Dota 2 Betting
Dota 2 is the deep, strategic five-on-five title behind The International, the event famous for one of the biggest prize pools in esports. Here is how the matches and the markets work.
Major events
- The InternationalBet on The International, Dota 2's flagship event famous for the biggest prize pools in esports. Outright, format and predictions, in rand.
- ESL OneBet on ESL One Dota 2 with the outright champion market, group-stage and bracket odds, format explained and how to read the field. Rand prices, 18+.
- DreamLeagueBet on DreamLeague Dota 2 with outright winner odds, group stage and playoff formats, and how to read value across a premier ESL series. 18+.
- Riyadh MastersBet on the Riyadh Masters Dota 2 tournament with outright winner odds, format and team guides, and how to read a stacked elite field. Priced in rand, 18+.
Betting markets
- Match BettingBet the Dota 2 match winner across Bo1, Bo3 and Bo5 series. See how the best-of format shifts variance and pricing, all in rand on the CasinOnline sportsbook.
- Map HandicapHow the Dota 2 map handicap works. A -1.5 line in a Bo3 means the favourite must sweep. Weigh the longer odds against the match price in rand.
- Total MapsBet over/under on total maps in a Dota 2 series and back it to go the distance. Plus first blood, first tower and Roshan props for colour, in rand.
- How to BetA betting-led guide to Dota 2: core markets, how the draft and early game move odds, live betting and where value sits. Fixed odds in rand on CasinOnline.
The International and the format
Dota 2 is a five-on-five strategy game where two teams race to destroy each other's base, played as a best-of series of long, objective-driven games. The season builds to The International — Valve's annual world championship, long famous for assembling one of the biggest prize pools in all of esports, much of it crowdfunded by the community through in-game purchases. A circuit of regional leagues and Majors fills out the rest of the calendar and feeds qualification.
Dota 2 betting markets
The match (series) winner is the main bet, with map betting on individual games inside a series and correct series score for longer odds. Because Dota games are long and objective-heavy, in-game props are popular: first blood, first tower and similar milestones. A map handicap levels a mismatch and totals and in-play markets add depth. See the how to bet on esports guide for the basics, or the League of Legends page for a related title.
Frequently asked questions
What is first blood in Dota 2 betting?
A prop bet on which team records the first kill of a map. It settles early and is independent of who wins the map or the series, which makes it a popular side market.
Why is The International prize pool so big?
Much of it is crowdfunded — a share of fans' in-game purchases is added to the pool — which has historically pushed it to among the largest in all of esports.