Through each of CS:GO’s iterations – 1.6, Source, and Global Offensive – Counter-Strike has been the genre’s benchmark of a player’s FPS skills. Across the globe, teams demonstrate their abilities and strategies in local, regional, and international tournaments streamed to millions of viewers online.

With CS:GO, the series introduced an ELO based competitive ranking system to the series. The economy system was adjusted, and separate ammo requirement was changed. Graphics and UI updates were the biggest noticeable changes, and a weapon skin system introduced in the future.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is an objective-based multiplayer shooter where two teams face off each other on different maps and game modes like Hostage Rescue or guarding hostages, bomb plants, or bombs defusal scenarios. The competitive experience revolves around the bomb plant and defusal strategy. 

Basic Competitive Rules:

• Each team consists of 5 players each. 
• The teams are divided into Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, with each team taking turns to play as either side.
• The terrorist team is tasked with placing and detonating a bomb at one of two different locations. On the other hand, the opposing team takes the counter-terrorist role, tasked to prevent the bomb placement, or work together to defuse the bomb if it is planted. Each team can also kill the entire opponent team to win the round automatically.
• The first team to win 16 rounds wins the match. 
• Thirty rounds are the maximum playable rounds without overtime.
• After the first 15 rounds, both teams switch sides. If both teams end up with 15 round wins each, the match ends in a tie. 

Game Modes

Bomb Defusal: This is the classic game mode with standard competitive rules, as described above. The terrorist team needs to plant the bomb on one of the two bomb sites, and the Counter-Terrorists need to defend the sites and prevent the Terrorists from doing so. If one team kills the other team before the bomb is planted, they automatically win. The competitive gameplay revolves around this mode. 

Hostage Rescue: In this mode, the Terrorists have to guard several hostages somewhere inside the map. The Counter-Terrorists need to infiltrate the sites and rescue one or more hostages by escorting them outside to a safe zone. 

Deathmatch: This is a casual game mode that allows instant respawns with no weapon restrictions. Each kill awards points to the player. The player with the most points after 10 minutes wins. Some weapons will provide bonus points on kills. 

Wingman: Wingman is a 2v2 version of the bomb defusal competitive game mode. The mode is played based on a best-of-16 round and has its ELO ranking system, separate from the 5v5 competitive mode.

CS:GO betting has always been one of the most fleshed-out betting scenes among Esports betting due to its weapon skins system’s popularity. You can find an endless swathe of websites to dabble in CS:GO betting for real money or in-game cosmetics.

Real Money Betting:

You can bet for real money on CS:GO tournaments at various sites. These sites will let you wager on the outcomes of games. CS:GO has a very active Esports scene, so you will always find games to bet on.

Fantasy Betting:

Draftkings has a CS:GO section that allows fantasy betting on CS:GO matches. It is legal almost everywhere and is a safe alternative to real money betting.

Weapon Skin Betting:

Weapon skins in CS:GO are highly sought after. A skin price can range from a few cents to thousands of dollars. Many websites allow players to wager their owned weapon skins, acting as a currency. This is one way that CS:GO betting differs from other FPS Esports betting. Skins betting has it’s own betting and gambling ecosystem. 

Types of CS:GO Bets

There are several types of bets you can place on CS:GO gameplay. Different types of bets can have different levels of knowledge requirement and risk attached to them.

MONEY-LINE BETS
These are the most common types of bets that you will find. Money-line bets are bets placed on the results of a single matchup. Bookmakers will offer odds on both teams based on their calculations. For example:

Odds for Team Liquid vs Team Navi are: 
Liquid (2.50) vs Navi (1.30)

Outcome: Here we see that Navi is favored to win over Liquid by over double the margin.
If you bet an amount on Liquid and Liquid wins, your payout will be multiplied by 2.5x times the amount you bet.
If Navi wins the match, your bet amount will be multiplied by 1.3x times.

OUTRIGHT BETS
Outright bets are also known as the ‘futures markets’ bets. Outright bets focus on the overall outcome of the tournament rather than a single match. For e.g. You can bet if the tournament finalists will be Navi or Astralis. Or a team from a specific region like the CIS region or North American region.

SPECIAL BETS
Special bets are made on very specific events occurring during the game/match. For example: 

Total kills: You can bet on the total amount of kills or frags obtained by a player during the match. You can also bet on the over/under market where you bet on the prediction that the total kill count at the end would be over 110 kills or under 110 kills.

