Dota 2, a MOBA by legendary developer Valve, is one of the biggest games at the top of the esports pile. Valve announced in 2024 that over $100 million in prize money had been given out at Dota 2 tournaments since 2012. So, this is clearly a hugely popular esport - no surprise then that online betting on Dota 2 is too.
We're going to assume that you don't want to gamble with virtual in-game items. If you do, there are sites out there for you. We would note however that this sector of the gambling world is not scrupulously regulated and has proved controversial in the past. We recommend sticking to trusted and respected online bookies that offers esports betting.
Great odds and a wide range of esports bets
Brilliant promotions, free bets and loyalty rewards
Top tier security & fast payouts - keeping your funds safe
Of course, the esports betting market is a growing one and therefore a big priority for online bookies. For this reason, you can get exclusive esports only promo bets - on top of all the usual free bets & loyalty promotions available at top esports betting sites like the ones on our featured lists.
As one of the world's premier esports in terms of popularity, you'll easily find some great free bet offers for Dota 2 customers - especially if you're looking around the time of The International or one of the other major tournaments throughout the year. But what kind of offers can you get? Some of these include:
Editors Pick
100%
100% deposit bonus of up to £30
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
Players Favourite
£30
Bet £10 get £30 when you place your first bet
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
Outright are the most common form of bet and are usually the first kind of wager that would come to mind if someone who is unfamiliar with sports betting thinks about the subject. They are, essentially, what they say on the tin - a bet on a team to win outright, in either an individual match or an entire tournament.
Accumulator are probably the only time when betting on the favourite is worthwhile, as the odds are multiplied together. So, if you correctly predict five 2-1 favourite winners, you can get a big win. Most of the biggest wins in sports betting history have come from accumulators, as they are statistically more likely to work than betting on a 100-1 long shot and can return big profits from a small stake.
Specials bets are where esports, and Dota 2, really stand out from the crowded sports betting market. With a whole host of game specific markets to bet on, if you're a Dota veteran can get the chance to show off your hard-fought knowledge - and if you're a complete noob you can have fun putting a wager down on a bet that you wouldn't get in any other sport.
In Play bets are, as the name suggests, a bet placed while the match is being played. As a fast paced game where the line between winning and losing can swing in seconds after one fight, betting in play is an important market for Dota 2 betting. You can even make special bets, in play, on your mobile. How's that for high tech?
Of course, esports being a thoroughly modern phenomenon, you can also bet on Dota from your mobile. Dota punters, generally, are young - and the online bookies know this. To this end they have put a lot of effort into improving their esports betting functionality on mobile.
Whether you want to visit the store and get some Dota 2 betting app action, or just browse odds for the latest IEM tournament in your browser, UK betting sites have you covered.
Another factor is the truly international makeup of the competitive Dota scene - a lot of the teams play in China and tournaments are held all over the world. This can make being at a desktop in time to place a last minute on Newbee to beat Virtus Pro. at ESL Hamburg, for example, quite difficult.
Not so when you have a mobile - and let's face it, who doesn't nowadays? Just boot up your browser, or the app store, and (as long as you have an account with funds in it) within minutes you could be placing your Dota 2 bet - it really is that easy.
Dota 2 is a MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game where two teams of five players fight to be the first to destroy the enemy base, using the unique abilities of their chosen controllable character or hero. The two bases are at the opposite corners of the map and between them are 3 paths (called lanes) that are lined with defensive towers and a jungle area full of neutral monsters that can be slain by either team.
Team specific AI monsters (called creeps) also roam down the lanes, attacking any enemy creeps, players or towers in their path. Killing lane or neutral creeps, or enemy players grants gold and experience that can be used to level up and purchase items for your hero - both of which make them stronger.
Sounds simple, right? Well, considering the unique interactions between the 113 different heroes available - not to mention the items that offer extra abilities and effects - the potential for variation between games is truly huge.
The International
The big boy of Dota 2 tournaments. With a £18.25 million total prize pool, including a cool £7.6 million for the overall winners, you can certainly see why. The International is held at the end of the season (usually in late July or early August), with the aim of gathering the best of the world's teams from the given year.
The Majors
Announced in 2015, Valve pinned 3 third party tournaments as designated Majors - plus The International. Held in a rotating cast of cities in South East Asia, East Asia & Europe (the regions where Dota is most popular), the three tournaments are split between Winter, Spring & Summer.
ESL
The Electronic Sports League is one of the oldest esports brands, and hosts a variety of esports tournaments at its travelling events each year. Nowadays, by far its biggest tournaments are Dota 2 - in fact this year's big ESL tournament has been designated as major by Valve, and will be exclusively a Dota 2 event.
Luckily for you, understanding odds is not as difficult as it might seem - and finding out the best teams is relatively simple too. Our handy odds guide breaks down all the types of odds your likely to see on CSGO betting sites and the internet is awash with encyclopaedic data on Counter Strike pro teams and players. Choosing a great esports bet has never been easier!
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
18+ only, new customers only, gamble responsibly. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New online customers only, min £10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3x £10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
18+ only, new customers only, gamble responsibly. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New online customers only, min £10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3x £10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply to All Bonuses. 18+ only. Gamble Responsibly.
To place a bet on Dota 2, the minimum you need to do is sign up to an online bookie (hopefully through our top list if you want a guaranteed secure & above-board experience), deposit some funds in your account and choose a match to bet on. If you want to maximise your chances of winning of course, there's a lot more to it. But that's a different question entirely!
The odds for Dota 2 betting work in pretty much the same way as other sports. In the UK, this will nearly always be fractional odds - although you may sometimes see decimal. If you aren't familiar with them, I suggest you check out our convenient guide, or, if you're lazy, our odds calculator!
Yes - all the usual sports betting bonuses you could expect, plus some extra special ones just for esports or, from some sites, just Dota players!
All the usual sports bets - plus a range of Dota specials including most Roshan kills and longest killing spree to name a couple. For a more in depth look at the types of bets you can make on Dota 2, see our above section on just that.
Right here! Our esports and sports betting experts combined their talents to make a betting site review super team, who scoured the web for the best places to bet on esports like Dota 2. At our top recommended sites, you'll find the best odds, the greatest promotional offers and the most secure banking transactions available.
The short answer is, no.
Although people still play the original Warcraft 3 Defence of the Ancients mod competitively, the professional scene has almost entirely moved onto Dota 2. Consequently, this means there is barely any money in the old school DotA so no betting companies are interested in offering bets on such a limited market.