There is no denying that CSGO betting is by far the most popular esports you can place wagers on. Various tournaments and matches are played every day. In order to help you profit from betting on CSGO, we prepared this guide that will cover all you need to know before placing CSGO bets.
What is CSGO Betting?
CSGO betting is a term often used for placing bets on CSGO matches. The fact is, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is by far the most popular esports that people want to bet on.
Many people wonder if CSGO gambling and CSGO betting are the same terms. They are not. CSGO bets are placed with real money, while CSGO gambling is connected with the skins industry where players stake skins from their inventories.
Types of CSGO Bets
Since Counter-Strike is so popular in the world of esports betting, there are a lot of options for you to bet on. We can split this into three separate sections:
- pre-match CSGO bets
- in-play/live betting
- outright/tournament bets
PRE-MATCH CSGO BETS – the most common type of bet out there. With this betting option, you’re betting on an outcome before the match starts. This is a straightforward type of bet where the research you do will go a long way in order for you to profit.
IN-PLAY/LIVE BETTING – not so long ago, only a handful of betting sites actually offered CSGO live betting opportunities. Even though Counter-Strike isn’t as fast-paced as some other titles like Call of Duty, bookmakers are still finding it hard to constantly update live odds for CSGO matches. But, in our CSGO live betting guide, we talk about the absolute best sites for in-play bets, so don’t miss out on finding more about that.
OUTRIGHT/TOURNAMENT BETS – schedule for CSGO tournaments is often announced upfront. This allows CSGO betting sites to prepare the odds and provide bettors a chance to try their luck predicting which team is going to win the tournament.
How to Bet on CSGO
Placing your first CSGO bet isn’t hard at all, right? However, getting the most out of your bets is what’s most important. This is why we are going to provide you with useful information that will help you in the long run.
1. Pick a Betting Site
Choosing a reputable operator that provides value for your money is by far the most important thing regarding CSGO betting. Look for CSGO betting sites that provide competitive odds and a variety of prop/special bets.
On top of that, in this day and age, coverage must be through the roof. You should not sign up for anything less than tier 3 tournament coverage. Live betting is an industry standard right now, so there is no need for you to pay attention to whether the operator offers live bets.
Don’t forget to scan through the payment options that are available to you. In most cases, you will find out that betting sites offer credit/debit card deposits, e-wallets, pre-paid cards, and even crypto.
If you don’t want to do the research yourself, we’ve analyzed the market. Below, you can find a list of betting sites that you can’t go wrong with.
2. Deposit & Claim Welcome Bonus
A lot of newcomers to betting on esports often find themselves stuck in an endless loop that’s tying them from withdrawing their winnings. We don’t want you to make the same mistake. Here’s what you need to look out for.
Reading through the terms and conditions is something you must do before you claim a welcome bonus. Certain operators will try to lure you in by offering a massive amount of money for your initial deposit, but if you don’t read about the rules of their welcome bonus, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. All in all, don’t be lazy and go through the requirements you’ll have to fulfill to withdraw your winnings.
3. Find a Match/Tournament That You Want to Bet on
Placing a random CSGO bet at times is entertaining and it provides a way for you to enjoy the match. However, if you want to end up in profit while betting on CSGO, then you need to do the research.
Scan through matches or tournaments that you want to bet on. Find as much information as possible. Websites like Liquipedia or HLTV are excellent sources for Counter-Strike research. Once you’ve acquired the necessary data, choose a winner or any other prop bet based on the research.
Bear in mind that losing a couple of bets is completely fine, don’t let that discourage you. If you put in the work, the profit will come.
Why Should You Bet on Counter-Strike?
One of the main reasons why CSGO betting is a fan favorite is because of how accessible it is. Tournaments and leagues are played every single day which provides numerous opportunities to make money while placing CSGO bets.
It’s also important for you to know that CSGO match betting is covered in great depth by betting sites which means you can bet on more than just a match-winner. This esports is also excellent for live betting because the pause between the rounds and halves will allow bettors to place their bets without sweating whether the match odds are getting blocked.
There are plenty of other reasons why betting on CSGO is so appealing in the esports community. Test things out yourself and we assure you that you are going to love it.
