Counter-Strike
Esports Betting
Vitality vs FaZe Starladder Budapest Major finals: Best odds, picks
Steven Rondina
FaZe Clan has once again exceeded expectations on the big stage, but can it pull off a big upset over Team Vitality and win the Budapest Major? Finn “karrigan” Andersen has proven many times over that he can lead a solid team to the pinnacle of Counter-Strike esports. He’s shown that a few times over in the last couple of years, as FaZe’s roster has effectively become amorphous. Though it …
Esports Betting
NAVI vs FaZe StarLadder Budapest Major: Best odds and picks
Fariha Bhatti
The final stage before the grand finals at the StarLadder Budapest Major will see NAVI face FaZe Clan after both teams have bested event favorites in the quarterfinals, and the odds reflect a semifinal picture that is wide open, giving bettors little margin for error. The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 quarterfinals have blown up Pick’Em predictions for many, catching safe bettors off guard while rewarding those who leaned into risk. …
Esports Betting
Vitality vs Spirit StarLadder Budapest Major semifinals: Best odds and picks
Fariha Bhatti
The first StarLadder Budapest Major 2026 semifinal will pit Team Vitality against Team Spirit, and the quarterfinal results have changed how this match-up should be read from an odds betting angle. Here’s how the numbers shape up for bettors. Stages 1 through 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 dragged dark horses into the spotlight and, for a while, made it easy to doubt the usual favorites. The event has …
Esports Betting
What new Valve policy means for gambling, skins betting in CS2
Fariha Bhatti
Valve has formally barred Counter-Strike 2 teams from promoting or otherwise displaying materials relating to gambling and betting with in-game CS2 skins and cases during official tournament broadcasts. But what does that mean for the game’s esports scene, and will it affect other forms of betting? While CS2 has become closely tied to betting in 2025 and in prior years, largely owed to its case-opening system that essentially serves as …
Esports Betting
FaZe Clan vs Passion UA StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Steven Rondina
FaZe Clan is hanging on by a thread in the StarLadder Budapest Major, and CS2 bettors will have to weigh their chances against Passion UA in the final round of groups. Match StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 3, Round 5 Kick-off December 7, 2025 at 11:30 am ET Top pick FaZe Clan wins Best price GG.BET Betting favorite FaZe Clan Passion UA has arguably established itself as North America’s top Counter-Strike …
Esports Betting
G2 vs Falcons StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
G2 vs Falcons will have plenty of eyes on it as two top-10 teams go into a match-up that will send one of them home packing from the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. These are the best odds and picks for bettors looking for big payouts from this titanic tilt. Both G2 and MongolZ enter the 2–2 bracket after dropping their high matches, and while their journeys look nearly identical, one …
Esports Betting
G2 vs MongolZ StarLadder Budapest Major: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
G2 vs MongolZ is the third high match-up of stage 3, round 4, and bettors will know early whether their preferred team gets to fight another day. We’ve pulled together the best odds and picks for this highly anticipated StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 game. Round 4 at the major is where things really get dicey. Whoever loses between G2 and MongolZ drops into the elimination bracket and has to fight …
Esports Betting
Falcons vs Imperial StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Bookmakers have marked a clear odds favorite for the Falcons vs Imperial match-up, but the game still has potential to result in yet another upset. We’ve broken down the smartest picks for the upcoming game between two teams with fervent fan followings. Stage 2 played out almost exactly as expected with few surprises, but stage 3 has dragged the upsets right back into the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Team Liquid …
paiN vs 3DMAX StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
paiN vs 3DMAX is arguably the toughest match-up to predict in stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major here in 2025. We’ve broken down the best odds and picks to give bettors a clearer path before placing their wagers. The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is only one stage away from the playoffs, where the real action finally begins. The biggest teams have now entered the conversation, with stage 3 serving …
Liquid vs Astralis StarLadder Budapest Major: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s final round in stage 2 is revealing what stage 3 may look like, and a renewal of the storied Team Liquid vs Astralis rivalriy is the highlight match. With both teams in the top 15 of the global rankings, it’s a tricky game for bettors. We break it down here with the best odds and the picks to go for. The Swiss format has pushed two …
StarLadder Budapest Major Imperial vs M80: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 has been eventful so far, and an upcoming M80 vs Imperial game is only going to make it that much more interesting as this game decides the next team to reach 3-1, and we’ve put together the best odds and picks for bettors to have in mind. After multiple upsets and twists, StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s stage 2 is nearing its final rounds. Round 4 will …
Astralis vs FlyQuest StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Both Astralis and FlyQuest have crashed into the Stage 2 elimination bracket, now fighting for one last lifeline at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.We’ve gathered the best odds and picks for a Astralis vs FlyQuest match-up that’s shaping up to be far tighter than most anyone expected. Stage 1 of the major was quite shocking, with teams including FaZe and Fnatic showing signs of struggle. While FaZe has quickly bounced …
NAVI vs FlyQuest StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 will include some familiar teams squaring up against the stage 1 winners , and the biggest draw to begin is NAVI vs FlyQuest, especially after FlyQuest’s flawless first-stage run. Anyone planning to wager on this match-up should actually read the odds and picks before placing wagers. In stage 2, eight teams are already waiting to face off with those sides that survived …
FaZe vs Fluxo StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
The 2025 StarLadder Budapest Major is finally entering its Stage 1 elimination round, through which only three teams will secure a place in Stage 2. The Fluxo vs FaZe match-up is sure to draw eyes, and interested bettors will want the best odds and picks for this anticipated series before placing anything on the line. Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 featured 16 teams competing in a five-round …
