Dota 2 betting

Dota 2 betting is available through most Canadian bookmakers with plenty of betting markets. The ease of access to betting markets is mainly because of the popularity of Dota 2 esports. Dota 2 as an esport sets records every year when it comes to tournament prize pools. It even dwarfs mainstream traditional sports like tennis. The world championship in Dota 2, the International, had a prize pool of $34,400,000 in 2019. The next edition of the International is on its way to surpass $40,000,000. The first prize winners will walk away with over $15,000,000. Ever since Dota to saw the light of day, it has helped to make esports mainstream.

Dota 2 betting in Canada

As we already mentioned, due to the popularity of Dota 2 as an esports, you’re guaranteed to find Dota 2 odds on both major and minor tournaments. All our recommended bookmakers are both available in Canada and offer Dota 2 odds regularly. Along with Starcraft 2 esports, the first major tournament in Dota 2 was among the first esports to be available for betting back in 2010/11. Since then, Dota 2 has grown, and you’re able to bet on all types of markets such as Moneyline, Over/Under, Handicap, Courier Kill and many more markets. Besides the International, you can expect to find Dota 2 odds on tournaments like DreamLeague, ESL One, Starladder I-League, PGL Open, Prodota Cup, and Dota 2 Summit.

If you want to get serious about Dota 2 betting, we recommend that you watch a lot of Dota 2 streams and read about the game. The gameplay is that of a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) where two teams compete against each other. There’re five players in each team controlling a hero. Each hero is unique and has special abilities. As the match progress, the heroes evolve and become more powerful. The goal is to destroy the other team’s home base. The game is highly technical, has advanced rules and requires intricate strategies and team play. The more you learn about the game, the more fun it’ll be with Dota 2 betting.

The Best Betting sites in Canada with Dota 2

History of Dota 2

Dota started as a game mod for Warcraft 3. The mod was created by the player Eul and was called Defense of the Ancients, abbreviated to DotA. In this DotA mode, two teams of five players compete against each other on a map with two bases and three lanes running between the bases. Each player controls one of the heroes available from Warcraft 3. Creeps, or AI-controlled monsters from each team run down the lanes and try to destroy everything in their path. Meanwhile, the heroes are battling each other. The goal is to destroy the other teams base. This is where the basics of Dota 2 was born. The mod became extremely popular, but Eul didn’t realize he had developed what would become one of the most successful gaming genres ever – MOBA or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Eul eventually signed off all rights to the mod to the Valve who published Warcraft 3 and who later developed Dota 2.

Evolution of Dota 2 Tournaments

Eul’s version of DotA was superseded by a new version of the mod called DotA: Allstars. The Allstars version would be the version that was played for many years on as an esport from the mid-2000s. DotA remained a successful game with a pro circuit without any support from developers or publishers. The first signs of a pro circuit were back in 2004 when the International Gaming Syndicate (IGS) started the first league for DotA Allstars. The first-ever recorded DotA match was between House of Zed and 4DTA. The next year, a now major organizer called World Cyber Games (WGC) organized a DotA tournament complete with a prize pool. The same year, Blizzard hosted a DotA tournament during Blizzcon. More organizations caught on, and both Clanbase and Electronic Sports League (ELS) started hosting Dota 2 esports tournaments.

As the years passed, the world realized the potential of MOBA games. Towards the end of the 2000s, word got out that two ambitious projects called League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth were under development. Valve, the developers of the game that DotA was a mod of, realized that they needed to develop a dedicated MOBA game. Valve brought in one of the key developers behind DotA: Allstars and got to work on what would become Dota 2. In 2011, Valve made it official and later that same year they wanted to promote Dota 2 with a big splash. It was decided that the best way to do so was to host an esports tournament. Said and done, Valve hosted a Dota 2 tournament, the International 1, during Gamescom in 2011. The tournament featured a prize pool of $1,600,000—a sum of money which was unheard of at the time. Most esports tournament today, ten years later don’t even come close to $1,600,000 prize pools.

