CS:GO Betting Sites in 2024
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is one of the oldest competitive video gaming titles. Not surprisingly, it has spawned a massive betting community around itself and one that doesn’t quite match the communities of other popular competitive video games. Therefore, my guide to the best CS:GO betting sites will be slightly different. If you have already been through my Dota 2 and League of Legends betting guides, my CS:GO one will follow a slightly different layout, because of the uniqueness of the activity.
Nevertheless, you can rest assured that you will be able to find the best CS:GO gambling sites and see what the best options to bet on CS:GO actually are. Without further ado, I urge you to lock & load, because we are about to Rush B and give you the rundown on how it all works in CS:GO betting.
Best CSGO Betting Sites in 2024
CS:GO Betting Bonuses – What Are They and Do You Need Them?
Understandably, bonuses will often be a great starting point for any CS:GO betting fan. Now, with the years, the CS:GO community has seen quite a few different developments. While most other games have had to stick to FIAT currency, i.e. U.S. dollars, CS:GO betting sites have evolved a little.
At one point, players were encouraged to bet with “skins,” but this practice is prohibited by law these days. On the other side, players can still pick crypto bonuses, and this is why U.S. dollars and Bitcoin remain two of the most widely used betting currencies. Outside of this, the bonuses remain pretty much the same.
Welcome CS:GO Bonuses – FIAT & Crypto
CS:GO websites offer all sorts of cool promotions. They could be standard FIAT bonuses or Bitcoin bonuses. Whichever you end up choosing, you will still have a decent chance to increase your starter’s capital by 50%, 100% or perhaps even a bit more.
Your first deposit will be quite helpful and the amount will usually be paid out in full. However, you will still need to subject it to the pre-agreed bonus terms and conditions. Normally, you will need to place your bets at specific odds.
Match Boosters
Often, individual games will get a slight odds booster. Many sportsbooks will actually go the extra length to tailor an individual game bonus and give CS:GO bettors a bit of an extra incentive to place a wager at arguably better odds.
Free Bets
Just like any good sportsbooks, CS:GO betting sites will make sure to provide some additional incentive – scooping up a free bet to start playing is indeed quite useful. The amounts will usually be very small, around $10, but that will still give you a proper incentive to set your account up.
What’s Skin Betting and Should You Even Consider It?
Around four years ago, skin betting was a completely legitimate way to bet on the outcome of a CS:GO game. Yet, in 2016, Valve came under fire for arguably facilitating underage gambling and all legitimate skin betting websites were shut down.
However, this has not stopped various nefarious establishments to try and advertise skin betting, and despite Valve’s genuine efforts, there are still some lingering around. My advice as an esports bettor and CS:GO fan is to avoid those by all means necessary.
How to Pick the Best CS:GO Betting Sites?
CS:GO gambling sites are quite a few out there. In fact, they may surpass any other esports game when it comes to the sheer volume of places where you can bet. This proliferation of betting sites, though, means that you need to be doubly wary of a CS:GO betting site’s credentials. Therefore, I have established some easily verifiable rules to help you spot the good ones.
Licensing & Reputation
I hardly ever start with recommending to pick your esports bookie by looking up their license – although this is crucial. However, in the case of CS:GO it makes perfect sense. The community is very tight, and you can read opinions and ask questions freely at places like HLTV and Reddit. Before long, you will have no doubt about the reputation of a particular sportsbook.
Markets and variety
CS:GO has a whole lot of vibrant markets to pick from. You can bet on daily markets or look up future bets. There is also outright winners for all tournament and competition wagers if you prefer to make a call for the future early on. CS:GO won’t necessarily have an overwhelming number of proposition bets, but this is not necessary either.
Odds and Value
Some CS:GO players have been around the game for years now and they definitely won’t take any ill-priced bets. Therefore, esports sportsbooks have the simple goal of setting up bets that reflect probabilities correctly. Of course, you will notice how odds might be slightly different from one bookie to the next, so keep this in mind, but always look for the best odds. How to find them? Just open the websites of the top CS:GO betting sites and compare the odds quickly for any event you might be interested in betting on.
