The majority of bets placed on esports tournaments occur during live games, according to new statistics from esports odds provider Oddin.gg.

The firm’s data was taken from three major esports events in May 2022 – PGL Major Antwerp 2022: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, ESL One Stockholm 2022: Dota 2 and Mid-Season Invitational 2022: League of Legends.

Based on the statistics, Oddin.gg underlined the necessity of keeping players engaged throughout esports tournaments through the provision of in-play markets.

Bettors wagered an average of €85 on live games during the Mid-Season Invitational, which is 18% higher than the average bet for pre-market, and 82% higher than the average bet placed on League of Legends for January – April 2022.

Average bets on live markets for ESL 2022: Dota 2 reached €81, 11% higher than pre-market and 179% higher than the game’s average for Q1 of this year. Meanwhile bettors wagered an average of €76 on live markets during the PGL 2022: CS:GO tournament, up 66% on pre-game markets.

The company also drew particular attention to the availability of engaging ‘side markets’ and how this compared to the main markets such as match, map and handicaps.

The statistics showed that the side markets for PGL 2022: CS:GO and Mid-Season Invitational attracted approximately 30% and 40% of the bet volume respectively.