Best CSGO Tournaments to Bet on
If we look at the numbers, over 6000 CSGO tournaments were played since the game was released. Compared to the number of tournaments Dota 2(1600+) and League of Legends(2721) hosted, Counter-Strike is miles ahead. The question remains, what are the best CSGO tournaments to bet on? To help you out, we created a list of events you must check out when placing esports bets. Bear in mind that CSGO odds for these events are provided by most betting sites.
CSGO tournaments you want to bet on:
- PGL Major
- Intel Extreme Masters(IEM)
- StarLadder
- cs_summit
- ESL One
- ESL Pro League
- BLAST Premier
- DreamHack Masters/Open
One thing is also very important to mention. There are 2 CSGO Majors played every year. Valve itself decides who is going to host these two tournaments. In the world of every esports fan, these are simply blockbusters and they attracted a lot of bettors and casual viewers.
CSGO Events That You Must Bet On in 2023
Now that we provided a list of events you want to bet on, we believe that it would go a long way if we offered a table including the date when will the events take place so you can prepare your betting accounts.
Keep in mind that we’re not listing every single remaining CSGO event in 2023, but we’ll provide the ones that will attract the best teams and make betting on CSGO more entertaining for you. Without further ado, let’s get straight into it.
Real Money CSGO Betting vs Skin Gambling
If you played CSGO back in 2018, then you know how big and problematic the skin gambling industry became. First and foremost, let’s separate the terms. CSGO betting stands for placing wagers on matches using real money.
On the other hand, the term skin gambling is used for wagering skins on various gambling sites that offer games similar to blackjack, roulette, jackpot, wheel of luck, etc. By far the biggest problems skin gambling industry had is a bad reputation and legal issues like non-existent gambling licenses.
Due to the nature of skin trading, many gambling websites scammed players for their hard-earned skins and Valve couldn’t do anything about it at the time. But, after cease and desist letters were sent out to the biggest skin gambling operators, everything toned down and slowly but surely, the entire skin gambling industry started to fade away.
Overall, CSGO match betting sites are providing you with a way to safely deposit and withdraw funds. You’re also protected by the commission that issued the license to the operator. All in all, CSGO match betting provides a safer way to place bets, which can’t be said about skin gambling websites. Even if you want to play traditional skin gambling games, you’ll be glad to hear that most match betting sites have their own casino where you can enjoy similar games.
CSGO Betting Options
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to move on to the more entertaining part of this CSGO betting guide, that being prop bets. Back in the day, the match-winner bet was the only option we had. However, in this day and age, there are around 50 CSGO special bets available per match.
Keep in mind that the amount of CSGO special bets can vary as certain operators don’t cover certain CSGO matches in great depth. Alongside our list of popular CSGO prop bets, we’ll offer a couple of CSGO betting tips so you can use these specials to their full potential.
MAP HANDICAP – this is a very common CSGO special bet. If you don’t know how it works, let us explain CSGO map handicap betting. There are two variations to this bet, plus(+) or minus(-). If you bet on a team that has a plus(+) next to their name, this means that they are starting a match with an advantage. Example: ENCE(+1,5). What this means is that ENCE needs to win one(because they already won one map(+1,5) map for your bet to come through. As for the minus(-) map handicap. This refers to a team that’s starting the match with a deficit and it applies to favorites. For a -1,5 map handicap, your team must win both maps in the best of three format for the bet to be marked as a win.
ROUND HANDICAP – CSGO round handicap comes with a plus(+) or a minus(-). Favorites come with a minus(-) while underdogs have a plus(+) next to their name. Let’s go over it with an example(-5,5 for favorites and +7,5 for underdogs). If we are to bet on a -5,5 round handicap, then our team needs to win with at least 6 rounds difference. On the other hand, if we want to tail the underdog with a +7,5 round handicap, then for our bet to come through, we need our team to not lose with more than 7 rounds difference. Make sure you read our CSGO round handicap explained guide to find more information about this type of bet.
