Esports Gambling Report, May 2023: Team Vitality, Rivalry, CSGORoll

May Esports Gambling 2023
Image credit: Esports Insider

Esports betting news in May saw a wide variety of developments, particularly from a product standpoint. Whether it was creating prediction games, innovative odds offerings or a new betting product, the esports gambling sector continues its development and diversification.

Esports Insider has created a list of the top esports gambling stories of the month. To find out more click the titles of the stories.

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Spotlighted story:

Microsoft Activision Blizzard acquisition graphic
(ESI Illustration) Logo credit: Activision Blizzard / Microsoft

Tech giant Microsoft made headlines in early 2022 by announcing its intention to buy Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s most-valuable gaming companies, for $68.7bn (~£50.5bn). The news took the world by storm, and was quickly labelled one of the most influential deals in history of gaming.

Yet it’s June 2023, and the two companies are still separate due to a number of legal hurdles, lawsuits and inquiries from governments all around the world.

The merger may still go ahead, but no one truly knows when. We’ve compiled a recap to keep you abreast of the Activision Blizzard deal’s trials and tribulations.


Rivalry
Image credit: Rivalry

Esports and sports bookmaker Rivalry has announced record revenues and an all-time high gross profit during its Q1 2023 financial results.

For the quarter, which ended March 31st 2023, Rivalry reported revenues of CAD$12m (~£7.14m) and a gross profit of CAD$5.4m (~£3.21m), the highest figure recorded by the bookmaker in a quarter. Despite record revenues, the company did still record a net loss of CAD$3.26m (~£1.94m), though this is Rivalry’s lowest loss since Q2 2021.


Dragon Lore CS:GO
Image credit: Valve

CS:GO skin gambling and trading site CSGORoll has been withdrawn in Australia following an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

CSGORoll’s withdrawal from the Australian market comes just two weeks after its controversial partnership with G2 Esports, which was heavily promoted by its recently-turned 18-year-old CS:GO player Ilya ‘M0nESY’ Osipov.

The ACMA investigation found that CSGORoll was providing ‘casino-style online games’, which is currently illegal under the country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.


abios csgo odds product
Image credit: Abios

Esports data company Abios has announced the launch of its new odds product for CS:GO, featuring a wide range of betting offers.

According to the company, sportsbooks can leverage a variety of the product’s features, including same-game parlays, player props, and flash markets, to maximize the potential of esports betting.

In addition, Abios’ newly introduced service offers a range of markets that cover various aspects of CS:GO. These include round-by-round betting and game-specific events, like determining the winner of a pistol round and predicting the number of kills a player will achieve, to name a few.

team vitality prediction game
Image credit: Team Vitality / GG.BET

French esports organisation Team Vitality has teamed up with betting company GG.BET to launch a prediction game for its V.Hive fan app.

The mini-game, developed together with the betting company, will allow users to earn awards by predicting the outcomes of Vitality matches. The new feature, simply called Prediction Game, will be included in Team Vitality’s fan engagement app V.Hive, which is built on the Tezos blockchain and named after the team’s Paris headquarters. The app allows users to earn rewards and experience by doing quests.


Inspired Entertainment launches CS:GO betting product with GRID
Image credit: GRID

Gaming technology company Inspired Entertainment has teamed up with game data platform GRID to launch a betting-focused CS:GO product called Re-Play eSports.

Re-Play eSports aims to utilise footage taken exclusively from CS:GO’s Champion of Champions Tour. The global circuit, which is still underway, was launched by GRID in 2022 alongside the likes of FACEIT, Relog Media and Fantasyexpo.


Image of GG.Bet logo on orange background with smoke and frag grenades
Image credit: GG.BET

Esports-focused betting company GG.BET has announced a partnership with Brazilian streamer Alexandre ‘Gaules’ Borba Chiqueta.

As a result, the company will become the official betting partner of the Portuguese-language stream of the BLAST Paris Major being held on Gaules’ Twitch channel. This is not the first time the GG.BET and Gaules have collaborated together. Earlier in 2023, both parties joined forces for the RMR qualifiers ahead of the Major, where the company’s branding appeared across the streamer’s broadcast.

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