Ready to dive into the world of CS2 betting? Our ultimate guide contains all the key intel you need to know. We’ll detail how to bet on CS2, reveal the top CSGO gambling sites and much more.

Top CS2 Betting Sites

The first step on anybody’s CS2 betting journey is to pick the right betting platform. You’ll find our rankings of the top CS2 betting sites available in your location below. We factor in several important factors whenever we review a site, including esports betting coverage, betting promos and customer support options. You can get in-depth intel on each esports betting site by reading our full reviews.

How To Bet On CS2 – Step By Step

So let’s get into the process of placing a CS2 bet. Navigating any of the CS2 betting sites listed above will be a breeze for most esports fans. If you’re a complete online betting novice, follow these steps to place your first Counter-Strike esports bet!

1. ​​The first step when placing any CS2 bet is picking the right betting site. The list below showcases our picks for the best CS2 gambling sites. We’ve looked at each option to help you make the right choice for your esports betting needs.

2. Log into your chosen site. If you’re using a site you haven’t opened an account with, use one of our links to start the sign-up process and get the best possible rewards.

3. Navigate to the dedicated esports betting page. You’ll usually find a link to this in the main menu.

4. Click on ‘CS2’ to reveal all the currently available Counter-Strike betting options.

5. Find a CS2 event you want to bet on and click on it to reveal the betting options.

6. Add your CS2 bet to your betslip by clicking on it.

7. Enter your bet amount, and you’ll see your potential winnings.

8. If you’re happy with your bet, click ‘Confirm’ or the equivalent.

9. Lock into a live stream of the CS2 event you bet on, and hopefully, you’ll win some money.

We’ve based our guide on using bet365, but the CS2 betting process will be identical at most betting sites. CS2 odds will vary across each platform. That’s why we recommend opening accounts at multiple sites, so you can shop around and get the best odds.

Which CS2 (Formerly CS:GO) Events Can You Bet On?

Identifying the right CSGO tournament or event is critical to placing a winning bet. If you follow a CS2 team and know they’re in good form coming into an event, backing them could be a good move.

Conversely, if you’re unfamiliar with a tournament’s format or the teams playing, betting on the action is not wise. Your CS2 knowledge and opinions are the most significant factors dictating which tournaments you should bet on.

Every esports betting site will have CS2 odds, but some will cover more varied events than others. Below, we’ll give you some details about the most popular CS2 tournaments to bet on.

BLAST Premier

BLAST Premier is another tournament that consistently provides high-level CS2 action that you can bet on. The much-loved tournament attracts the most prominent esports organisations in the competitive scene and has held massive clashes in venues across the globe.

ESL Pro League

ESL Pro League provides regular top-tier CS2 esports action. ESL’s multiple tiers and extensive calendar make it one of the most popular CS2 competitions on the planet. You’ll find odds for ESL matches on every single esports betting site.

Esports World Cup

This annual spectacular is looking to become the pinnacle of esports. The competition attracts the top CS2 players and teams form around the globe. It’s not just a CS2 event. League of Legends, Dota 2 and many other esports titles also feature.

PGL Major

The Major is probably the biggest event of the competitive CS2 calendar, meaning all the top esports betting sites will have odds for it. The world’s biggest CS2 teams compete for a share of a massive prize pool and the chance to become a Major Championship winner.

CS2 Bet Types Explained

Once you’ve picked your betting site and the CS2 event you want to bet on, you’ll need to find the right bet type. There are plenty of ways to make the most of your CS2 expertise. Each CSGO gambling site has a different selection of CS2 betting markets, but let’s take a look at some CS2 bets they should all offer.

CS2 Match Betting

The easiest way to bet on an esports event. You’re just backing one team to claim the W. The key is to look for value. If an org is nailed on to win, but their odds are super short, it may not be worth betting on them. Conversely, if you think an underdog squad has a legit chance of winning, you could get more back for your money.

CS2 Handicap Betting

Handicap bets are a great way to get better odds on betting favourites or to give underdogs a head start. Most sites will offer CS2 handicap for each match, and those with more comprehensive esports coverage also offer the bet type for each CS2 map.

CS2 Over/Under Betting

There are a ton of CS2 over/under bets on offer at most sites. The betting site sets a total, and you bet on whether the actual total will be under or over that set target. ‘Total Rounds’ and ‘Total Kills’ are two popular examples.

CS2 Kills Betting

Kills betting is a form of Counter-Strike gambling based around kills in a match. ‘Team Kills’ is an example. This bet is an over/under that focuses on the number of kills each org will bag in a match or on a specific map.

CS2 Kills Betting

Maps betting is a type of CS2 bet based around a single CS2 map in a match. The top esports gambling sites will have odds for each CS2 team to win specific maps, plus a range of map over/under bets and other map betting options.

CS2 Live Betting

There’s nothing more thrilling than betting on esports action while it’s happening. Each platform’s CS2 live betting feature is different, but all the sites we’ve reviewed offer it. The fluid nature of live odds means betting opportunities can be fleeting, but also highly rewarding if you time your CS2 bet correctly!

CS2 Prop & Special Bets

Props or special bets allow you to bet on specific aspects of each CS2 match. These types of bets are a fantastic way to add some unique action to any esports event you watch.

CS2 Betting Tips For Beginners

We know CS2 gambling can feel intimidating for beginners. That’s why we’ve put together our essential CS2 betting tips for beginners. These methods don’t guarantee that your esports bets will win, but implementing them should help improve your picks in the long run.

