World of Warcraft is one of the biggest games out there and has been successfully trucking on with a massive player base since the early 2000s. In addition to being a huge success, the game has also integrated esports competitions into its gameplay and has even seen a fair share of betting action in recent years.
Whether you’re a fan of the game or just looking to expand your wagering portfolio, you’ll be happy to hear betting on World of Warcraft is very simple and just as exciting as any other esport. Here’s how you can get started:
World of Warcraft Gameplay Basics
World of Warcraft is quite different from most esports in that its core gameplay is actually not based around competitive action at all. WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG for short), and is all about playing at your own pace, doing whatever tasks you may want to do. This can be anything from fishing or picking flowers all the way to taking down hordes of dragons, demons and other monsters.
The game is played in a third-person point of view and each player controls one character of their choice. There are multiple races and classes, all of which are unique and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Different classes can also perform different roles: doing damage, healing their allies or soaking up damage, and some can even do all three.
There are hundreds of different abilities and thousands of combinations, so it can take some time to get comfortable with it all. However, when it comes to betting, there are always just a few favorite combinations that you can easily learn with a little research.
When it comes to the gameplay, World of Warcraft actually does feature some competitive esports action that is perfect for wagering, largely thanks to multiple updates since its initial release. It comes in two forms, player vs player (PvP) contests and boss-killing races. Both of these are quite seasonal, so you’ll only really see World of Warcraft wagering options once every few months.
The most popular way to bet on World of Warcraft is betting on the game’s “Mythic World First Race.” Every major patch or expansion brings a new raid for players to complete and the best of the best then race to complete that raid.
A raid is a dungeon (essentially a preset map) that features new enemies and bosses, with three different difficulty levels. The hardest – and, for us, most important – one is called Mythic, with most bets coming down to who kills the final boss of the raid first. It’s a bit like a marathon, and usually takes around a week or two for players to kill the final boss due to the overall difficulty.
It’s also possible to bet on the player vs player portion of the game, but this usually only comes once a year. The game’s developers, Activision Blizzard, hold a yearly 3 vs 3 tournament, where the best of the best compete. This is more like a traditional esports competition, as players are competing against each other, rather than racing to defeat a difficult AI like in the Mythic races.
Still, both events are very popular and both are as predictable as any bet, since player skill is the most important factor. The players each control just one character and it all comes down to how well they can use it – just like anything else you can bet on, there are notable teams and key favorites, and there’s cash to be made.
Understanding World of Warcraft Betting Odds
World of Warcraft odds are most commonly displayed in American odds, which are displayed in a number in relation to -100 (aka EVENs). The numbers change vastly depending on the state of the bet and who’s competing. You can easily see who is the favorite, shown by the minus (-) sign, and the underdog, shown by the plus (+) sign.
A typical World of Warcraft bet may look something like this:
Cloud9 -150
Vs
Golden Guardians +200
In this example, Cloud9 is the favorite, as indicated by the minus sign next to the team name. Meanwhile, the number shows how much you’d need to bet to win an extra $100. Golden Guardians are then the underdog and the plus combined with the number shows how much you’d win if you wagered $100.
Odds on World of Warcraft can change very quickly and vary based on multiple factors, from the event to the participants and even how previous matches went. If you’re unsure of where to place World of Warcraft wagers, or are just looking for a new Sportsbook, check out our list of the best esports betting websites.
Types of World of Warcraft Bets
Due to the nature of World of Warcraft, the types of bets are rather limited, and you’ll only really see two options: moneyline bets and futures.
We’ll break these down below, but just keep in mind that the Mythic Races will only see futures, as there’s no direct competition between players, rather just a race, so you can only pick the Sportsbook of the whole thing. Meanwhile, the previously mentioned PvP tournaments will see both, as players compete and the events do have an overall Sportsbook.
Moneyline
Moneyline wagers are very simple bets where you choose which team you think will win a match. These only apply to World of Warcraft’s PvP tournaments and all that matters is who is the Sportsbook at the end.
For example, if Cloud9 is facing Golden Guardians, you can pick one of the two to win the match and it doesn’t matter what happens in between or how close it is. All that matters is the end result.
Futures
Futures are bets quite similar to the moneyline, although you’re instead choosing the Sportsbook of the overall event. These are usually only available before the event starts and apply to both World First races and PvP tournaments.
A World of Warcraft futures bet may look something like this:
Complexity Limit -150
Echo +100
Method +300
Pieces +600
There will be an option for every team at the event, with the favorites seeing the lowest odds and each subsequent team slightly increasing. You may even see huge numbers like +9000, as there will usually be a long list of teams and even though all of them have a chance to win, it’s very unlikely for some.
Time For Your First World of Warcraft Bet
Now that you understand the basics of World of Warcraft and some of the many bets you can place, you are prepared to make your first wager. The next step is to make sure you are going to the right sportsbook to place your World of Warcraft bet, which we have sorted out for you.
Once you find the best book for you, turn on some World of Warcraft, relax and watch the money flow in.
