Dota 2 betting markets and types you need to know

Whether you’re new to Dota 2 or a seasoned fan looking to make some extra cash by wagering on professional matches, this list of the latest betting markets for the game will give you a clear idea of where to put your money.

In esports, betting markets are platforms where fans can wager on the outcome of matches, tournaments, or specific in-game events. For Dota 2, fans can explore a wide range of betting markets beyond the standard “who will win” wagers, with online casinos increasingly expanding their esports betting options.

If you’re looking to start betting on popular esports titles, especially MOBAs like Dota 2, this guide highlights the most popular betting markets in 2026 and beyond. Here’s what we’ll cover:

As already mentioned, you can bet in different ways if you’re watching a Dota 2 match. As one of the most well-known MOBAs of all time, the goal of playing Dota 2 is quite simple at first glance: pick a hero to control, defend your team’s throne, kill enemy heroes and towers, and take down their throne.

However, Dota 2 has a lot of additional complex mechanics that newbies might find difficult to understand. To overcome the heroes of the opposing team, you’ll need items, which can be purchased with gold.

To earn more gold, you need to deal the last hit to any hostile characters in the map (i.e., enemy heroes, enemy creeps, neutral creeps). The right combination and usage of items can sometimes dictate the outcome of a match.

Hero selection is crucial in Dota 2, especially in professional tournaments. With over 120 heroes to choose from, categorized as Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Universal, each pick can counter certain opponents while being vulnerable to others.

The countless variables and factors in a Dota 2 match have prompted modern esports betting sites to offer a wide range of objective-based betting markets for fans.

Moreover, Dota 2’s reputation for hosting some of the largest prize pools in esports has made professional teams even hungrier for victory, drawing more bettors to the game.

Dota 2 is considered one of the most popular esports titles for betting. Recent data from Abios shows the game commands a 10% esports betting turnover, outpacing titles like Valorant at 5% and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 2%.

Its 2024 marquee events, The International 2024 and the Riyadh Masters, drew 55 million and 26 million watch hours, respectively, highlighting a thriving betting ecosystem around the game.

Dota 2 tournaments like The International have shown that even the toughest contenders can fall to smaller, less experienced teams, much to the delight of bettors who enjoy wagering on underdogs.

When these underdog teams occasionally take down tier-one squads, high-risk, high-reward bets can lead to bigger profits for those willing to take the gamble.

Here are various Dota 2 betting markets that you can try betting on. Professional Dota 2 matches are often played in a best-of-three series, with each game referred to as a map:

Predicting which team wins a map.

Predicting how many kills a team will have at the end of a map. Wagers can bet on a certain range of numbers, such as under 20 kills, over 30 kills, and others.

Predicting when or how long a game will take. Same with Total Kills, wagers can bet on ranges like under or over 60 minutes.

Predicting which team gets the first kill of a match.

Predicting which team gets the first 10 kills of a match. There are other variations to this betting market, such as First 20 Kills or First 30 Kills.

Predicting which team will kill the first Roshan spawn, the giant neutral creep that drops the Aegis upon defeat. Securing the Aegis gives a team a key advantage, as it allows a hero to resurrect immediately after being killed.

Predicting which team gets the first Mega Creeps spawn. When a team destroys all six barracks in the enemy base, their spawned creeps become significantly stronger, turning into Mega Creeps. These powerful minions can quickly overwhelm structures, making it much easier to close out the match.

When it comes to Dota 2 betting, you should have a list of trustworthy sites to keep your money secure and make placing wagers as easy as pie. If you want a definitive compilation of these top sites, check out our previous post about the best Dota 2 betting sites in 2026.