Correct score: You can bet on the final score of the map at the end of the match. A CS:GO match is scored based on the number of rounds won per team. A CS:GO match can go for a maximum of 30 rounds, with a team needing 16 round wins to finish the match. You can bet on the map score if you think the map score will reach a specific number. For e.g. you predict that the match will go for 25 rounds. Meaning the end score should be 16-9.

IN-PLAY BETS
These bets are placed after a match has started. Also known as live-bets. It involves betting on outcomes happening during the duration of the game/match. For example: 

Pistol round winner: Pistol rounds are perhaps the most vital rounds of CS:GO gameplay which can decide where the rest of the game goes as it puts a team at an advantage. You can bet on the winner of specific rounds like the pistol round during live bets.

Map winner: This is also a common betting option for live bets that lets you pick the winner of the match. Live bets provide a unique advantage to bettors with the option of cashing out. For example, if you had bet on Navi winning the match against Astralis, but the score ends up 4-11 midway through the match, you can cash out and cut your losses rather than taking a chance and losing all of your money on the bet.

The “Odds” refers to the likelihood or chance of a specific event occurring, e.g. Team X winning over Team B.  Bets placed on the basis of these odds offered by bookmakers. The odds are calculated by different sportsbooks differently. So make sure to pick a decent and reputable sportsbooks with fair odds.

Odds are of various distinct types: Decimal, Fractional, American, or Implied Probability. You’ll most often come across Decimal Odds, however.

DECIMAL ODDS

Decimal odds give you the easiest conversion from stake to return.

AMERICAN ODDS

These odds are represented by numbers with a prefix (+) and minus(-) sign. The positive(+) sign is assigned to underdogs’ odds and indicates the amount won for every $100 staked on the bet. Whereas, the negative(-) odds indicate the amount you need to stake to win $100 from the bet.

FRACTIONAL ODDS

These odds are marked with a fractional number, with the top number dictating how much when you invest the bottom fractional number.

Favorable odds: Odds of 2/1 – Every $1 you bet will give you a payout of $2. 

Unfavorable odds: Similarly, Odds of 1/5 – For every $5 you bet, you will receive a payout of $1.

IMPLIED PROBABILITY

This is a more readable way to denote odds, however this can be highly inaccurate and is mostly just used as a reference to calculate risk.

Developed over 10+ years of betting experience online, the KBG Team shortlisted the below tips for the beginners who want to dive into CS:GO betting online, or the seasoned bettor interested in brushing up their betting strategy.

Tip#1: Set a budget and stick to it –  The first consideration you need to do, is to bet what you can afford. Note that the idea of a get-rich-quick scheme is not applicable to everyone in CS:GO betting; so bet accordingly. In order to follow the success of Esports betting professionals, make sure you build your skills and strategies by reading through the rest of the tips.

Tip#2: Check all the odds: As you shortlist CS:GO matches you want to wager on, check all the odds offered by our partner bookmakers prior to buying your payslip. Look for the odds offered that present the best profitability opportunities for you. If you can develop this analytic skill, you would be able to maintain a profitable betting portfolio.

Tip#3: Learn the game: Obviously, it is highly advised to bet on Rocket League only if you are familiar with the game mechanics and rules. This will help you develop a second nature in identifying the players’ and teams’ strengths and weaknesses in the match.  In order to gain an advantage in PUBG online betting, make sure you analyze the match prior betting:

•   Look at past match results between the teams See if any players or teams had better performances against specific teams that caused them to win. Look out for roster changes that can impact performance and affect historical data-based predictions. 
•  Check the maps In some games like CS:GO, teams will likely play on different maps in different matches. Some teams will have strengths and weaknesses, depending on the map, and might affect the outcome. 
• Event Format Depending on the format of the matches, the likelihood of certain outcomes can change. For example, a Best-of-1 has higher chances of an upset or unexpected result. A draw is very likely in a Best of 2. A Best of 5 should favor the most consistent team than an unexpected result. 
• Player Lineup Check whether the teams perform better or worse with certain lineups. A worse player as a stand-in can affect the team’s chances of victory.  
• Have the teams traveled a lot? If teams have to travel for extended periods across regions to attend events, there is a perfect chance their performance will suffer due to tiredness and jet lag. Teams who have traveled less or not will fare much better mentally and physically in the game.  
• Past match performances Obvious one. But very important. Stay up to date with all recent historical statistics about teams and their performances. Some teams are on their peak for several months but then hit a visible decline due to burnout or any other reasons.   
• Observe Community betting Look at the highest-ranked betters and what their opinion is. Talk to veteran betters and others in the betting community. There is always some insight to be had and something to learn. 

