sportsbook and sign up, you’ll be able to bet on DOTA 2 throughout the year, thanks to the large number of competitions that take place during every competitive season. Within the DOTA Pro Circuit there are two types of events that offer DOTA 2 betting opportunities: Regional Leagues and Majors. Both are sponsored by Valve, who contributes a portion towards the prize pool.

Regional Leagues

Regional Leagues were first introduced in the 2021/22 DOTA 2 competitive season, replacing the Minors. There are six different regions, and each has its own league:

• NA – North America
• SA – South America
• WEU – West Europe
• EEU – East Europe
• CN – China
• SEA – Southeast Asia

There are two divisions within each league, I and II, with eight teams in each division. From the 2022/23 season, each division will last three weeks — down from six weeks in the 2021/22 season. Once a league ends, the bottom two teams in Division I and the top two teams in Division II swap places. The bottom two teams in Division II are eliminated and replaced by the winners of that region’s open qualifier.

DOTA 2 Majors

The Majors follow the Regional Leagues. There are two stages — the group stage and the play-offs. The group stage is a round robin tournament with two groups of nine teams each. Each match is the best of two. The top four teams from each group progress to the upper bracket of the play-offs, 5th and 6th place progress to the lower bracket, and the rest of the teams are eliminated.

At this stage, the play-offs begin. They’re double elimination, with losers from the upper bracket getting a second chance in the lower bracket. Each match is best of three, apart from the Grand Final which is best of five.

There are three Majors or ‘tours’ in each competitive season of DOTA 2 — winter, spring, and summer. Teams that progress to the play-offs receive DOTA Pro Circuit (DPC) points. At the end of the third Major, the 12 teams with the most DPC points are invited to The International, which closes out the competitive season.

The 2022/23 season has so far seen Gaimin Gladiators pull off 12 straight wins to claim victory against Team Liquid at March’s Lima Major. The remaining major tournaments — the spring and summer Majors — are set to be contested in Berlin in May and in Bali in July. 

The International

Closing out the DOTA 2 calendar is The International — DOTA’s world championship. It’s structured much like the DPC Majors. The International is contested by 20 teams: 12 places through DPC points, six determined by Regional Qualifiers, and two based on the Last Chance Qualifier.

Again, there’s a group stage, with two groups of 10 teams playing a best-of-two round robin. The top four in each group progress to the upper bracket of the Main Event play-offs, while 5th–8th place from each group progress to the lower bracket. The remaining teams are eliminated. The Main Event is a best-of-three double elimination tournament, except for the Grand Final. The winners of this last best-of-five match lift the trophy and are crowned the DOTA 2 World Champions — as well as taking home a hefty sum.

The International 2022 ran from 15-30 October in Singapore. The Playoffs took place at SunTec Singapore with the Finals held at Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tundra Esports brought home the bacon, taking first place at the event, along with earnings of $8,518,800. It is thought that The International will return to Seattle in 2023. 

DOTA 2 Minors

Minors were part of the previous DOTA 2 competitive circuit format which took place in the lead-up to The International. They featured prize pools of at least $300,000, with Valve contributing $150,000 towards that amount. As well as the money up for grabs, individual players were awarded Qualifying Points based on their performance. The number of qualifying points a team earned determined whether it was invited to compete in The International.

Examples of past Minor tournaments include the StarLadder i-League Invitational, DreamLeague Season, GESC: Thailand DOTA 2 Minor, Captains Draft 4.0, DOTA Summit and PGL Open Bucharest.

Which DOTA 2 Teams to Back

Much like any other form of sports betting, placing winning DOTA 2 wagers requires you to stay informed. While you could easily fill out your betslip with the bookies’ favourites or with a helping hand from the latest betting tips, the smart money is wagered after taking a closer look into the current state of the game and its professional scene. Keeping an eye on top DOTA 2 teams, along with their head-to-head records, recent form and individual player records can all prove helpful when trying to make accurate DOTA 2 predictions at our top bookies. Here are some of the teams to watch on the DOTA 2 Pro Circuit. 