Tournaments and Events
CS:GO is abuzz with minor and major events of all level of importance. Yet, it’s the main ones, such as the Blast Pro Series and ESL you want to make sure you have access to. Any self-respecting CS:GO bookie will give you the opportunity to bet on all of these and more. It’s generally a good idea to avoid tournaments where you have reasons to suspect players have been known to cheat, which unfortunately happens in CS:GO.
In-play Markets
Live bets are popular, because CS:GO draws quite the community when it comes to competitive gaming. There are streamers who draw quite the large crowds and tournaments still can offer up to $250,000 – $1,000,000 per single event. Understandably, in-play betting has also become a part of the experience and the best CS:GO sportsbooks will undoubtedly offer it.
Guide to Placing a Successful Bet on CS:GO
To make sure you are placing a successful bet, you have to abide to some basic recommendations that have been tested by thousands of players. Developing these habits early on can prove a real boon to your CS:GO betting game. Let’s have a look at the list quick.
- Double-check which CS:GO betting sites you are choosing. With a few bad apples to go around, the choice of a decent sportsbook is doubly important. You want a website that not only offers a variety, but upholds industry standards that guarantee your safety and the fairness of the bets
- Pick teams you are familiar with and have been following. While there will be a whole lot of teams’ names flying around, you need to focus on those you have been following and that have an established track record.
- Follow the players and know them well. Like with any other type of competition, players will contribute a whole lot to the fortunes of their teams. Some will lead them to success while others will hold them back. And so, in esports and CS:GO betting in particular, knowing who the top names are is important. Not least, knowing who the bad apples are is just as well.
- Understand the head-to-head stats. Teams have a historic track record that can be easily checked. Running a head-to-head comparison is never a bad idea, although you similarly have to focus on the most recent clashes that are most relevant to your current bet.
- Don’t overspend on a single bet. Success is conditional and often some upsets will happen. The key here is to not overspend on a single bet and keep a healthy bankroll that will help you bounce back from the brink of any outcome.
CS:GO Bet Types
This brings us to the question – what types of bets are there? Well, CS:GO is a fairly straightforward game that will definitely benefit from all popular markets and all markets work for it. Think of CS:GO as the equivalent of the MMA with a few extra twists. Here are the most popular types of bets there are for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
- Match winner – You will simply bet on the outcome of a single CS:GO match and try to determine the winner (regardless of the series, i.e. Bo3 or Bo5).
- Tournament winner – This bet asks you to make a leap of faith or simply analyze the pre-season like a real pro, picking the most likely winners. The plus side is that even a modest bet here might actually turn into a good return late, especially if you pick an underdog that blasts its way to the top.
- Map bets – Bettors who want to place a wager on an individual map can do so by picking any of the winners on a given map.
- Round betting – Another popular form of CS:GO bet is the round bet. You are going to bet either on individual rounds or on how many rounds a specific condition will be fulfilled. This brings us to the last type of bet.
- Proposition bet – There are lots of proposition bets in CS:GO. You can bet on the “Correct Score,” or “Total Maps Played, “or perhaps “Odd/Even Rounds.” There are various other opportunities to pick from as well.
Main CS:GO Betting Events and Tournaments
Counter-Strike has a vibrant community and a very busy season and as you can expect, there is no shortage of excellent events. Once again, HLTV.org has gone above and beyond to make sure that you will never miss out on a relevant event and I hotly recommend to tune in and check out what events are presently available. To help you know what to expect, I will quickly list several that come back time and again, year in and year out.
- ESL Pro League
- Liga DELL
- Blast Pro Series
- ESEA
The competitions each year can vary a bit, depending on interest and regional structures, but the calendar is usually pretty busy, giving a great opportunity to many established and up-and-coming teams to participate. CS:GO has a very grassroots organization that allows new teams to quickly become part of the community.
Not least, regular and professional players mingle and a lot of the individual skill can be taught while playing on one’s own. That’s why the number of new talents is quite impressive, keeping the community active and similarly offering a fair number of underdog betting opportunities.
CS:GO Betting – Make the Most, Ask the Community
As I have already said, the CS:GO community is quite active. Reddit and HLTV.org allow you to quickly look up any answers you might have. In fact, the CS:GO betting community has even set its own sub-Reddit where you can pitch suggestions, ask questions, and discuss with fellow CS:GO bettors. True, not all of these opinions will be helpful, but many will be spot on. So long as you love the game and have a great sportsbook to turn to, you are onto a good thing.
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