Tip#4: Specialise in the bet types you are great at: The last tip to implement deeply into your strategy is to recognize which betting types you can form expertise in. Find the betting models you are most comfortable with and form a deep understanding of, by following the below points:

• Specialize whenever possible – with so many CS:GO players and teams competing in tournaments across the globe, focusing your research on a particular vertical will allow you to gather deeper knowledge, allowing you to make better and smarter betting decisions.
• Bet selectively and objectively– never bet in a panic! Avoid betting on matches you haven’t done the necessary research and analysis beforehand.
• Don’t believe any information blindly: Some individuals might just want to throw off others’ predictions by giving out false information, to sway the odds and gain higher profit for themselves. Hence it’s better to not take everything at face value and make your own end decision through research.

KBG recommended online Sportsbooks are geared to accept a wide selection of payment methods. Deposit methods you can expect include credit cards, direct bank transfers, and PayPal. Other novel methods of payments can include eWallets and Cryptocurrencies, available at selective Esports Bookies.

Here are more details on the payments you can expect when betting on CS:GO:

• Credit and Debit cards: remain the most popularly accepted means of payment across bookmaker websites. MasterCard and VISA being the most common.
• Web Wallets: These are e-Wallets that allow you to transfer funds to a virtual wallet for placing bets instead of linking your credit or debit card directly. This helps you avoid giving any sensitive financial information to the bookmaker. Skrill and Neteller are some of the most widely used e-Wallets.
• PayPal: PayPal remains one of the world’s most reliable online payment services. It helps you avoid giving your personal financial information to the bookmaker and provides an extra layer of security in transactions.
• CryptoCurrency: Cryptocurrencies can also be used to bet on bookmaker websites. These are usually not available globally due to country-specific crypto laws but are usually used to cater to smaller regions and markets. For example, AstroPay caters to Brazil and the USA. GiroPay caters to Germany and Austria etc. 
• Direct Bank Transfers: Bookmaking websites commonly allow you to transfer the amount from your bank account to theirs. The betting site will provide you with its bank details.

If you need some assistance at any point while betting on CS:GO the bookmakers we partnered with have you covered.

Given that most online Esport bookmakers are available around the clock, open every day, there is always some form of customer service options available via email, toll-free telephone number, or an instant chat function.

The customer service teams can assist you with anything from deposit or withdrawal issues to questions about specific CS:GO related bets you have placed.

BLAST PREMIER SERIES
The Blast Premier Series is a successor to the Blast Pro Series. They are a professional CS:GO Esports league based primarily in 2 regions: North America and Europe. They structure it around 2 seasons, the Spring and Fall season. Where the winner of those season finals will participate in the Global Finals at the end of the year. The prize pools range from USD $300,000 to USD $1,500,000 for the Global Finals.  

DREAMHACK MASTERS
Dreamhack Masters is a series of CS:GO tournaments held twice a year by Dreamhack, ending with a LAN event where the teams meet each other in Sweden.

INTEL EXTREME MASTERS
Intel Extreme Masters is the longest-running global pro gaming tour in the world since launching in 2007. They have held tournaments for a wide range of games including CS:GO and have a big presence in Asia, NA, and European regions. Their Counter-Strike circuit will kick-start it’s 15th season in 2020.

ESL ONE SERIES
These are CS:GO tournaments organized by Electronic Sports League and are among the most well funded and managed tournaments for any Esports out there. ESL also holds Major events with Valve and other organizations. 32 teams compete in a single-elimination bracket, with the top 4 teams proceeding to ESEA’s Main division.

CS:GO MAJORS
These are Valve sponsored CS:GO tournaments where Valve puts up a prize pool of $1,000,000. The top eight teams from every Major gain “Legend” status and are automatically qualified to the next Major’s New Legends Stage as The Current Legends.   

Wondering how the different U.S. States approach Esports Betting? the KGB team has provided in-depth guides on how various State or County laws stack up on casino gambling. Check out the U.S. Guide below, where we’ll investigate each state and help you in your quest to Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly:

Pick your Esport, learn the dynamics of the match and tap into the best betting strategies developed over the years. Can you build that elusive hot streak? There’s only one way to find out. Always remember, Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly: