The Last-Ever CS:GO Major and What E-Sports Bettors Expect
As the popularity of e-sports continues to grow, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive dominates the industry.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, abbreviated CS:GO takes the lion's share of e-Sports turnover. It's unquestionably the most popular e-Sport, with Valorant, League of Legends, and Dota 2 tailing behind.
CS:GO has several high-tier events throughout the year, leaving fans with several opportunities to watch the best players and teams clash. In contrast, most e-Sports hold international tournaments a few times a year.
Having several tournaments is among the factors that make CS:GO famous. Also, the game allows betting-related advertisements, which pushes many sportsbooks to opt for the game to build brand awareness.
Chronology of Major CS:GO Tournaments
The first major was held in 2013 at Jönköping, Sweden, which is the hometown of Dreamhack - one of the largest digital culture festivals. Fnatic won the tournament, becoming the first team to go down in history.
Fnatic was among the most dominant teams and they would later win two majors ESL One: Cologne and ESL One: Katowice in 2015.
Fnatic passed the torch to a Brazilian team, Luminosity. Subsequent years after 2016 were packed with exciting storylines surrounding Gambit and Cloud 9 in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The teams started the endless Astralis era. They won three consecutive majors in 2018 and 2019.
As the COVID-19 pandemic roamed, the tournament moved into the online arena. The 2020s event was canceled. There was a major comeback in 2021, and Natus Vincere were crowned the winners. The last event, held in Antwerp in 2022, saw FaZe Clan emerge as the winner.
CS:GO Betting: Why it Dominates the e-Sports Betting Market
The game has an easy-to-understand gameplay that enables it to gather fans across the globe. Also, it's pretty engaging, and this makes it a favorite to many.
Games like Dota 2 have more parameters to take into account. Due to this, it can take a long time to understand or enjoy the action and the aspect of watching a match.
Moreover, CS:GO is offered by the best and most popular betting sites in the industry, helping it gain more popularity. Plus, several CS:GO betting sites, like the examples in this source have competitive odds and extensive betting options.
The Rise of e-Sports
In early 2000s, e-Sports started to depict signs of becoming a leading phenomenon. The introduction of new sports and disciplines attracted many influential individuals, resulting in significant investment in the sector.
That led to the emergence of more professional e-Sport teams, gaming disciplines and an increase of young gamers with a passion for electronic sports.
Within a short while, e-Sports had become a massive industry, attracting millions worldwide. Today, it's one of the most thriving sectors in the world of online gaming and betting. Plus, this growth saw the rise of computer clubs, thus increasing amateur and professional tournaments.
Also, the remarkable expansion of the industry resulted in the establishment of organizations that took the role of organizing and running e-Sport championships.
Eventually, it developed into a fully-fledged market, taking shape in the mid-2000s. By the early 2010s, the sector was quite developed, evidenced by the establishment of iconic disciplines such as Dota 2, CS:GO, Valorant, and League of Legends.
Popular e-Sports Disciplines
The online betting industry gave e-Sports a warm reception, and this helped them to grow to what they are today. The sector offered several betting opportunities beyond the conventional markets. That fueled remarkable growth as a result of a great reception amongst bettors.
The fast growth of e-Sports is particularly driven by their universality, as they deliver numerous tournaments. Also, the simplicity of organizing and conducting the tournaments acts as a catalyst for greater popularization of e-Sports betting by pushing them into the mainstream.
Besides CS:GO, the market has other popular e-Sports that will most likely grab your attention. These sports have a massive following, attracting new and seasoned players as well as bookmakers.
One thing that makes the sports famous is that they deliver a thrilling experience. They feature diverse variations within each sport, providing several options for bookmakers to increase their offerings. That said, alternative e-Sports include:
· Dota 2 – The iconic Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game by Valve Corporation is a sequel of Dota. It's further a modification for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. You will find the game in all the leading sportsbooks, so be sure to give it a try.
· League of Legends – Commonly known as League among e-Sport fans, this is a multiplayer game created in 2009 by Riot Games. It was among the first to be published, explaining why it remains among the most loved e-Sport.
· Valorant – This is a character-based hero shooter game developed by Riot Games. The game was officially launched in 2020 and has since been a favorite to many.
· Rocket League – Football and car racing fans will particularly love Rocket League since it combines the two sporting events, and the outcome is an epic game.
E-Sports Betting Options
Betting on e-Sports is a fun and rewarding venture. In addition, it's easy to get started since no major skills are required. That means you can start betting on e-Sports even as a new player.
The market offers several betting markets, with choosing the winner being one of the most popular options. It involves selecting the team or player you think will win a match.
The other popular options you can expect to find in e-Sports betting include:
· Over/under
· Parlays
· Live betting
As you dive deeper into e-Sports betting, you will realize that some have more options than others. The odds will also vary from one site to another, with some having better odds/lines.
The goal, in most cases, is to select a bookmaker with multiple betting options and friendly odds. Also, choose a sportsbook with numerous e-Sports. Generally, this will give you more choices, and if you like spreading your risks, having several options makes that possible.
Bottom Line: E-Sports betting is among the leading favorite pastimes, with CS:GO topping the list of the best e-Sport to bet on. The sports are currently enjoying great attention, and it's almost obvious their popularity will keep on growing.
Electronic sports have many genres and great tournaments. And, the fun part is that you can wager on the all. Find your ideal e-Sport bookmaker from our list to kick-start your journey.