CORRECT SCORE – this bet is only used for best of three and best of five format, and to be honest, most CSGO matches are played in mentioned formats. What you’re trying to do with this CSGO special bet is to predict a map-to-map scenario. For instance, you can place a bet that the favorites are going to win 2:0, or that they will drop a map, but still win. There are a lot of possibilities for you to choose from and the odds are very rewarding.
TOTAL ROUNDS PLAYED – let’s say that you did the research and you find out that two teams playing against each other will probably be evolved in a tense match where the match-winner is nothing but a coin flip. One of the best CSGO betting tips we can give you is to rely on total rounds played bet. In tight matches, we often see a lot of rounds being played hence why this is one of the best CSGO bets you can make, depending on your analysis.
PISTOL ROUND WINNER – if you’re not familiar with this esports, let us explain how this special bet works. There are two pistol rounds played on every map. 1st round and 16th will allow players to compete only with pistols, armor, and utility if they invest in it. Certain teams like Natus Vincere put a lot of effort into pistol rounds as they set them for success later on in the match. The best part about this bet is that the odds are, in most cases, even(1.9 – 1.9). With a little bit of research, you can abuse this and profit from CSGO betting.
MOST CLUTCHES WON – lately, betting sites like GG.bet and Betway esports started offering odds on most clutches won. If you don’t know what clutch in CSGO is, we got you covered. Whenever a player in one team is left alone, against X number of players, he is left to clutch the round for his team. If he can win the 1vX scenario, then he successfully clutched the round. Why is this CSGO bet so good? Because players like sh1ro, Xyp9x, s1mple, and NiKo thrive in clutch situations, so you can actually make this bet work.
CSGO Betting Tips
For the majority of CSGO bettors, the main goal of betting is to come out on top and make money while watching CSGO matches. This is why everyone is on the lookout for CSGO betting tips that will help them reach that goal. We prepared four essential tips you don’t want to miss out on.
1. Find a Betting Site That Suits You the Best
Not everyone is interested in the same things. The same applies to CSGO betting. Some bettors will only place live bets while others can look for tournament props. This is why you need to choose a betting site that fits you the best. In our reviews, we offer valuable insight into betting sites and what they offer to potential bettors so don’t miss out on our reviews.
Another important thing we need to talk about is payment methods. You shouldn’t settle for anything less than credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and pre-paid cards. There are also several operators that will offer crypto deposits and withdrawals.
2. Research Potential Bets
One of the best CSGO betting tips we can share is to research every bet you place. Write down everything you found out about the potential bet and see whether the odds are worth the risk.
When it comes to predicting the actual match, you want to find out which team is playing better right now. This can be found by looking at the recent matches teams played. Secondly, analyze the map pool for both teams and try to predict how the map veto could look. If you master map analysis, you’ll have an enormous edge over betting sites.
3. Playing the Game Will Provide Useful Insight
Even though playing the actual game you’re betting on could be hard for some, it is going to provide valuable information on mechanics, how to approach the game strategy-wise and much more information that’s essential for your CSGO bets.
For instance, learning when to eco and when to force buy offers great insight and it allows you to spot mistakes teams are doing while competing. The fact is, you don’t have to play the game on a professional level to understand what works the best and what leads to defeat.
4. Find the Highest Odds
With our final CSGO betting tip, we’re focusing on betting odds. Odds are nothing else but a game of chance where one team is favored while the other is considered an underdog. The higher the odds, the higher the return, make sure you always remember that.
The best way to approach betting on CSGO is to always scroll through a couple of sites and find out which one offers the highest odds. At first, it’s going to seem that the difference isn’t that high, but after 20-30 successful bets, your potential profit will accumulate and the amount of profit you could miss out on is going to haunt you.
FAQs
Is Betting on CSGO Legal?
Betting on CSGO is legal if you’re at least 18+, or even 21+ in some countries like the US. It’s also important to mention that you need to look into the laws of your country on whether they allow online betting.
Can You Bet on CSGO With PayPal?
Betting on CSGO with PayPal is available with betting sites such as Betway, bet365, or GG.bet.
Can You Still Gamble on CSGO?
CSGO gambling is still available. Websites that are still offering their services regarding skin gambling are now licensed. Alongside traditional skin gambling, they will also provide usual payment methods like credit cards, e-wallets, and crypto.
