Counter-Strike is one of the most popular esports circuits in the world, with millions of players worldwide and an active pro scene. The prize pools of major events often exceed $1 million and matches are often tense and exciting, which attracts the betting crowd as well.
Many crypto sportsbooks offer CS2 events to their clients, from small to mid-tier events to majors and the annual Intel Grand Slam.
Betting on CS2 has never been so easy, as most mainstream bookies now offer a wide selection of matches and positions from the game.
However, the offerings provided by a particular bookie may be more enticing and diverse than others, especially for crypto enthusiasts that typically use BTC or other coins when betting.
Counter-Strike matchups can also be pretty diverse from singular maps to BO3 and BO5 games on major events and an active map pool that is constantly updated, leading to changes in team strategies. Roster overhauls and player transfers are also quite frequent, which makes it all the more important for bettors to keep track of what is happening on the pro scene to avoid misled wagers.
Some of the top-rated crypto betting sites that offer CS2 also provide wallets for a variety of coins, with BTC and USDT being two of the most popular choices.
While the number of sportsbooks that offer BTC betting on Counter-Strike, the primary difference between bookies is the number of events and positions they cover.
For example, one sportsbook may only focus on notable events, such as those sponsored by Intel and the majors, while others may offer plenty of other matches, such as those held under smaller tournaments, qualifiers, as well as individual player performances and statistics.
The likes of Stake.com, GG.bet, and BC.GAME are among the top online bookies for crypto enthusiasts and offer plenty of value for money to those interested in betting on CS2 tournaments.
For instance, Stake.com and BC.GAME typically cover both big and small tournaments, as well as qualifiers and other miscellaneous positions, which gives players more variety when building a betslip.
It is also worth noting that among CS2 players, using in-game skins is also very popular in betting and players can trade their weapon skins and cosmetics for real money and not just their Steam balances.
Coins: BTC, ETH, DOGE, SHIB, USDT, TRX (20 total)
Bonus: 200% up to $1,000
License: Curacao
Stake.com is one of the largest and most popular online sportsbooks in the world that accepts a total of 20 different cryptocurrencies and offers plenty of value to esports bettors.
Players can bet on live and upcoming CS2 events while using Stake.com. Some of the notable positions offered by the bookie include:
These are some of the major positions bettors can wager on Stake.com and each matchup will offer these positions. In the case of a major event, a match may have more open positions, both before the game starts and while it is ongoing.
Aside from the features specific to CS2, Stake.com is an overall reliable sportsbook with a very wide range of sports and funding options, which gives players more flexibility in terms of their betslips, allowing them to mix CS2 with football, basketball, and other esports titles, such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Call of Duty, Valorant, and many others.
Coins: BTC
Bonus: 100% up to $200
License: Cyprus
Based in Cyprus, GG.bet is a popular online sportsbook that offers both traditional sports like football and basketball, as well as esports titles, such as Counter-Strike and League of Legends.
While GG.bet’s crypto balance options may be limited, BTC holders are allowed to deposit and withdraw crypto at their own discretion.
Much like other sportsbooks, GG.bet offers both minor and major CS2 tournaments and the option to bet on final outcomes, as well as in-game statistics on CS2 matches, such as player ratings, number of maps played, etc.
Deposits and withdrawals made in BTC are fast, cheap, and reliable, which makes GG.bet one of the better options for CS2 enthusiasts to wager BTC.
Out of the events taking place throughout the season, GG.bet users have access to all notable circuits, such as: IEM, ESL, BLAST, PGL, ESEA, FACEIT, ELEAGUE, and many more.
Coins: XMR, BTC, ETH, DOGE, USDT (114 total)
Bonus: 180% bonus with a 20,000 BCD maximum (first deposit)
License: Curacao
Perhaps the most diverse crypto casino on the market, BC.GAME offers a whopping 114 cryptocurrency options for players to make deposits and withdrawals in, and BTC is of course one of them.
The selection of CS2 events on BC.GAME ranges from events with a smaller prize pool, such as the European Pro League, to more notable events, such as the BLAST Premier, which features the likes of FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, Astralis, G2, and more.
BC.GAME holds an e-gaming license in Curacao and also offers traditional sports, such as football, basketball, and tennis, among many others.
Players can place bets on a wide range of outcomes, such as:
Due to its sheer diversity of offerings and attractive CS2 positions, BC.GAME takes its spot as one of the top choices for users seeking to wager BTC on Counter-Strike tournaments. Unattractive 180% sign-up bonus also adds to the appeal of the sportsbook.