Tundra Esports

The UK-based Tundra Esports formed in 2019 and features rosters across three of the most popular esports titles in the world: FIFA, Fortnite and DOTA 2. Having broke onto the DOTA 2 scene in 2021, Tundra went on to win the International 2022, racking up a 3-0 victory against Team Secret in a thrilling grand final. This came after Tundra had made it through the main event without losing a single series, so the team is definitely one to watch. Tundra’s line-up of top talent is already attracting major partners including TikTok and ambassador P Money. 

Nigma Galaxy

Headed up by Captain KuroKy, Nigma Galaxy is touted as a team to watch in the 2023 DOTA 2 season. Formerly Team Nigma, the team has recently seen player Miracle step down due to medical problems. His replacement ATF is something of a DOTA 2 legend who really shone for OG throughout the 2022 season, and there’s no reason to think he won’t do the same in 2023 for Nigma Galaxy. As well as KuroKy, ATF joins SumaiL, MinD_ContRoL and GH to take on the season’s challenges, so this is a team that could pack some punches in 2023.

Alliance

Founded in April 2013, and going on to win The International that same year, it took no time at all for Alliance to make a mark on the esports scene. There aren’t too many pro DOTA 2 teams that share the same level of history as Alliance, though the team struggled in the last DPC and failed to qualify for the big tournaments. With the entire roster now replaced, fans can now look forward to a new style of gameplay from several interesting players. s4, CharlieDOTA and Handsken all join this Western European team for 2023. 

Team Liquid

Team Liquid may have been seen off by Gaming Gladiators in Peru’s Lima Major, but that just makes the team an even better pick to watch. With top players like MiCKe, Nisha, zai, Boxi and Insania on the active playing roster, and a third-place spot in prestigious International 2022 behind them, this is a team that won’t take defeat all that easily. The best esports betting sites will have all the latest odds for Team Liquid matches, so be sure to check them out. 

Gaimin Gladiators

The spring Major winners have already proved themselves as a top DOTA 2 team to watch in 2023. In addition to the $200,000 won at the Lima Major, Gaimin Gladiators also took home almost $400,000 in prize money for their 9th place finish in The International 2022. The Canadian esports organisation will have started the season hoping to improve on their performance last season, and what a great start they’re off to. Gaimin Gladiators’ active roster includes Dyrachyo, Quinn, Ace, tOfu and Seleri.

DOTA 2 Betting Markets

Once you’ve figured out who to back, it’s time to head to your favourite esports betting site and choosing a market that gets some great value for your betslip. Let’s take a look at the most popular DOTA 2 betting markets:

• Tournament winner – a bet on a certain team to win a particular tournament.
• Tournament finalist – a bet on a certain team to qualify for the Grand Final of a particular tournament.
• Match winner – here, you’re betting on a certain team to win a particular match.
• Game winner – a bet on a certain team to win a particular game within a match. Dota 2 matches are usually played in a one-off, best of two, or best of three format, with best of five reserved for the Grand Final.
• Tournament statistic – a kind of proposition bet, markets that fall into this category are usually available before the start of very important tournaments. They allow you to predict outcomes such as most banned or picked hero and the highest gold per minute hero within a game.
• Game event – another type of prop bet, this time on the occurrence of a certain event within a particular game, such as a player getting a Rampage, an Aegis of the Immortal being stolen, a Courier getting killed, and so on.
• Team Firsts – these types of betting markets allow you to predict which team will be the first to achieve certain accomplishments, including first blood, destroy the first barracks, kill the first Roshan, etc.
• Handicaps – you’ll often find there are matchups with a clear favourite, in which case you could struggle to find any value. The handicap levels the playing field and can get you a much better price. You’re simply betting that a certain team will win a particular match while starting with either an advantage or a handicap, such as being 1.5 games or ‘maps’ behind (-1.5) or 1.5 maps ahead (+1.5).

Other Popular Esports

Along with markets on the biggest Dota matches, many of our recommended Dota 2 betting sites feature other popular esports. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest games you can bet on.

CS:GO

The fourth game in Valve’s long-running Counter-Strike video game series, Global Offensive pits two teams of five against each other — the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. The Ts must plant a bomb at one of two sites, while the CTs must kill the opposition or defuse the bomb. 

CS:GO remains one of the most popular esports around, and the large number of tournaments taking place each year provide ample betting options. Noteworthy events include DreamHack, the PGL Majors, Intel Extreme Masters, and the ESL Pro League.