NRG vs Fnatic StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Best odds, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is wrapping up, with NRG and Fnatic among the final teams for Stage 2 are about to be locked in to face some of the most accomplished Counter-Strike 2 rosters in the world. It’s a good moment for bettors to check the latest odds and picks before placing their wagers. Group play at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 has already delivered enough …
StarLadder Budapest Major hit by stream and production issues
Fariha Bhatti
Kick
StarLadder has issued an apology for the production issues at the ongoing Budapest Major 2025, acknowledging the problems after a full day of criticism from livid CS2 fans and bettors. StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s first day will likely go down as the most talked-about opening day of any CS2 Major. The conversation wasn’t due to any shocking upsets, but was rather attributable to the relentless tech and production issues that …
Where to watch the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
Khizar Mundia
Kick
A new sponsor has joined StarLadder Budapest Major for 2025, and this new development has sparked speculation that the upcoming StarLadder Major won’t be streamed on Twitch and YouTube with fans only able to watch on Kick. Online crypto gambling and sports betting hub Rollbit has joined StarLadder as its lead gambling sponsor for the Budapest Major, one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 events of the calendar year. Some fans …
How to bet on StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 and best promos
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
The latest Counter-Strike 2 Major is almost here, and with bettors gearing up to cash in, we can help to figure out how and where to bet on StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, while also pointing the best available promos for the CS2 tournament. CS2’s esports calendar is packed with S-tier events each and every year, but nothing matches the Valve-backed Major tournaments. These high-stakes events are prime territory for bettors, …
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Betting guide, best odds
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
The final heavyweight Counter-Strike 2 event of the year is almost here, and as 32 teams come to Budapest for a shot at the StarLadder Major 2025 trophy, bettors sizing up the field will find the best odds, picks, and everything else they’ll need right here in our event betting guide. StarLadder is back at the top of the game for the first time since the 2019 Berlin Major, where …
Trainwreckstv makes over a million from a single CS2 map bet
Fariha Bhatti
Big Wins
Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam has a track record of finding major payouts in casino and slots betting, and now he’s running up wins in CS2 esports as well. The streamer pulled in over a million from a single bet on a Counter-Strike 2 match during BLAST Rivals Fall. Trainwreckstv may be most famous for his betting and gambling streams, but he didn’t begin that way. He first built his audience playing …
Counter-Strike has long been among the biggest titles in esports and competitive gaming, even going back to esports’ deepest roots from decades past. What’s more, the game continues going strong today, with developer and publisher Valve releasing the latest iteration of the franchise in 2023. The newest version, Counter-Strike 2, has not been without its issues. But its popularity continues the enduring prominence of the Counter-Strike series, signaling that the venerated franchise is likely here to stay for many years yet to come.
But how did the franchise come be to so prominent in the esports space, and role does CS2 have to play in the industry moving forward?
Counter-Strike has roots in the beginnings of esports
Counter-Strike was unquestionably one of the biggest drivers of what we would today consider to be early professional esports movement. It was far from alone, and it wasn’t the most advanced. That likely was StarCraft: Brood War, a real-time strategy game from famed developer Blizzard that caught on in South Korea and led to a professional scene in the country well ahead of any examples of esports industry elsewhere in the world.
But outside of Korea, Counter-Strike quickly became the driving force behind competitive gaming and esports. First released in 1999 as a modification for popular first-person shooter Half-Life, the game was easy to pick up and play for many gamers. Half-Life was borderline ubiquitous software for gamers with a PC, and adding a mod to it was as simple as downloading and applying said mod. So it was that Counter-Strike began to catch fire and spread across the world.
As it spread, so too did its competitive play. Early competitions often centered around online play, most prominently including the Cyberathlete Amateur League (CAL) in North America and the Clanbase Eurocup in Europe. But live, in-person tournaments, similar to those enjoyed by StarCraft players and fans in Korea, were also rising in prominence.
Within just a few years, there were a number of major annual tournaments being held for the original version of Counter-Strike. Notable international tournament organizers included the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) in the United States, the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) in France, and the World Cyber Games (WCG) in Korea. This was in addition to many other regional tournaments through which teams could test their mettle and battle over smaller prizes.
But even at bigger tournaments, prizes weren’t what they are today, and in general there was far less money available to professional Counter-Strike players than there is in today’s thriving esports industry which sees many players and teams playing at the full-time pro level. That’s a far cry from a time when perhaps a small handful of players were able to make a true living through playing CS alone, and even them, it was often a modest one.
Counter-Strike 2 at the fore of a bigger esports scene than ever before
Counter-Strike 2 was released to a far different esports space than that which the original Counter-Strike occupied. But what exactly is it that has changed the scene so much, besides the accrual of years?
Esports betting is at the top of the list. The sports betting industry is growing and expanding around the world each and every year, and esports has absolutely been a part of that. As esports betting continues to grow and thrive, it brings its benefits to the games that are being bet on. And Counter-Strike 2 is at the top of that list.
These benefits have arrived through a myriad of means. Fan interest in tournaments has gone up and become more consistent with betting markets available for each and every game played, which further incentivizes tournament organizers and their sponsoring partners. But those partners are also now more likely to work with the pro teams and players themselves. Betting operators are among the most common and most generous sponsors in the pro CS2 space, showing how esports betting’s rise has contributed to Counter-Strike’s continued prominence in esports and competitive gaming as a whole.
