CSGO Betting
The Ultimate Guide to CSGO Betting
Counter-Strike is the ultimate esport. Released all the way back in November of 1999, this Valve Corporation shooter started out as a modification (or mod) for a game called Half-Life, yet it quickly grew into one of the most popular competitive titles in the world.
Now, almost two decades later, its sequel Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is going stronger than ever, and hundreds of thousands of fans tune in to CSGO broadcasts from all over the world.
And it’s only natural that some of them express their passion through betting.
The betting culture is deeply intertwined with the Counter-Strike pro scene, and it’s easy to find teams or even entire tournaments sponsored by CSGO gambling sites. In fact, many bookmakers work with notable players and personalities to create special offers and unique promotions for their customers. Combine that with vast betting markets and generous welcome bonuses, and it’s hard to think of a better time to get into CSGO betting.
But where should you start?
With dozens of bookmakers doing everything in their power to attract new customers, it can be difficult to separate the good operators from the bad ones. Moreover, you need to get a good sense for CSGO gameplay and tournament circuit, which can take hours (if not days) of careful research. Fortunately, we’ve already done all the grunt work, so here’s an in-depth guide to the best CSGO gambling sites, markets, and strategies courtesy of our Counter-Strike experts!
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Your complete introduction to the ins and outs of CSGO gameplay
CSGO is considered one of the most spectator-friendly games in the world—and for good reason! Even if you’ve never seen a competitive CSGO match, you’ll only need a single glance to understand what’s happening on the screen. And that’s a huge reason why CSGO betting esports is as popular as it is.
The premise is simple: two teams—Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists—fight each other with the goal of planting (or defusing) the bomb or eliminating the enemy team in a string of quick rounds. At the end of each round, all players get funds that they can use to purchase weapons, grenades, bulletproof vests, and other equipment. Winning a round is much more rewarding than losing.
Moreover, scoring kills and planting/defusing the bomb grants extra cash bonuses, so there are always incentives to take risks and engage your enemies in explosive shootouts.
Yet, Counter Strike betting wouldn’t be so huge if that was all there was to it. Sharp aim and split-second reaction time are important, but there’s a lot of depth behind the seemingly straightforward gameplay. With that, a well-coordinated team can always find ways to outmaneuver its opponents with stronger synergy, superior tactics, and better economy management. And it’s this combination of skill and strategy that makes professional CSGO matches so enjoyable.
Your complete introduction to the best CSGO events, tournaments, and competitions
We’ve already alluded to this at the beginning of our guide, but the Counter-Strike scene is huge. So much so that it’s easy to get lost in the sea of upcoming tournaments. And whether you’re planning on CSGO live betting or gambling on forthcoming games, it’s a good idea to pick the right events to focus on. All Counter-Strike competitions can be separated into 3 categories: majors, minors, and other events.
Majors are large-scale events arranged by reputable organizations and sponsored directly by Valve Corporation. All top Counter-Strike teams dream of winning a major, so the level of competition is ridiculously high. Combine that with insane production values and million-dollar prize pools, and it’s hard to come up with a better place for CSGO betting than majors.
Minors are also sponsored by the game’s publisher, but the scale is much smaller. These act as the qualifying tournaments for majors, which makes them the perfect proving grounds for rising stars and talented up-and-comers. The level of play isn’t that high here, but the production is on point. And when you consider how all participating teams want to put everything on the line for a chance to play on the big stage, minors might very well be the most exciting tournaments for CSGO live betting.
Other events are the third-party tournaments organized without the direct involvement of Valve Corporation. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad, though. The Counter-Strike pro scene follows an open circuit model, meaning that anyone can put together a tournament as long as they have a prize pool and a list of participating teams. Of course, some events are underwhelming as a result. However, organizations like ESL, DreamHack, and StarLadder continuously deliver premier events to Counter-Strike fans, making them perfect for gambling and CSGO skin betting.
What are the most common betting markets for CSGO events?
Picking the right tournament is only half the battle. Now you need to decide what you want to wager on. Most CSGO betting sites in UK offer a ton of options to their customers, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t have a good grasp of the whole gambling thing. With that in mind, we’ve prepared a short list of the most common Counter-Strike betting markets:
Map/match winner
These are the simplest markets of them all, as you just have to predict the winner in an isolated game between two Counter-Strike teams. That doesn’t make them easy, though. CSGO has a large number of playable maps, and it’s entirely plausible for a better team to lose if it’s playing on a map it’s not comfortable on. Another thing to consider is team identities. An aggressive lineup that’s willing to try off-meta strategies might very well overwhelm stronger opponents that are playing by the book, so be wary of such clashes of playstyles.
