Sports video games occupy an odd spot in esports betting — they simulate real sports, but the competitions built around them (FIFAe/EA Sports FC esports, the Madden NFL Championship Series, and the NBA 2K League) are their own distinct esports with their own rosters, formats, and betting considerations, separate from the real-world leagues they’re modeled on.
Why sportsbooks treat these separately
A Madden NFL Championship Series match and an actual NFL game share a rulebook in spirit but nothing else in practice — different competitors (competitive gamers, not NFL athletes), different variance, and different things that actually determine the outcome, like controller skill and roster-building choices rather than real athletic performance. Sportsbooks that cover both real-world sports and their esports counterparts keep the markets clearly separated for exactly that reason, and it’s worth double-checking you’re looking at the esports market and not the real-world one when searching for these terms.
FIFA and EA Sports FC
EA’s football series rebranded from FIFA to EA Sports FC starting in 2023, after EA and FIFA (the sport’s governing body) ended their long-running licensing partnership. The competitive scene — historically organized as FIFAe, continuing under the new branding — still runs tournaments, and some sportsbooks carry markets for its bigger events.
Madden and NBA 2K
The Madden NFL Championship Series (MCS) is EA’s competitive Madden circuit, and the NBA 2K League is a 2K/NBA-affiliated competitive circuit for NBA 2K. Both have smaller, more specialized betting coverage than mainstream esports titles — expect fewer operators to carry them and less market depth per event compared to Call of Duty or Rocket League.
What’s covered here
The pages below look at FIFA/EA Sports FC betting options, how to approach betting on Madden esports, and where NBA 2K League betting apps and markets currently exist.