Skin betting with Dota 2 skins is super exciting. However, it can be a bit daunting for beginners. To help you get into skin betting, here is a complete guide for it.
What Is Dota 2
Dota 2 is a competitive multiplayer online battle arena or MOBA game and one of the most popular competitive esports games, with its concurrent player count regularly exceeding half a million active players.
The first game in the Dota series was just a mod for Warcraft III and was called Defense of the Ancients or DotA. Valve soon started to take an interest in the series and saw the massive potential in the concept.
The lead designer for DotA: Allstars was hired by Valve to create a sequel for the series, which marks the development of Dota 2. It launched for Windows on the 9th of July, 2013. Several days after this launch, on the 18th of July, 2013, the Linux and OS X versions were also released.
What are Dota 2 Skins?
Dota 2 skins are cosmetic items used to customize the appearance of heroes, which players can acquire and then use them in a match.
Let’s say you have a skin for the hero “Ursa”, which you can equip and make Ursa look a bit different than how it would without the skin. While Dota 2 skins can help you customize your heroes, they’re purely cosmetic and do not affect a hero’s abilities.
The elements of a hero’s in-game character that the skins change include color, shape, icons, and even the effects of the abilities. Some skins may even add extra particle effects.
How good a particular skin looks and how much of the original character model changes depends on the type or rarety of the skin. There are eight rareties for Dota 2 skins – common, uncommon, rare, mythical, legendary, immortal, arcane, and ancient.
You can get Dota 2 skins in several places, but the easiest way to get them is by purchasing them. You can buy a skin from the in-game store, the Steam Community Market, third-party online marketplaces, or the Shard store, with the Shard store only available to Dota Plus members.
Valuable skins may cost hundreds of dollars. While buying skins from the Steam Community Market is more popular, you might be able to get cheaper deals from skin sites.
Other methods of getting skins include opening treasures, participating in events like the Battle Pass, or trading with your friends. You can also get free skins by playing ranked games, which have a random chance of giving you a drop.
How Dota 2 Skin Betting Works?
Skin betting works just like how any other betting. The main difference with skin betting is in the deposit process.
With regular esports betting, you make cash deposits using any payment options available. On the other hand, with skin betting, you make deposits using the Dota 2 skins from your Steam account.
However, you can’t bet your Dota 2 skins or CSGO skins directly on an esports event. Instead, when you deposit your skins on a betting site, the site converts them into coins or any other virtual currency, depending on their value. Think of it as a casino giving your chips to play.
After converting your skins into coins or other site currency, you can then use it to bet on Dota 2 or any other esports game. Although there is a way that you can bet skins without converting them into virtual currency, you will need to use skin gambling sites instead of online bookmakers.
Some gambling sites allow users to play certain games like coinflip or upgrader, where they don’t have to convert their skins into a virtual currency. Instead, users can play these games directly with their skins.
Is Dota 2 Skin Betting Allowed?
Yes, skin betting with Dota 2 skins is allowed. As long as you are above 18 years of age and are using a licensed site, you can bet using your skins without getting into any trouble. There are no laws that state otherwise.
However, there are certain parts of the world where skin betting or gambling is banned. So if you live in a country where gambling is illegal, skin betting with Dota 2 skins, or skins for any other esports game, is not allowed.
To stay on the safe side, you must consult with the laws of your country. It is important to do your due diligence; otherwise, you may be in serious trouble.
The Best Dota 2 Skin Betting Sites
To bet using the Dota 2 skins you own, you will need to use betting sites that accept Dota 2 skins as a deposit option. Fortunately for you, there are a lot of gambling platforms that accept Dota 2 skin deposits.
Unfortunately, however, not all platforms are great. Not only that, but some Dota 2 betting sites are a bit shady. Several platforms may scam you, and you might lose your valuable skins.
People should only trust licensed and legitimate platforms. Some of the best regulatory authorities that provide licenses and certifications to gambling platforms include Malta Gaming Authority and the Gambling Commission.
There are several other factors to consider while deciding what skin betting sites are the best for esports betting and which are the best Dota 2 skin bookmakers. Most importantly, a bookmaker needs to have solid coverage of all popular esports events, excellent odds, bonuses, and promotions (at least one first deposit bonus), responsive and effective customer support, multiple deposit methods, and a wide variety of betting markets.
Dota 2 Skin Betting Bonuses
As we have already mentioned, a key feature of a great esports betting site is a substantial number of bonuses and promotions. Betting sites use bonuses and promotions to offer something extra to their users and the bonus can be in the form of free bets or some free credits to use on other gambling games.
Esports betting bonuses come in many shapes and sizes, including welcome bonuses, Dota 2 betting bonuses, or live casino bonuses. Welcome bonuses are the most common type, and almost all betting sites offer them to new customers.
However, the welcome bonuses only apply to first deposits. Some betting sites even have bonuses for certain options, like Dota 2 betting or CSGO betting.
To claim the first deposit bonus or the welcome bonus at a betting site, you will have to register to the betting site and then make your first deposit. For example, to claim a Dota 2 betting bonus, deposit the required amount and use it for betting on Dota 2.
Check out the terms and conditions to learn more about how to claim any other bonus.
Dota 2 Skin Betting Odds
To express the likelihood of an outcome occurring in a Dota 2 event, betting sites use Dota 2 odds or betting odds, and there are several ways that odds are displayed. You will need to learn how to read these odd formats to understand what info they are trying to convey.
First up, we have the fractional format, which is the simplest to understand. Fractional odds are represented in fractions like 3/1 or 2/1, pronounced three to one or two to one, respectively. The second number represents your bet amount, and the first one represents the return on that betting amount.
