Since the launch of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the FPS gaming industry has never been the same. Along with Dota 2 and League of Legends, CS:GO is ranked at the top of the eSports Olympus.
It is not a surprise that it became a major fever for die-hard gamblers and sportsbook enthusiasts. Many gamblers and punters flock to expert websites like csgoradar.com and other solid data sources to improve their winning chances on gambling/betting sites.
Read on to understand the reason behind the popularity of CSGO skin gambling.
Skin Gambling vs. Skin Betting – Understanding the Basics
While the CS:GO community often uses the terms “skin gambling” and “skin betting” interchangeably, these expressions refer to different concepts. CS:GO gambling is mostly focused on games, while CS:GO betting focuses on matches.
The main similarity between these two “siblings” is the possibility to wager on games or place bets on matches using skins.
Skins are graphical overlays that change the look of in-game items, such as weapons, knives, and gloves. Players can either drop these items while playing CS:GO, opening cases, buying them directly, or winning prizes in the form of skins.
The growing popularity of CS:GO skins created an “underground” industry with a cyclic movement between CS:GO gambling sites, betting platforms, and skin marketplaces.
Hence, players can use skins to fund their bets on gambling websites. As these in-game items are not regulated as cryptocurrencies, credit cards, or bank transfers, they facilitate the payment process for online gamblers.
After winning a prize, players can seamlessly withdraw the equivalent amount in the form of skins and easily exchange the items for real money using a third-party cashout website.
Both skin gambling and skin-betting websites often allow users to benefit from promotions and bonuses. This way, they can attract new users while keeping things interesting for regular customers.
Standard bonuses include no-deposit bonuses (e.g., free cases, free skins, free cash), match deposit bonuses, giveaways, Rakeback percentages, and leaderboard-based free rewards.
CSGO is Growing More and More Popular Worldwide
Another reason that explains the massive popularity of CS:GO skin gambling is the game’s massive global community. Since the dawn of the first CS:GO Majors, official competitions and tournaments have been happening year-round.
Even the pandemic was not enough to stop them, as competitive players continued to face each other in matches remotely. No matter where you point at a map, you will find a CS: GO community.
Whether you go to Japan, Korea, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, South America (especially Brazil), Australia, or anywhere else, you will find CS:GO communities consisting of players, gamblers, influencers, and enthusiasts.
How the Pandemic Helped to Boost the Popularity of CSGO Skin Gambling
While other segments were hardly surviving throughout the pandemic, CS:GO skin gambling sites experienced a massive increase in popularity. The effect of never-ending lockdowns resulted in exponential growth in the consumption of CS:GO-related content.
From early 2020 on, viewership numbers increased dramatically, as the number of players dedicated to competitions and the number of people available to watch them play also increased.
Additionally, as people spend most of their time locked at home, CS:GO skin gambling became an escape from daily boredom to a world of thrilling sensations and fantastic prizes.
According to statistics published by the UK Gambling Commission back in July 2020, the eSports gambling segment had a year-on-year growth of 2992% within the first months of the same year.
Not only playing gambling games became more popular but watching people wagering CS:GO skins became a hobby for millions of people worldwide. Suddenly, streamers on Twitch and YouTube became viral, entertaining users with massive wins and devastating losses.
How Popular CSGO Skin Gambling Actually Is
The first official CSGO skin gambling site was launched back in 2015, marking the beginning of the scorching fever that would change the iGaming industry forever. Users have a broad catalog of options, from CS:GO Crash, Roulette, and Dice to case openings.
Since then, the industry has gone through several stages, from an initially unregulated market to Provably Fair sites with reputable gambling licenses, attractive bonuses, and valuable CS:GO skin prizes.
