StarCraft II is the world’s most popular real-time strategy game (RTS) and one of the founding fathers of modern-day esports. It’s more than a decade old but it’s still going strong and enjoying a rather loyal fan base. Even though it’s been shrinking for a few years now, game updates, a lively esports scene and demand for StarCraft 2 betting are keeping the flame alive.
Based on the legendary StarCraft: Brood War, the sequel conquered competitive gaming and featured some of the biggest StarCraft events in North America and Asia. We’re talking about some of the first professionally-organized, large-scale video game contests on an international level. That’s how big StarCraft II and real money SC2 betting was back in its early days.
But what makes SC2 so popular more than a decade after its release? Well, it’s an incredibly complex game that gives players full control over their gameplay, with little to no randomness, and solely focuses on player skill. It possesses excellent balance, allows players to play their own way, and has an immensely high skill ceiling. It really is the perfect recipe for long-term success in the esports scene! Plus, it’s been getting frequent updates and two major expansions that revamped massive segments of its gameplay.
Plenty of online betting sites have recognized the importance of esports betting options. Esports markets are rapidly growing, and top-tier names can’t afford to keep missing out on such high demand.
With that said, you should be able to find StarCraft 2 betting odds with no problems. If you want to be safe and sound with a top-tier bookmaker, here are our 2024 picks for the best real money StarCraft 2 betting sites:
| Rank | Gambling Site | Deposit Bonus | Get Started | |
| #1 |
BetUS
|
125% Up To $2,500 | Visit Site | |
| #2 |
BetOnline
|
50% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site | |
| #3 |
MyBookie
|
50% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site | |
| #4 |
SportsBetting.ag Esports
|
50% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site | |
| #5 |
Bovada
|
50% Up To $250 | Visit Site | |
As stated in the introduction, StarCraft II is a real-time strategy! You might ask, “Well, what does that mean? What are real-time strategies?” When talking about RTS games, the first names that come to mind are Company of Heroes, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires… and, obviously, StarCraft.
You must’ve played at least one of these games at some point, right?
If you haven’t, here’s a quick RTS 101:
Real-time strategies are video games in which players control a faction, gather resources, build/expand their base, and thrive for unit and technology development. Time doesn’t progress through turns, which is the case with other types of strategy video games. In RTS games, everything happens in real time, hence the name.
W3, CoH, and AoE are all games that are long past their peak. Let’s face it, StarCraft II is the only living example of RTS greatness; it’s a game that still has a competitive community and a developed esports ecosystem despite its genre not enjoying enough popularity anymore.
If it wasn’t for StarCraft II and SC2 betting fans, the RTS flame would’ve been extinguished a long time ago. Perhaps “extinguished” is not the correct word here. But still, without a proper esports representative, the RTS genre wouldn’t be where it’s at today.
StarCraft II is a complex game and a proper “how to play” guide would take way too much space here. But it wouldn’t hurt to cover the basics!
SC2 has three distinctive races, each with its own set of strengths and weaknesses:
Good old boring humans.
Biologically advanced, xenomorphic superorganisms.
Technologically-advanced psionic humanoids.
Your main in-game task is to defeat the opposing player by killing his units, suffocating his material production, and destroying his buildings. You’re supposed to do so by quickly expanding your own base, training your own armies and developing key technologies to complement your style of play.
If you want a more detailed beginners guide, this Reddit post is all you need! It’s a bit outdated, but it perfectly covers the basics. If you’re just looking for something to help you kick off, that’s where you should look!
The original StarCraft, as well as the beloved Brood War expansion, was released back in 1998. The first notable tournaments started a year later; the 1999 Tooniverse Progamer Korea Open was among the first notable SC:BW contests and later became the first event in the OSL series. Fast-forward to today, people still play, watch, and bet on StarCraft: Brood War. The game still has a lively esports community, with one or two massive events held every year.
Needless to say, the sequel took a big portion of its fanbase away. Released in July 2010, SCII didn’t need a lot of time to kickstart its esports campaign. August 28th 2010 was the start date of the first SCII event with over $150,000 in prize money.
Those numbers kept on growing with each passing year and each new expansion. Even though major names started flooding the esports industry, StarCraft II was still holding its place as one of the biggest esports titles out there.
The competition was harsh! The 2010s were the era of esports going mainstream. Thanks to games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, professionally-organized gaming competitions gained massive exposure. A lot of people would argue that those were the golden times of esports, though, we like to think the best is yet to come.
What happened to StarCraft? Well, as we stated earlier, it’s still keeping the genre alive. But the MOBA trend that sprung into motion with Dota 2 and League of Legends pushed StarCraft away. CSGO, PUBG, Fortnite, and the company were soon to follow, riding on the FPS and battle royale trends and further separating StarCraft II from the flattering title of the world’s most popular esports discipline…
Despite those trends, there is one constant in the whole SC story, from start to finish—betting! According to Loot.bet’s recent esports betting report, StarCraft II is still among the top 10 esports disciplines according to total betting volume.