The second most common odds format is the decimal format. Decimal odds include a number with a decimal like 2.4 or 3.9. The decimal odds represent the exact multiple of your deposit that you will get if you win the bet. For example, if you bet $50 with odds of 2.4 and win, you will get $120 (=50×2.4) in return.
With both fractional and decimal odds, the larger your return, the lower the chances of the outcome actually occurring. For example, an outcome with odds of 1.5 has higher chances of occurring than one with odds of 2.5.
Finally, we have the American odds. With American odds, the favorite team will have odds with a negative sign and number like -170, representing the amount required to win $100. In this case, one needs to bet $170 to win $100.
On the other hand, the underdog team in American odds has odds with a positive sign and a number like +250. In this case, you will earn $250 for every $100 staked.
Betting odds are an important part of Dota 2 skin betting. Therefore, you should learn how to read them so you understand what you’re betting on.
Dota 2 Skin Betting Types
While betting on a sports event like a football match, there are several outcomes you can bet on. For example, betting sites will offer you an opportunity to wager on which team will get the first goal or what the final score will be when the match ends.
In the same way, betting on Dota 2 is not just limited to match winner. People have many betting options to choose from, like first blood, first to destroy towers, and more. Here are some of the most common betting types you’ll find on Dota 2 betting sites.
Moneyline
The most basic bet type is the Moneyline bet. The Moneyline bet type only covers the match winner outcome. If you want to place a bet on either Team A winning the match or Team B winning the match, you can do so with the moneyline bet type.
Handicap Betting
Handicapped bets are bets where a particular outcome has been given a virtual disadvantage or advantage. Let’s say that two teams, A and B, face off in a best-of-three series, and Team B is expected to win.
To level the playing field, betting sites might offer a -1.5 map handicap on Team B as the stronger of the two Dota 2 esports teams and a +1.5 map handicap on Team A. So if you bet on Team B, they need to win 2-0, while a bet on Team A means you’re predicting they need to win at least one map.
Outrights
When you place a bet on the outcome of an entire competition, that bet is called an outright bet. Outright bets are the most difficult because many factors are involved in the result of a whole tournament.
Proposition Betting
Proposition bets are bets made on outcomes that do not affect the final result of a match. For example, “the first to get ten kills” or “the first to destroy towers.”
Best Dota 2 Events To Bet On
You can find a Dota 2 esports event taking place almost every day. However, not all of them are ideal for Dota 2 betting. If you are looking for some excitement with Dota 2 betting, you should wait for the big tournaments and major tournament series, where most of the action is.
The main event for Dota 2 esports that both esports fans and esports bettors look out for is The International, also called TI. The International is the flagship competition for Dota 2 esports, and it welcomes the best teams who duke it out for the coveted Aegis of Champions and cement their name as the world champions.
Other great events are the Dota Pro Circuit (or DPC) events, which welcome some of the top teams competing for some of the largest prize pools in esports. With the Dota Pro Circuit system, third-party esports organizers get to host tournaments called Majors. These tournaments include at least one qualifier from six primary regions and LAN finals.
Skin Betting vs. Traditional Betting
The main difference between skin betting and traditional gambling is the deposit process on your betting site. With skin betting, you make deposits with Dota skins you have in your Steam inventory. With traditional gambling, you make deposits with actual money using a banking method for making transfers like Visa or Skrill.
There are multiple reasons why one would prefer one over the other. Notably, skin betting is great for someone looking to get rid of some of their skins after they get bored with the skins they have. Of course, you can sell them on the Steam Community Market and get a balance in your Steam wallet, which you can only use to buy more skins or Steam games, but maybe you want to try your luck with skin betting.
Gambling with skins is a great way of extracting value out of the skins you no longer want. You have a great time placing bets and may even win a lot in return.
On the other hand, the benefit of traditional gambling is that you get what you paid for. With skin betting, each site will have a different assessment of the value of your skin. With traditional gambling, you know exactly how many credits you are getting for the deposits you make.
Both skin betting and traditional gambling are great for their own reasons. At the end of the day, which type is best for you depends on your preference.
Dota 2 Betting FAQ
Is skin betting legal?
The answer to this question depends on what part of the world you live in – for the most part, skin betting is legal. However, several countries have banned gambling of any sort. So if you live in a country where gambling is banned, skin betting is also illegal for you.
Can you bet on Dota 2?
Yes, you can bet on Dota 2. To bet on esports events for Dota, you will need to register with an online bookmaker, make a deposit, and then place a bet on an outcome for a Dota event. Many bookmakers offer Dota 2 betting, so you won’t be limited in your options.
Where can I bet on Dota 2?
To bet on Dota matches, you will need an online bookmaker that covers esports events for Dota. After that, it’s simply a matter of registering at the bookmaker, making deposits, and placing bets on League matches.
Which are the best Dota 2 Skin betting sites?
There are several factors to look at while figuring out the best skin betting sites. Firstly, you can take a look at legitimacy and safety. After that, you can look at other features like customer support, betting markets, odds quality, and the overall experience the site can offer.
Can you bet on esports with skins?
Technically yes, you can bet on esports with skins; however, you won’t be able to bet skins on esports events. Instead, you deposit skins at an online bookmaker, who then converts them into credits or coins, depending on their value, which you use to place bets on esports events.
If you want to bet with your skins directly, you must use gambling sites. Gambling sites offer games that users can play without converting their skins into site credits. However, you may have to connect your steam account for this.
