Fifa Betting Sites

FIFA Esports Betting in the UK

One of the most popular video games in the world has also become a leading esports. FIFA esports betting has been growing in popularity at a rapid rate over the course of recent years.

For some football fans, the idea of betting on the outcome of a video game might seem strange. But esports betting started to get more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when a lot of sports such as football were paused for a long period as it was not deemed safe to play them.

Many of the world's top footballers duly took part in FIFA esports events during this time and, naturally, some of the UK's top online betting sites began to offer odds on the competitions.

It all means FIFA esports betting is one of the top trends in the world of iGaming right now. Those who have never placed esports wagers before are likely to have questions, though, such as what the top FIFA betting sites are, which FIFA betting markets are popular and if it is legal.

Introduction to FIFA Esports Betting

Esports betting is still relatively new, but many experts are backing it to become a bigger part of the online gambling industry in the coming years as betting on games like FIFA takes off more.

With sports such as football having to be paused due to the global pandemic, esports betting on games such as FIFA stepped up to fill the gap and it has continued to get more popular since.

Betting on FIFA matches works in much the same way as on a real-life game of football. The top esports betting sites have a range of popular FIFA betting markets to pick from. It is possible to place outright bets on top FIFA esports events, as well as on each individual match as well.

Some of the leading FIFA esports betting sites in the UK also give their customers a chance to bet live in-play on some of the biggest FIFA matches, while these can sometimes be streamed. This gives people browsing FIFA betting markets the chance to follow all of the top action live.

One thing to keep an eye on regarding FIFA esports betting is the fact the latest version of the game - FIFA 23, which was released ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup - will be the last officially licensed edition to be made by EA Sports, which has a long association with football games. FIFA, the governing body of the beautiful game, now has plans to launch its own title.

This means FIFA esports betting is going to be entering a state of flux, but it is likely that the top esports betting sites in the UK will also be offering markets on whatever game EA launches.

While esports betting markets for the likes of Call of Duty, League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive may be more popular right now, FIFA betting is on the rise in a big way.

Popular FIFA Betting Markets

Match betting: The most common type of FIFA betting in the UK is simply on an individual match, with users given the chance to place a wager on which player scores the most goals. The winner of a FIFA esports event is just the same as in any other regular football game.

Handicap betting: In esoccer events where one team or player is a big favourite in the eyes of FIFA betting sites, then handicap betting could also be of interest too. This means that one of the teams or players is essentially given a headstart when the betting odds are being applied.

Outright winner: As well as placing wagers on the outcome of individual FIFA matches, it is also possible to place outright winner bets on events such as the FIFA World Cup too. These are some of the most popular esoccer betting options during the biggest esports events.

Futures: Some of the best FIFA betting sites in the UK have a variety of futures markets. These ante-post options include markets for events like the FIFA World Cup well in advance of them.

Prop bets: Leading FIFA betting sites also have some prop bets for their customers to browse. Examples of the best prop bets in the world of esoccer betting include a player to be named the top goalscorer in a competition, or over/under on goals scored in an entire FIFA tournament.

Popular Fifa Betting Tournaments and Esports Events to Bet On

So with that in mind, what are the top FIFA betting tournaments and esports events to bet on?

FIFAe World Cup: Previously known as the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) and the FIFA eWorld Cup, this is, without doubt, the pinnacle when it comes to esoccer betting events. As millions of keen FIFA players are given the chance to compete in the initial online stages of the FIFAe World Cup, this can be a particularly difficult competition for predicting the outcome. While both the 2020 and 2021 editions of the FIFAe World Cup, unfortunately, had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event returned in 2022 and was won by a German player, Umut Gültekin (Umut), who beat Nicolas Villalba on penalties in the final.

eChampions League: Matching the European elite club competition in the real sport, the eChampions League has become one of the leading esports events on the planet. In the eChampions League, solo players are able to compete for a prize pool worth $280,000. It has been confirmed that the eCL Finals will take place in early June, during the week of the UEFA Champions League final 2023 which is set to be played in the capital city of Turkey, Istanbul.

ePremier League (ePL): Returning for the 2022/23 season, the ePremier League gives FIFA experts the chance to compete for the chance to win a share of a £100,000 prize pool. In the ePremier League, a series of online open qualification tournaments are held to whittle down the competition, after which the Grand Final will take place on 25 and 26 March 2023 in London.

FIFA Global Series: The FIFA Global Series gives players a chance to earn a spot in the FIFAe World Cup, so this is the starting point for a lot of gamers who dream of qualifying for that. FGS, as this esports events tends to be known, covers the ePremier League, eLa Liga, eMLS, Virtual Bundesliga and a variety of top partner events, the popularity of which are growing all the time.

FIFAe Nations Series: This esports tournament series is a collaboration between FIFA and EA Sports, which is the company behind the FIFA video game series. In the FIFAe Nations Series, there is a 2v2 format which helps to differentiate it from a lot of other top FIFA tournaments.

How FIFA Esports Games Work

The format of a particular esports event can dictate exactly how FIFA esports games work, but they usually work in much the same way. They can be either solo or team events, in which a pair of players will often team up during a match. During team events, there will be a league table in which points can be earned in order to help to decide the overall competition winner.

FIFA esports matches usually take place over six-minute halves, meaning that each game has 12 minutes of gameplay. This mirrors the standard setting when FIFA players boot up the game.

These days, FIFA esports includes teams from a lot of the top football teams in the world, such as Barcelona and Manchester United, although some esports organisations also take part too.