Though, it’s still worth noting that it probably won’t be there for much longer. Valorant betting is a rapidly growing niche, one that’s bound to surpass SCII in the foreseeable future.
Here’s what you can expect to see when StarCraft 2 betting online.
Also known as a “moneyline wager,” this bet represents the most basic principle of real money esports betting—who’s going to win? That’s all you need to do here, predict the winner! It might sound straightforward, but it’s rather complex.
If you love high-risk high-reward scenarios, you’ll love correct score. In bo3, bo5, and bo7 matches on major events, StarCraft 2 betting sites will allow you to bet on the exact match score (e.g., 3:1 in case of a Bo5). These are insanely difficult to predict, but they do offer crazy returns.
Just like correct score wagers, total rounds bets also revolve around the final score of bo3, bo5, and bo7 contests. However, you don’t need to guess how many rounds each team will have at the end of the match, just the total number of rounds. Heck, it’s even easier. You have to guess if the total number of rounds will be over or under the number specified by the bookie (e.g., over or under 2.5 in a bo3 match).
Last but not least, let’s talk about outrights when real money StarCraft 2 betting! Outrights, more commonly known as outright winner or futures bets, allow you to bet on the winner of the whole event rather than a single match. It’s a great way to spice up entire events with just one wager. Outrights can also yield massive profits should you correctly predict one of those Cinderella stories.
Through the years, numerous third-party event organizers tested the waters with SCII events. However, only a handful of them are still going strong. These are the two SCII esports series you should keep tabs on if you’re going to start betting on StarCraft II.
World Championship Series, commonly referred to as the WCS, is the grandest of all StarCraft II stages. We’re talking about one of the oldest running SCII series, too!
The first WCS was held in Shanghai’s Expo Mart back in 2012. It had $250,000 in prize money, which is nothing compared to the $700,000 prize pools of the last few WCS Global Finals.
With more than a decade of event organization, Intel Extreme Masters events are something else! They showcase the very essence of esports, capture some of the most mesmerizing moments in gaming, and feature some of the biggest esports rewards out there.
As for real money StarCraft II betting sites, they go out of their way to do proper coverage during WCS and IEM events. With that said, make sure you don’t miss out on the hottest StarCraft II betting action out there!
Let’s go through three important tips that won’t just help you get better at betting on StarCraft II but all other esports disciplines as well.
Finding a good bookmaker means a lot! Exploring StarCraft II betting on a proper gambling platform is crucial for a good experience. Not all betting sites are made equal; some have better odds, some have deeper coverage, others are second-to-none in terms of mobile betting. It’s up to you to choose the aspects you value the most.
If you want the best all-around names handpicked by our experts in mid-2021, scroll back to the top of the page and you’ll find a table of our favorite online StarCraft 2 betting sites. Don’t be shy, check them out!
Match-winners are fun. Just slap a few match-winner singles and be done with it, right? Well, sure, you could do that. Or you could start experimenting with different betting options and bet setups.
Plus, who says you have to bet singles? Why don’t you explore parlays? During big events like the WCS, tons of matches are available each day. Pick a few and slap them into a lengthy accumulator. One hot run could get you a massive return!
Chasing losses is one of the most dangerous things you can do when partaking in online sports betting activities… Heck, that goes for all forms of online gambling, come to think of it.
What is it, though?
Chasing losses is when you keep losing wagers but deposit more money into your betting bankroll, hoping to break even. You lose a few wagers, you deposit again; you lose a few more, you deposit some more money… Chasing losses is a vicious cycle with just one certain element to it—your personal finances are going to suffer!
Believe it or not, it is! In fact, not only is it still alive but it’s still enjoying a remarkable betting activity. Online betting on StarCraft II is still more popular than betting on the likes of Overwatch, Rocket League, and King of Glory, which is absolutely ridiculous for an 11-year-old game. Don’t even get us started on StarCraft: Brood War’s esports scene!
Even though real money esports betting sites are fully licensed to facilitate online gambling, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s legal for you to bet on them. It all depends on where you live. Each country has its own online gambling laws. The best practice here is to check with your country’s gambling authorities.
Numerous factors are at play here! Here are the most important ones:
Match-winners or “’moneylines” are the bets you’ll probably use most of the time. However, there’s a handful of other StarCraft II bet types. There are outrights, totals, correct score—just to name a few; plus, esports specials come in all shapes and sizes. If that’s something you think you’ll enjoy, make sure you register your account on a real money StarCraft 2 betting site that does proper esports coverage. If not, you might be stuck with an online SC2 betting site that only has match-winner bets. For a safe list, refer to the table at the top of the page.
