Cybersport has become a full-fledged competitor to “traditional” types of competition. The article shows 4 reasons for the popularity of CS: GO.
The path to a competitive discipline
Since the beta version of Counter-Strike has been a competitive game, player accuracy and tactical skills were valued. The culture of competition led to the creation of professional teams and amateur tournaments. Even modern online Australian pokies offer to guess the results of events to customers.
The conditionally free distribution of CS: GO has made the game popular. There are several generations of devoted fans. The age of this game series is 23 years. CS has become a people’s game. Peak online was in 2020, it was 1,305,714 people.
The developer company Valve has invested huge resources in the development of cybersport. They created the most prestigious tournament. At the last one in 2023, there was a prize pool of $1,250,000. For many players, this is an incentive to create their team.
Understandable for beginners, winnable for experienced players
Traditional strategies work here, just like in regular competitions. So beginners can use their tactics for betting without any problems. But sometimes, there are quite low odds.
The standard handicap with additional parameters works. Often, there are many rounds in the game and, accordingly, betting opportunities. Such contests are considered more dynamic and interesting compared to standard bets.
For those familiar with the game, there are major advantages. Namely:
- Analytics tools;
- Tips from the economics of the game;
- Unconventional tactics.
In CS: GO detailed statistics. You can find out the rating of the player. View your favorite tactics and signature map of the team. Analyse in the patch nerf or buff of the favorite weapon of the competitors. Players note the statistics on KS as the most informative.
Some look at the economy. In the game for winning, the team is given money to buy weapons. They get an advantage in damage and attack speed. And their chances of winning. Opponents lose the initiative.
Unconventional betting tactics work. Sometimes, a lot of additional conditions are set. For example, the standard total on the victory of opposing teams should be within 1.4 to 2.4. But it is worth remembering that, at the same time, there are often low odds.
Dynamic competition
Although a lot of things are measured in statistics, but there is a lot of unpredictability in this game. For example, a contestant who controls a corridor can destroy half of the enemy team. The outcome of the game can flip in a matter of seconds.
The mechanics of the mined/destroyed base add to the dynamics. The element of unpredictability can bring either an unexpected, stunning victory or an embarrassing loss. But this mostly happens for teams of equal ability.
The shady side of betting on CS: GO
Many people are attracted by the tricks that are present in cybersports competitions. People have come up with many options to get predictable results. Here are a few of them:
- Instant statistics resources;
- Match-fixing;
- Information leaks/
Often, match streams come with a delay of 2-5 minutes. However, some betting enthusiasts use special services to get information instantly.
For example, it can be the number of live players in the game. Seeing that one team has 5 people and the other has 2, you can understand the advantage. And according to this, make a bet.
Contractual matches are most common in small tournaments. They are common because it is hard to prove guilt. In a game where the outcome of the battle is decided in a few seconds, even experts can make mistakes.
Information leaks are also very hard to identify. They’re transmitted through third parties. Using encrypted messages. If the team learns what tactics the opponent has chosen, then victory for them. Such information is interesting for people who are engaged in forecasting.
One of the indirect reasons for the popularity of betting on CS
This game has a mechanic with open cases with skins for weapons. Opening the case, the player received a reward. And it fell out with a certain probability.
Appearance decorations are very valuable among players. For example, the owner was offered $1,500,000 for a Claymore knife. The probability of knocking it out is very low.
Buying cases, received skins could be sold to other players. And make a lot of money. The reward depended on probability, luck, and the number of scrolls.
It can be referred to as gambling and is considered a kind of slot machine. There is a percentage of players who want to try their luck, but the cases bore them. Therefore, they choose to bet on their favorite game.