Coins: BTC, ETH, XMR, ADA, SHIB (25 total)
Bonus: 100% up to $100
License: Curacao
22Bet, which is another online sportsbook that holds an e-gaming license in Curacao, is a solid option for those seeking to bet cryptocurrencies on both traditional sports and esports titles like CS2.
The bookie offers almost all of the relevant events that may interest CS2 enthusiasts, with minor and major tournaments included.
A 100% signup bonus up to $100 gives a nice boost to the first deposits made at 22Bet and prospective users will be delighted to hear that there are no withdrawal limits at the bookie.
22Bet also offers an impressive lineup of cryptocurrencies to choose as a deposit method, with a total of 25 different coins to choose from.
Depending on the location of the players, they can choose between Decimal, Fractional, and American odds, which are displayed differently. For example:
While Decimal odds are typically the most popular among sportsbooks, the option to switch between the types of odds is convenient to all users.
Coins: BTC, LTC, ETH, BCH, USDT, DAI
Bonus: 5% up to $500
License: Curacao
Thunderpick is a popular name among Counter-Strike fans, as the sportsbook has sponsored a few events in the past, such as the Thunderpick Invitational, which was a series of small, online events that took place during the peak of CS:GO’s popularity.
Similarly to other entries on this list, Thundeprick also offers all the minor and major events that feature notable teams and pro players, while also giving bettors the ability to change odd styles to suit their tastes.
The 5% welcome bonus of up to $500 may not be as enticing as other welcome bonuses and is catered to players with larger balances.
When it comes to withdrawing winnings, Thunderpick upholds a weekly limit of EUR 25,000 and a monthly limit of EUR 75,000, or its equivalent in crypto. Withdrawals at Thunderpick are free of charge.
Coins: BTC, BCH, ETH, DOGE, USDT, SHIB (36 total)
Bonus: 100% on first-time crypto deposit
License: Curacao
Cloudbet is a popular online bookie that offers a combination of traditional sports like football, basketball, hockey and others, as well as popular esports titles like Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends, and much more.
The bookie supports a diverse lineup of cryptocurrencies, 36 in total, including Bitcoin.
While betting on CS2 is extremely easy at Cloudbet, there are some limitations on parlay betslips. For example, there is a combined odds limitation of 10,000, while the minimal withdrawable amount is 0.001 BTC. The maximum number of positions in a parlay betslip is also limited to 15.
Adjusting the types of odds is also possible at Cloudbet, with European, British, and American odds all available.
Players can choose to bet on upcoming CS2 matches, as well as ongoing ones, with positions on individual player performances, as well as match outcomes and number of maps played.
Counter-Strike events can be pretty diverse and major events have been organized in multiple countries around the world. The typical prize pool of a Counter-Strike major tournament is $1 million, but this has not always been the case, as prize pools have seen a gradual increase since the release of CS:GO over a decade ago.
The best online sportsbooks will offer both minor and major tournaments, as well as qualifiers and other matches involving high-profile teams and players.
The Electronic Sports League (ESL) and Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) are two of Intel’s popular championship titles that usually feature some of the top-rated Counter-Strike teams from the HLTV Top 20 list, such as the likes of Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan, Astralis, Team Vitality, and many more.
There are numerous ESL and IEM championships throughout the CS2 season and the team that manages to win the most Intel-sponsored championships also goes on to win the year-end Intel Grand Slam, with a prize pool of $1 million.
Bettors can place wagers on the Intel Grand Slam months in advance of the event’s conclusion, which means that the odds are constantly changing in accordance with the performance of some of the top contenders for the title.
ESL and IEM events are characterized by middle to high prize pools, with some major tournaments with over $1 million in total prize pool also organized under the ESL or IEM brands.
The BLAST Pro Series and BLAST Premier events are also known for middle-to-high prize pools and offer qualified and invited teams on their events.
The 2023 Paris Major was organized between May 8-21 by BLAST and featured a prize pool of $1.25 million. The event saw Team Vitality crowned champions after a finals win over GamerLegion.
BLAST has become a popular championship circuit over time, replacing the likes of ELEAGUE and StarLadder as the third most popular Major circuit after IEM and PGL.
BLAST events are covered by all of the crypto sportsbooks on our list and are some of the most popular events of the year, held in diverse locations around the globe.
PGL has been a long-standing Major circuit dating back to the early CS:GO days, still going strong in CS2 as well.
PGL has numerous successful events under its brand name, attracting thousands of live viewers on major venues across Europe.
The 2022 Antwerp Major was held under the PGL banner and saw FaZe Clan lift its first ever major title after a finals win over Na’Vi.
Historically, PGL majors have been characterized by prize pools of $1 million. However, with recent majors offering more $1.25 million and more, any upcoming PGL events are also likely to have higher prize pools in order to remain competitive on the CS2 pro scene.