Popular Dota 2 Leagues and Tournaments Today

Following the success of the International 1, Valve hosted the International 2 in 2012, again with a prize pool of $1,600,000. At this point, the game was still in beta. In 2013, Dota 2 was finally released to the public, and millions of people started playing. Before the International 3, Valve began to crowdfund the prize pool for TI tournaments through in-game items sales. The crowdfunding was a success, and the third iteration of the International featured a prize pool of $2,874,380. Dota 2 esports continued to snowball in the following years, sticking with the crowdfunding concept. By TI6, the prize pool had broken the $20,000,000 barrier. For the next TI10, the prize pool has already broken the $40,000,000 mark.

Outside the International, there are plenty of major and minor Dota 2 tournaments and leagues. Most notably there’s the ESL One, World Pro Invitational, EPIC League, DOTA 2 Summit, Dota PIT, ELeague, BTS Pro Series and Omega League – all which features $6-digit prize pools and attracting the best Dota 2 players and organizations.

Popular Dota 2 teams and organizations

Some Dota 2 organizations are more successful than others, successfully comes popularity. Natus Vincere became the powerhouse they are today thanks to their success in Dota 2. Na’Vi won the first the International in 2011. Another famous organization is Alliance. They became cemented in esports history when they beat Na’Vi in the grand finals of the International 2013, a match that is widely regarded as the most epic final in Dota 2 history. In recent years, team OG has dominated Dota 2 by winning the International back-to-back, two years in a row; 2018 and 2019. Earning the organization more than $26,000,000.

Dota 2 betting FAQ

What’s the difference between DotA and Dota 2?

All MOBA’s today have the gameplay at a very high level. There’re two teams, the three-laned map, defensive buildings, creeps, main bases and of course a pool of characters to choose from. What differs Dota 2 specifically from DotA is that the depth of the game is much deeper. The collection of characters is huge, each unique with different traits and abilities, there’s a great variety of gear and items. In addition, the terrain of the map is well-thought-out in terms of what can happen, when it’s daytime, the characters behave in a certain way, and when it’s nighttime, they behave differently. Another aspect is the competitive system. Dota 2 was designed for competitive play. Of course, on Dota 2 odds betting is available. Something that wasn’t available for DotA.

Can you bet on Dota 2?

Yes, you can bet on Dota 2 in almost every sportsbook in Canada. Due to the huge competitive scene, massive prize pools and incitement for professionals to compete at the highest level makes Dota 2 betting possible.

How can I become good at Dota 2 betting?

To be successful with Dota 2 betting it’s required that you have a good understanding of the game, the teams and their players. Watching Dota 2 streams with good broadcasters is a great way to learn without starting to play the game yourself. Many of these broadcasters are ex-professionals and know more about the game than anyone else would.

What are the essential stats in Dota 2 betting?

Just looking at stats without any context can be misleading. Each player controls a hero. Depending on the hero and its skills and abilities, the player has a specific role. For example, a player using a supporting character will not have many Kills or Last Hits, while they may have many assists. Likewise, a carry will have many Last Hits. Important in-game stats are: Kills (K), Deaths (D), Assists (A), Last Hits (LH), Gold Per Minute (GPM), Experience Per Minute (XPM).

Do I have to pay taxes on the money I win when betting on Dota 2 in Canada?

If you are betting for recreational purposes and winning money, then you don’t have to pay taxes on your Dota 2 betting wins. However, if you become really good at betting and consider yourself as a full-time professional punter, then you have to pay taxes. Canadian law sees full-time professional punters as freelancers and expects them to pay taxes accordingly.

Summary

Since you got this far, we can conclude that you’ll soon be placing bets on Dota 2. If you feel that you’re still not ready, then we suggest that you read our esports betting guide. The guide will provide you with more knowledge about esports and betting in general. We recommend that you read it to increase your chances of being successful while betting on Dota 2.