Best CS2 Betting Sites in 2025
Understanding CS2 Betting
Not all esports titles stand the test of time. Some burn bright for a while, then fizzle out and fade from memory before long. Counter-Strike is an exception. The game got its start back in 1999 as a mod for the extremely popular game Half-Life. Valve acquired the rights to the mod and released Counter-Strike as a retail game in 2000.
Valve released Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO for short, in 2012. In 2013, when Valve began releasing skins (costumes for characters), it didn’t take long for shady underground CS:GO betting sites with skins to pop up. Valve shut most of these CS:GO skin betting sites down with cease-and-desist letters.
In 2023, Valve introduced Counter-Strike 2, an upgraded version of CS:GO. The game features two five-player teams, the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. The Terrorists’ goal is to plant a bomb, while the Counter-Terrorists must try to stop their foes from succeeding.
The game continues until one team wins 13 rounds. At the end of each round, the winning team receives money to buy new weapons and equipment, while the losing team must make the most of the resources it already has. This fast-paced, white-knuckle action is part of what makes the best CS2 betting sites so much fun.
How To Bet on CS2
If you’ve spent much time at CS:GO bet sites, betting on CS2 works much the same way. Totally new to CS2 betting? Let’s quickly review how to jump in:
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Choose a CS2 betting site and create an account. We’ve listed our favorite betting sites here to spare you from hours of searching for a good one.
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Fund your account and claim a welcome bonus if the betting site offers one.
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Choose a CS2 match to bet on. You can bet on the match winner, tournament winner, tournament MVP, and more.
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If your bet wins, head to the cashier section to withdraw your winnings.
Types of CS2 Betting Markets
Just as with the best betting sites for CS:GO, you can place many types of wagers at CS2 betting sites. Basic bets are the easiest for newbies to wrap their heads around. For example, you can bet on who will win the match or the map. If you feel lucky, you can try to predict the final score of the game. Some bettors also enjoy handicaps, which entails betting on whether a team can win with an artificial disadvantage.
Outrights are a popular pick, too. These focus on which team will win the entire tournament rather than a single round. You can bet on which player will be crowned MVP (Most Valuable Player) or which team makes it to the final.
Once you’ve become more comfortable with basic bets, try totals betting. For example, you can bet on whether a player’s total kills will be below or above a set number.
Specials betting involves wagering on pistol rounds, duels, and overtime. For instance, you might bet on whether the game will go into overtime.
There’s also skins betting, which involves wagering on digital cosmetics. For example, in case betting, players buy keys to open boxes that might contain rare skins. In jackpot recreation, players put their skins into a pot and then choose a skin at random.
Bet Type |
About the Bet |
Basic Bets |
Match winner, map winner, final score, and handicaps |
Outrights |
Tournament winner, team to reach the final, MVP |
Totals |
Player kills over/under, total maps over/under, total rounds over/under |
Specials |
Player duels, pistol round winner, overtime yes/no |
Skins Betting |
Case betting, jackpot recreation |
How To Choose the Best CS2 Betting Sites
Wondering how to pick the best CS2 betting site? Here’s what to look for.
Security and Licensing
Our favorite CS2 betting sites take player security seriously. Look for gambling sites that fully encrypt transactions and offer ways to safeguard your account, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA).
For your safety, only bet at licensed CS2 and CS:GO wagering sites. Good CS:GO betting sites hold a license from a gambling authority to assure you that they’re legit.
Odds and Betting Markets
You’ll find dozens of CS2 betting sites available, but some have much better odds than others. Luckily, you don’t need to dig too deep to find a betting site with fair odds, as we list the best ones right here on our site.
It’s important to pick a betting site with a wide range of betting markets, too. Our favorites have a satisfying mix of basic bets, totals, specials, and outrights.
Bonuses and Promotions
Many of the best CS2 betting sites offer an appealing array of bonuses to choose from. The biggest of these is the welcome bonus, which rewards new players with a deposit match. For example, if you deposit $500, the betting site might match you by 100% to 200%.
How would you like to bet on CS2 for free? With free bets and risk-free bets, you can do just that. Free bets, as the name implies, allow you to wager on CS2 without spending any money. With risk-free bets, you spend money to place a bet, but if the bet loses, the bookmaker will return the funds to you.
User Experience
Look for CS2 betting sites that are well-organized and easy to navigate. Before creating an account with a betting site, take the time to explore and ensure that pages load quickly and properly. If the site offers streaming games, verify that the stream runs smoothly without lag or hiccups.
Want to bet on CS2 while on the go? It’s a big plus if a betting site has a mobile app, but not a dealbreaker if it doesn’t. As long as the site loads seamlessly in your mobile browser, you’re good to go.
Payment Options
Most CS2 betting sites accept credit and debit cards, so you have that option if you’d like to use one of these payment methods. Just understand that some bookmakers charge fees for using a credit card, and these fees can vary widely. For example, a betting site might charge 5% per transaction to use your American Express card.
Some betting sites also accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, and money orders. However, the processing time for these payment methods can be slow, sometimes seven business days or longer.
If you want the fastest, most secure payment method, look for a betting site that accepts crypto. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin are fully anonymous, so you won’t have to share your financial details with a bookmaker. Deposits and withdrawals are nearly instant, too.
Customer Support
You might not ever need to use customer support at a CS2 betting site, but if you do need help, you’ll be glad you chose a bookmaker that truly cares about its members. The best CS2 betting sites offer 24/7 support by chat, email, or phone.
