Let’s face it! Overwatch is a pretty big deal, and we’re not just talking about the gaming spectrum, but in the world of esports, too. Even though the game’s numbers aren’t as sky-high as they were in the inaugural season, they’re still up there and are pretty consistent, which is a direct result of OWL’s franchising move.
In fact, when talking about Overwatch esports, Overwatch League is by far the most important event. With that said, it’s no surprise to see Overwatch League betting in such high demand!
That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today, betting on Overwatch League. Yes, there are many more popular esports titles out there, but Overwatch has massive numbers of loyal fans. And these fans that aren’t afraid to place a couple of bets every now and then.
Surprisingly enough, there’s plenty of newcomers too, people who have yet to start their first real money Overwatch League betting campaign. No matter which of the two groups you belong in, our Overwatch League betting guide ought to give you some valuable information that’ll help make the most out of your Overwatch bets!
Best Sites for OWL Betting in 2024
What’s the best way to bet on Overwatch League? Well, the best way is to do everything from the comfort of your home, which is of utmost importance in these trying times. How can you place esports bets without leaving your home?
Well, it’s simple. All you need to do is find good OWL betting sites and you’re pretty much good to go!
What about these Overwatch betting sites, what’s so special about them? Well, they are, in our honest opinion, the best of what the esports betting industry has to offer in 2024. They have the best OWL odds, most generous (and lenient) bonus terms, plenty of esports markets, and vast seas of Overwatch League betting opportunities that’ll leave you drooling!
What Makes These Bookies Good for Betting on Overwatch?
Here’s a short list of things you should look for when finding your next Overwatch tournament betting platform:
- Customer service quality
- Plentiful bonus options
- Simple user interface
- Website fluidity and responsiveness
- Betting on the go
- Variety of supported payment methods
- Overwatch League betting options variety
- Live betting support
There’s more to OWL betting sites than these eight characteristics, but they’re certainly enough to pinpoint bookies that best suit your preferences.
If you’re currently on the lookout for a new esports betting site with Overwatch League betting odds, here’s great advice: Don’t limit yourself to just one betting platform. Join two or more bookies. That way, you can juggle between them, compare the odds, and get the most out of their bonus offers. Sites with esports bonuses are plentiful these days, so limiting yourself to just a single option isn’t such a viable option anymore.
Interesting Facts Regarding Overwatch League Events
- The first-ever Overwatch League kicked off in January 2018. It brought forth $3,500,000 in prize pool money and packed only the best international talents. The first-ever OWL was already a fully-fledged franchised system, featuring twelve partner organizations.
- There were Overwatch events long before the 2018’s Overwatch League. In 2016, the biggest events were Overwatch World Cup, APEX S1, and Overwatch Open. Gamescom’s OW Atlantic Showdown was a hit too, although it’s safe to say real money Overwatch betting didn’t kick off until the inaugural season of Overwatch League.
- What’s so special about the fact that OWL is a closed-off, franchised system? Well, let’s just say that franchising (also known as a closed-off system with partnered organizations) brings forth an additional layer of long-term stability to everyone in the ecosystem, including VCs and sponsors… And we all know how much they appreciate stability these days…
- As far as viewership goes, the inaugural season had the highest peak viewership, capped at cca 337,000. Average viewership numbers are pretty consistent across the board, hovering around 150,000 viewers on average.
- As far as Overwatch League betting goes, we’ve seen a slight increase in recent years, probably a direct result of the online esports betting liberalization that’s happening across the globe, the US included!
History of Overwatch League
We already talked a bit about the history of the Overwatch League, but it won’t hurt to go through some of the things again. Let’s start off with the key dates:
| Key Dates | Overwatch League History |
| May 24th, 2016 | Overwatch release date |
| August 20th, 2016 | First real Overwatch event took place |
| October 29th, 2016 | First Overwatch World Cup started |
| July 12th, 2017 | First OWL teams and owners announced |
| January 10th, 2018 | The start date of the inaugural season of OWL |
There isn’t that much left to be said about the OWL’s history. As always, we’ll wrap things up with the winners’ table:
| Event | Winner | Runner-up |
| Inaugural OWL Season | London Spitfire | Philadelphia Fusion |
| OWL 2019 | San Francisco Shock | Vancouver Titans |
The third Overwatch League season had to be rescheduled and reformatted due to the ongoing global situation. However, the production quality and lucrativeness is still there, so there’s no reason to panic. Overwatch League betting and the competition itself is not going anywhere, in part thanks to its “innovative” franchised system.
How to Start Betting on Overwatch League in 2024
We’re going back and forth talking about all things about OWL betting online. But, thus far, we haven’t actually given any advice on how to start betting on Overwatch League in 2024.
What makes 2024 so special is the fact that there’s a massive number of esports bookmakers that support Overwatch League betting. Unfortunately, not all of them are equally capable of providing users with a good online betting experience. In other words, be cautious!
As for the actual how-to, the following step-by-step guide ought to be of service to you.
- Finding your go-to esports bookie is the most important thing. You have to choose wisely here. Thankfully, our esports betting websites page will likely serve as guidance for where to bet on the Overwatch League online!
- The second step revolves around you registering for an account and confirming your identity via a government-issued ID. No worries, reputable sites for Overwatch betting online have sophisticated security systems that make it safe for you to upload private media.
- Once you can log in, it’s time for your first deposit. Use your preferred payment method (e.g. Skrill) and deposit some money onto your betting bankroll. Don’t invest too much. Save it for later!
- Now is the time to find Overwatch League betting options! On most Overwatch League betting sites, you’ll see esports as standalone categories or hubs. Real money Overwatch betting options should be visible either on-hover or after clicking on the esports category.
- Once you’ve found Overwatch League betting options, it’s time to pick your desired match and start crawling for stats and news. Don’t cut this step short. The more time you invest in researching the matchups and OWL betting odds at different sites, the higher your chances of winning will be. It’s as simple as that!
- One last thing, don’t go overboard with the stake of your first few bets. Take things slowly and you should be alright!
- That’s it. You’re ready to bet real money on the OWL!