Round winner
This is a more volatile version of map/match winner bets. Even the best Counter-Strike teams in the world can drop rounds when they’re warming up or dealing with unexpected tactics. However, you can still reduce variance by analyzing which lineup is better at using pistols, managing economy, and moving around the map. Momentum is key here, so try to look for CSGO live betting opportunities before committing to a round winner bet.
Total rounds/total maps played
A similar thing can be said about the total rounds/total maps markets. Technically, a Counter-Strike match isn’t over until a team gets 16 round wins and secures a 2-round lead on its opponents. Yet, once a lineup starts bleeding rounds, it’s very unlikely that it will bounce back. Once again, try to explore these markets on CSGO gambling sites that permit live betting.
Three practical CSGO betting tips to take your betting game to the next level
Okay, so you’ve got a sense for the Counter-Strike gameplay, learned about the best CSGO betting sites and found the right way to approach the markets. Now what? The simple answer is that you should continue working on your game. In the end, gambling is all about continuous improvement, so here are 3 practical CSGO betting tips in UK that are guaranteed to pay off in the long run.
1. Do your research
Gambling is a game of inches, and even the slightest bit of information can be the difference between winning and losing. And it just so happens that this information is readily available to anyone willing to use it. Resources like the HLTV forums, Counter-Strike subreddit, and Dot Esports CSGO section are filled with expert opinions, match breakdowns, player interviews, and power rankings. So, instead of letting this knowledge go to waste, incorporate it into your gambling strategy.
2. Work with stats
There’s nothing wrong with relying on your instinct, but what if you could reinforce it with actual data? Enter the HLTV statistics database. This resource has assembled a myriad of useful stats on CSGO teams, players, and tournaments. And if you want to get a deeper understanding of the math behind Counter-Strike esports, you can’t go wrong with the HLTV database.
3. Make course corrections
There’s no such thing as a foolproof gambling strategy. Even if you put in hundreds of hours into planning and theorycrafting, you can still find yourself on the losing end of a bet. At times like these, it’s important to reevaluate the way you approach the betting markets. Ask yourself whether you’re making rational choices, and if the answer is no, tweak your thought process accordingly. After all, you need to stay open-minded if you want to build a successful CSGO betting career.
Other 3 CSGO betting sites you should have a look at
There are many things to consider when choosing your CSGO betting sites. Sure, odds are significant, but you also need to account for promotions, reputability, market variety, customer service, live betting options, CSGO skin betting, and other features that make up a quality bookmaker. It’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re just starting out. Don’t fret, though, because we’ve already prepared a brief list of the top-3 CSGO gambling sites!
Betway
Betway is a major sportsbook that fully embraces Counter-Strike betting. This site has excellent coverage of the CSGO pro scene, and you’ll have no issues finding offers for ESL Pro League, DreamHack Masters, Intel Extreme Masters, and other notable events. The offers themselves are quite varied, granting gamblers countless options to experiment and pursue value betting opportunities.
Betway’s welcome bonus is the icing on top of the metaphorical cake. Not only does the risk-free bet up to £30 give extra insurance for your first wager, but it can also double up as a nice boost to your bankroll. Moreover, Betway is the main sponsor of the CSGO team Ninjas in Pyjamas, so it tends to offer high odds and unique markets for NiP matches. And when you add up these variables, it’s clear Betway deserves to stand at the top of the CSGO betting food chain.
Betway
- Double Welcome bonus
- King in Esports coverage
- Great Live in-play and streaming
Unibet
Unibet is the promotion heaven! Founded all the way back in 1997, this old-school bookmaker made a name for itself by bringing a constant stream of bonuses and special offers to its customers. The current Unibet bonus for new customers is a £40 welcome offer on CSGO betting as well as a £10 bonus on casino games. On top of that, Unibet has a huge list of promotions for existing customers, and while many of these deal with traditional sports, there are plenty of lucrative offers for esports matches.
Usually, such generosity would come at the cost of odds and betting markets. However, Unibet is surprisingly good at presenting competitive CSGO betting esports offers. The in-play markets are broad, and there’s a handy stats section to help you make decisions on the fly. Our only gripe is that there don’t seem to be any CSGO live betting streams, but if that doesn’t bother you, you can extract a lot of value out of gambling at Unibet.
Redbet
If we had to pick one word to describe Redbet, it would have to be “clean”. Whether its slick design, intuitive interface, or responsive customer service, this bookmaker goes above and beyond to make your gambling experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Throw in a welcome bonus of two £10 risk-free bets, and Redbet makes a great first impression on its customers.
Of course, this wouldn’t be enough to make it one of our top 3 CSGO gambling sites in UK . Fortunately, Redbet supplements comfort with fair esports odds, wide markets, and solid live betting options. The only complaint we have is that Redbet doesn’t allow you to partake in CSGO skin betting, but even if we account for this shortcoming, this is still an excellent platform for gambling on Counter-Strike matches.