Consider asking customer support a question before creating an account. If the support team answers within the day, or even better, in less than a few hours, it’s a good sign.
Responsible Gambling
CS2 betting is such a blast that you can easily spend more than you intended to. That’s why the top CS2 betting sites offer responsible gambling tools to help you keep your betting in check.
When rating betting sites, we look for tools that allow you to limit how much you can bet per day. Our favorites also have self-exclusion tools that enable bettors to temporarily disable their accounts for a certain period of time.
The Biggest Events for Counter-Strike Betting
Wondering which Counter-Strike 2 tournaments are most worth your time? Below, we list some of the biggest CS2 tournaments to keep your eye on in 2025.
Counter-Strike Major Championships
The Counter-Strike Majors, sponsored by the game’s creator, Valve, is the cream of the crop when it comes to CS2 tournaments. Originally, the Majors featured 16 teams, but they bumped up that number to 24 teams from 2018 to 2024. Starting in 2025, you’ll be able to watch a whopping 32 teams duke it out for the championship.
As the top tournament, the Majors boasts one of the biggest prize pools. The champs can win a slice of a prize pool totaling more than $1.25 million.
BLAST Premier
BLAST Premier, headquartered in Denmark, features two seasons running four months apiece. The series starts with 16 partnered teams, and the best six of these head to the Global Finals at the end of the year.
Starting in 2025, BLAST will do away with its partnership system and transition to three new formats: Bounty, Open, and Rivals.
Skyesports Masters 2025
South Asia is home to some of the finest CS2 players in the world, and the Skyesports Masters is where the best of the best battle it out for glory. This tournament features a single-elimination format and ends in a best-of-five grand finale.
Skyesports Masters features eight teams and an impressive $500,000 prize pool.
IEM Katowice
Poland features a highly competitive CS2 scene, and this tournament includes the most skilled players gathering to show off their chops. It boasts a $1 million prize pool and showcases 24 teams from Poland and elsewhere around the globe. Previous winners include teams such as G2 Esports and FaZe Clan.
Tips for Success in CS2 Esports Betting
If you’re new to CS2 betting, our tips for success won’t steer you wrong.
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Understand what the odds mean. Most esports sites use European odds that are represented as a decimal. For example, if a team has 1.50 odds, it means that a $10 bet will return $5 if that team wins. You might also see some betting sites with American odds, which are represented with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign. For instance, +300 means a $100 bet would win $300, while -200 means you would need to bet $200 to win $100.
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Stick with basic bets, such as match winner or map winner, at first. Once you feel more comfortable with these basic bets, you can branch into more complex bets, such as handicaps.
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Research teams and players thoroughly before you place a bet. If a team has a good track record of wins, it’ll probably continue to perform well, making it a safer bet than an unknown team.
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Always bet responsibly. Don’t wager more on CS2 than you can afford to lose and never bet money that you’ve set aside for necessities. Avoid betting when you’re stressed or angry; doing so can cause you to wager more than you planned.
Reasons To Try Betting on Counter-Strike
Why bet on Counter-Strike 2? The biggest reason is that there’s plenty of cash up for grabs. CS2 is one of the most popular esports worldwide, and if you’re clever with your betting strategy, you could rack up some serious dough.
It’s also just plain fun! The game features fast-paced action that always keeps both players and bettors on their toes. Will the Counter-Terrorists defeat their foes? Can the underdog team snatch victory from the champs at the last second? Moments like these make betting on CS2 such a blast.
Ready to dive in? Explore the latest and greatest CS2 betting markets and place your first wager today.
Alternative Esports You Can Bet On
If you’re a Counter-Strike 2 fan, there’s a good chance that you’ll love these esports titles, too.
Esports Title |
About the Game |
League of Legends |
Developed by Riot Games, League of Legends is a fantasy-themed title in which teams battle for control of the Nexus. Part of the game’s appeal is its massive character roster, which features more than 140 characters with unique abilities. |
Dota 2 |
Dota 2 is a sequel to the community-created mod Defense of the Ancients. Teams of five heroes compete to destroy the other team’s Ancient. Top players aim for a spot in the Dota Pro Circuit. |
Overwatch |
Launched in 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch is a hero shooter where teams of six compete to achieve various objectives. Overwatch was superseded by its sequel, Overwatch 2, in 2022. |
StarCraft II |
StarCraft II is yet another hit from Blizzard Entertainment. In this real-time strategy game, teams duke it out to build bases, manage resources, and create armies that will lead them to victory. |
Valorant |
Developed by Riot Games, Valorant is a hero shooter inspired by Counter-Strike. Players can choose from one of 26 agents, each with their own special ability and unique playstyle. |
PUBG |
PUBG, previously PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is a battle royale game where up to 100 players compete on the same map. Players scavenge for weapons and fight to be the last one standing. |
Fortnite |
Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite’s battle royale mode pits up to 100 players against each other in a fierce battle for ever-shrinking territory. |
Rocket League |
Pair fast-paced racing with the thrill of soccer, and Rocket League is the result. In this game, players zip around the field in supercars as they try to knock the ball into the opposing team’s net. |
Arena of Valor |
Formerly Strike of Kings, Arena of Valor is a mobile online battle game that bears a striking resemblance to League of Legends. Players choose a hero and battle to win gold and experience to make their character the most powerful. |
Experience the Thrill of CS2 Betting Today
Ready to dive into the exciting world of CS2 betting? We’ve chosen the very best CS2 betting sites, so all you have to do is pick an offer and start wagering. Good luck, and happy betting!
FAQ
Learn more about betting on CS2 here.