League of Legends

League of Legends, or LoL as it’s commonly known, is one of the most popular MOBAs in the world. Launched in 2009, it was heavily inspired by the original Defense of the Ancients, and bears more than a few similarities to Dota 2. 

LoL is frequently lauded as the biggest esport in the world, and its healthy competitive season means there’s plenty to bet on throughout the year. Teams from around the world compete in 12 domestic leagues, leading up to the epic League of Legends World Championship.

StarCraft 2

Blizzard Entertainment released StarCraft 2 in 2010. The original StarCraft, released in 1998, spawned a strong competitive scene, so it’s no surprise the second instalment has followed in its footsteps.

StarCraft 2 is a real-time strategy game with a science fiction setting. Players choose one of three races — the Terrans, Protoss, or Zerg — to battle it out for galactic dominance. Competitive Starcraft 2 is played one-vs-one. Since 2020, Blizzard has partnered with ESL and DreamHack to run the ESL Pro Tour. The 2022–23 tour will culminate with IEM Katowice 2023 next February. 

Rainbow Six Siege

You’ll often find esports odds on Rainbow Six at the best Dota betting sites. Described as a tactical first-person shooter, the series is based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name. In Rainbow Six Siege, players take on attacker or defender roles, choosing from a range of ‘operators’ with unique weapons and abilities. Competitive matches are played in the Bomb game mode, where the attackers must attempt to defuse two bombs. 

There are a number of regional leagues for Rainbow Six, while the Six Invitational sees the best teams from around the world compete for the top spot.

Dota 2 Betting Site Features

Our recommended bookies offer a range of different features that can elevate your Dota 2 betting experience. Take a look below — if a particular feature is important to you, check out our comprehensive betting site reviews before signing up to ensure your chosen site offers it.

Live Streaming

While a vast number of esports events can be streamed on the likes of Twitch and YouTube, some Dota 2 betting sites integrate this feature directly into their sportsbooks. We love sites that provide this functionality. It’s more convenient than streaming the match elsewhere, and you won’t miss any of the action while you browse the markets. Live streaming is particularly useful if you’re interested in in-play betting — more on that next.

In-Play Betting

Traditionally, bets are placed before a match or event begins, but many Dota 2 betting sites allow customers to wager on a game once it’s already underway. This feature is called in-play or live betting. While there’s often a clear favourite in any given esports match, some may prefer to wait and see if their performance is up to snuff before placing a bet. Or maybe you backed a team pre-match and they’re having an absolute shocker — with an in-play bet, it’s not too late to change tack. 

Hand in hand with in-play betting is early cash out, where you can lock in an early profit on a winning bet — albeit a smaller one — or cut your losses and receive some of your stake back on a losing wager. Many of the best Dota 2 betting sites offer both live betting and early cash out.

Request a Bet

Got a particular bet in mind but can’t find a market for it? Dota 2 betting sites with Request a Bet have you covered. As esports betting is still in relatively early days, there aren’t always tons of markets available on a given Dota 2 match. Request a Bet provides a way to fill in the gaps. 

The possibilities are pretty much endless here — although whether the bookie accepts your bet is another matter! These features often rely on social media sites like Twitter, whereby you can message the Dota 2 betting site with your proposed wager. They’ll then do some calculations behind the scenes and offer you a price or decline the bet.

Dota 2 Betting Bonuses

A bonus — whether you’re a new or existing customer — is a great way to get started with Dota 2 betting. Using one of our top betting offers means you’ll be able to bet on Dota 2 without risking your own money, but you’ll still take home the winnings if your wager comes good. 

As with any betting bonus, it’s essential you read the terms and conditions in full before you claim so you understand the requirements and limitations, and also to make the most of your bonus. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer.

Dota 2 Betting Site Payment Options

Once you’re signed up with a Dota 2 betting site, you’ll need to deposit some funds. There’s a multitude of services available to esports bettors of all preferences. Let’s take a look at some options below.

Bet on DOTA 2

Now that you’re all clued up on DOTA 2 betting, you’ll need to find a top esports betting site to have a punt on the next big match! Check out our list of the very best esports bookmakers available online. It’s packed full of the best bonuses, markets, and promos around. Simply compare, sign up, and place your bets!