We discuss the practice of CS2 real money betting, share essential tips to potentially help bettors get an edge, and detail the best sites to use.

CS2 Real Money Betting Explained

Like traditional sports betting, CS2 real money betting is the practice of placing bets with your currency on the outcome of a match. It is as simple as that, and those who’ve placed bets on traditional sports will be very familiar with the process. For first-time bettors, we will explain how betting works with real money and the difference between real money betting and skins betting.

To bet CS2 matches with real money, you first need to sign up with a bookmaker. These bookmakers offer a variety of options, from your standard match winner bets to special bet opportunities and even exhilarating live betting. Bookmakers provide users with odds based on the expected outcome of a CS2 match. The bookmakers may also take a tiny margin.

After you’ve decided which team will win, you place your bet via a betslip. If your team wins, you get the winnings based on the odds you’ve agreed to when placing a wager. All the bookmakers featured in our dedicated review section are safe and secure, making both depositing and withdrawing real money a breeze.

CS2 Real Money Betting Sites

You’ll find the most options for CS2 real money betting at the sites listed below. We’ve inspected each of these sites and they all provide a safe platform to bet your money on Counter-Strike and other esports.

Real Money Betting vs CS2 Skins Betting

Some CS2 skins are worth a whole lot of money. These valuable, rare skins, alongside other lesser-valuable skins, stickers and gloves can be used to bet on CS2 matches. We do, however, recommend not to place bets on matches using CS2 skins.

This is due to skin trading/betting being a grey market area, and many sites try to scam players out of their high-value skins. It is risky to bet CS2 skins, which is why we recommend CS2 real money betting via a reputable bookmaker.

CS2 Real Money Betting Tips

Please note that these are general tips and all odds provided in this section are fictional. HLTV does not guarantee success or even an increased rate of accurate bets by using these tips.

Set A Betting Budget

No matter how solid a CS2 betting strategy or how confident a bettor is in an outcome occurring, there’s one thing to always have in mind — never bet more than you can afford to lose. The simple truth is that upsets do occur in CS2 esports, in all tiers of competition. Managing your CS2 real money betting budget well, therefore, is essential to success.

Effective management of a betting budget should always be a top priority. This can be achieved by setting a strict limit per month, and many of the best bookmakers provide a feature where users can set a budget limit via their profiles. If you are on a tight CS2 real money betting budget, we recommend looking at our guides focusing on low CS2 betting and an excellent strategy for betting on a budget.

Take Your Time

With real money on the line, it’s seldom a good idea to simply “rush B”. By this, we recommend that bettors do proper research before placing a bet. Diligent research is, and has always been, the best way to increase your chances of winning a CS2 real money bet.

At HLTV, we’ve got you covered in terms of research, with dedicated pages for tournaments, team rankings, stats, match histories, results and more. With these resources, combined with our detailed betting analytics and the odds comparison section, the sky’s the limit.

Bet When There’s Value

Sometimes, there isn’t much value in placing a bet on a specific CS2 team. The odds are just too high in their favour. For example, if Team A has 1.15 odds to win, you will only make 0.15 profit on your CS2 real money bet if the outcome occurs.

Considering there are always upsets happening at all levels of competition, there’s little value in placing the bet. For the bettor to win anything significant, the bet will need to be huge. It’s all about risk/reward management.

Bet only when there is actual value, or use special bets with better odds if you are set on a specific team. There’s also the option of multibets, which are high risk but do provide much better odds when you string a few together.

Use Betting Site Promo Codes

Promo Codes, short for Promotional Codes, can give bettors a boost. Always be on the lookout for new Promo Codes, which really do come in all shapes and sizes. Some bookmakers might offer a Promo Code for a first deposit bonus. Other bookmakers might offer a CS2 specific Promo Code. For example, a bonus that allows you to place one “risk-free” bet on a specific tournament.

Nearly all Promo Codes have requirements attached to them. It is up to each bettor to check these requirements via their bookmaker of choice. Read the full Terms and Conditions as well as the requirements carefully. If you want to learn more about Promo Codes, then check out our dedicated guide.

We do not guarantee success with these tips. HLTV is not responsible for any losses incurred. Odds examples are fictional, and it is up to the bettor to check the odds provided by their bookmaker of choice.

Responsible CS2 Gambling

Responsible gambling is always essential. Staying in control of the money and time you spend on online gambling is very important! If your CS2 betting starts to impact you negatively or harm those close to you, you should stop immediately. 

We encourage HLTV users who bet on CS2 esports to take the Gamalyze self-assessment test. This brief quiz will provide you with a deeper understanding of your gambling habits and recommend the most appropriate responsible gambling tools for you.

Here’s a list of our in-depth responsible gambling articles that you can read for mor info:

• Time Management – Discover the time management tools offered by CS2 betting sites.
• Money Management – Learn more about the money management tools betting sites provide to users.
• HLTV Responsible Gambling Commitment – Read more about our pledge to promote responsible gambling.

Remember, always gamble responsibly! You must be 18+ to play.