Do The Research

The best possible tip for CS2 esports betting beginners is to do properresearch. The more you know, the better you’ll be at picking winners. At HLTV, we’ve got you covered, with dedicated pages for tournaments, team rankings, stats, match histories, results and more.

It’s essential to stay on top of the latest esports news. For example, if a CS2 team recently swapped out a player or brought in a new coach. Changes like this could affect their chances of winning their next match or their performance at the next event.

Reduce Variables

Stick to betting on the CS2 teams you know! Once you’ve started, it can be tempting to bet on every CS2 match, but that’s not a sustainable approach. As a beginner to CS2 gambling, you should try to limit as many variables as you possibly can.

Instead of betting on random teams, use your unique knowledge of the Counter-Strike esports scene to spot potential winners. Focus on the players, coaches, matchups, and maps you know. Betting on the org you support also adds to the thrill when they claim a major W!

You don’t always need to focus on the top-tier teams or tournaments, but rather the ones you’ve got insight into. If you know teams from your country or region very well, you can bet on them in lesser-known tournaments, which can give you a distinct betting advantage.

Stay Calm & Avoid Tilting

Titling never makes things better. You will lose, and you might even lose a lot before you start winning some CS2 esports bets. The key is to stay calm and assess each CS2 bet on its own merits. Never let a losing streak affect how often or how much you bet.

When you tilt, you make rash decisions. The best tip we can give you when you feel you are tilting is to stop and take a breather. Then, you can continue to bet making rational choices, instead of just throwing your esportsgambling budget down the drain. Long-term winners know when to stop.

Watch The Action Live

If you want to learn the real ebbs and flows of competitive CS2, you need to watch the action unfold live. You can take note of caster comments, keep track of specific player performance, and assess how match momentum shifts. The more esports events you watch, the bigger your understanding base will become.

Live betting presents plenty of opportunities, and watching the action is essential to spotting them. Also, casters on live streams can provide invaluable information about teams you wouldn’t otherwise know.

Balance Rick & Reward

Risk vs reward is essential in any form of betting. Beginners need to understand that sometimes, the CS2 odds don’t provide enough value to make betting worth the risk. It’s essential to assess the risk vs the potential reward of each CS2 bet before you place it.

Let’s say you love the look of an org going into a match, but they’re a heavy betting favourite. The odds may be so short that it’s not worth risking money to back them, regardless of how confident you are that they’ll win. Conversely, if you think an undersog team has a better chance of winning than the odds suggest, it could be worth risking your money.

Spotting CS2 Betting Opportunities

So we’ve shared how to bet on CS2 and our top tips for beginners, but our industry doesn’t stop there. We’ll run you through how to spot potential CS2 betting opportunities so you can start grabbing them yourself. Again, these methods are no guarantee, but they can help improve your Counter-Strike gambling record.

Form Vs Ranking

You can check the rank of both teams in a match, and both teams’ current form on our Odds Comparison page. Both will give you insight into the potential outcome of the matchup. Any difference between the two stats can also present a betting opportunity.

Let’s say Team A has a higher ranking, betting sites are likely to favour Team A over Team B. However, Team B has a higher form rating. If you think the form of Team B suggests they have a real chance of beating the higher-ranked org, the underdog odds could make for a highly profitable bet.

Each team’s current form can be a crucial factor in determining which team will win. So when you spot that a betting site hasn’t factored it into the CS2 odds they are offering, you can pounce!

Direct Matchup History

Betting platforms generally go off several statistics when calculating odds. However, often the direct matchup history between two teams is not factored into the odds. That can give you another fantastic CS2 betting opportunity if you follow teams closely enough.

Some teams are simply the Achilles’ Heel of other teams, no matter how far they are apart in ranking or even form. By following teams in a specific region, or just doing a ton of research using their individual team pages on HLTV, as well as the Stats section, you can stumble into a virtual CS2 betting goldmine.

CS2 Roster Changes

Generally speaking, a team that recently made some roster changes, is a high-risk bet. It doesn’t matter how highly-ranked the team is. Roster changes can majorly affect their chances of winning. If you see that an org has shaken up its player lineup, you should check out the odds for its next matchup for potential betting opportunities.

Even if, for example, Team A brings in one of the best players in the world, the overall chemistry of the squad could still be affected. If Team A made that kind of move a few days before a major tournament starts, you might have a betting opportunity on their first opponent in that event, even if that opposing team is lower-ranked.

CS2 Updates

Valve releases quite a lot of CS2 updates, and while some of them just fix a few bugs, others can make significant changes to weapons and maps. The latter is where you can find a CS2 betting opportunity.

To take advantage of a CS2 update, team research is of the utmost importance. For example, if Team A has an excellent win/loss ratio on Mirage, but Valve just made significant changes to the map, there’s a chance Team A might not be as strong as the odds suggest.

This is arguably the riskiest of the CS2 betting opportunities mentioned so far. Keep an eye on the social media of tournament organisers, as some might use an older version of the game, while others might jump straight to a new update.

Responsible Esports Gambling

It’s essential to maintain a responsible gambling approach when betting online. Staying in control of the money and time you spend is critical to keeping things fun. If CS2 betting or any form of online gambling is negatively impacting you or those close to you, you should stop immediately. 

We urge all 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.

At HLTV, we also offer a selection of additional responsible betting resources for those who require further support. Here’s a sample of our in-depth responsible gambling articles:

• 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.

Betting On CS2 Esports FAQs