CS2 gambling sites let you wager on one of the most iconic first-person shooters ever, Counter-Strike 2 (formerly known as CS:GO). You can back your favorite teams and players, and bet on the biggest tournaments of the year, all while enjoying generous bonuses, live streaming, and in-play lines.
We’ve reviewed and picked the best CS2 betting sites, which you can see below. Also, stay tuned for expert tips, key tournaments, and top payment options so that you don’t have to start with an eco round.
Best CS2 (CSGO) Gambling Sites Compared
We like Counter-Strike 2 betting sites that are good from an all-around perspective while also standing out in specific areas. See our top picks for each important category below.
Best Counter-Strike Gambling Sites Overall
🥇 Winner: BetOnline
- Pros: Great selection of CS2 betting markets, plenty of promos, 20+ banking options.
- Cons: The navigation takes time to get comfortable with.
Why we chose BetOnline: This is the best CS2 gambling site due to its wide variety of bonuses, payment methods, and markets. Regarding the latter, BetOnline really excels at offering outrights and early markets for the Majors and other big tournaments throughout the year.
🥈 Runner-Up: BetNow
- Pros: User-friendly layout, sharp odds for CS2 betting, solid welcome bonus.
- Cons: Low on promotions.
🥉 Podium Finish: BetUS
- Pros: Up to a $2,000 bonus, many CSGO live betting opportunities, fast payments.
- Cons: Could live stream more esports events.
Best Sportsbooks for CS2 Bitcoin Betting
🥇 Winner: BC.Game
- Pros: Accepts 100+ cryptocurrencies, dedicated esports section, lots of CS markets.
- Cons: US bettors need a VPN.
Why we chose BC.Game: Besides CSGO Bitcoin betting, this bookmaker accepts over 100 other cryptocurrencies, including XRP, LTC, DOGE, and ETH. BC.Game has a long reputation as one of the best CSGO betting sites, featuring fast crypto withdrawals, with many payments going through in under 24 hours.
🥈 Runner-Up: Wild.io
- Pros: Over a dozen cryptocurrencies, bet on CS2 on the mobile app, free bets for new players.
- Cons: 7-day expiry on welcome bonus.
🥉 Podium Finish: Bovada
- Pros: Up to $50k crypto withdrawals, supports major cryptocurrencies.
- Cons: Some bonuses have high wagering requirements.
Best Counter-Strike 2 Betting Apps
🥇 Winner: BetOnline
- Pros: Easy access on any mobile device, covers many CS events, live streaming runs on mobile.
- Cons: Needs more promotions for CS2 gambling.
Why we chose BetOnline: We find BetOnline really easy to adapt to on a smartphone for fans of CS GO betting. You can select the menu, choose esports, and quickly access the CS2 betting odds. This bookmaker also features a quick mobile registration and deposit process.
🥈 Runner-Up: MyBookie
- Pros: Fast-loading pages on mobile site, well-organized esports section.
- Cons: A bit inconsistent on CS2 markets.
🥉 Podium Finish: Xbet
- Pros: Sportsbook is easy to navigate, adequate live betting opportunities.
- Cons: Not the most attractive website color scheme.
Best CSGO Gambling Sites for Market Variety
🥇 Winner: Bovada
- Pros: Leader in alternate lines and props, quick payments, large live wagering section.
- Cons: Not many promotions.
Why we chose Bovada: None of the best CS2 gambling sites can match Bovada in betting markets, especially regarding alternate lines, live wagers, and props. We also like Bovada for its payouts in under 24 hours and its 5x bonus rollover.
🥈 Runner-Up: BUSR
- Pros: One of the biggest CS2 gambling sites, live streaming is easy to find.
- Cons: Needs more betting bonuses.
🥉 Podium Finish: BetUS
- Pros: Wide variety of markets for this game, expert CS2 betting tips & picks available.
- Cons: Some bonuses require a $100 min deposit.
Best CS2 Gambling Sites at a Glance
Let’s recap the best CS2 betting sites in each area and what makes them shine.
Category | CS2 Gambling Sites | Key Features |
---|---|---|
Best CS Gambling Site Overall | BetOnline | Early markets, outrights, 20+ banking methods |
Crypto Betting on Counter-Strike | BC.Game | Supports over 20 cryptocurrencies, quick crypto payments |
CS Gambling Mobile App | BetOnline | Simple registration & user-friendly mobile site |
CSGO Bets and Markets | Bovada | Largest variety of alternate lines, props, and live betting opportunities |
Counter-Strike 2 Betting: Key Markets to Explore
No matter if you still like to call it CS:GO, prefer the new CS2 branding, or stick to the Counter-Strike name, there are loads of betting opportunities for major events throughout the year. The top CS2 gambling sites offer plenty of markets to keep you busy. Here are the different bet types you’ll find online:
Match Winner
This one is simple because you just try to pick the winning team and is available on all of the best CS2/CSGO gambling sites. As long as you understand moneyline bets, you’ll have no trouble with a match winner bet.
For example, let’s look at a match between Party Astronauts (-170) and Bad News Capybaras (+125). Party is the favorite team and would pay $10 for every $17 risked on a successful bet. The underdog Bad News would deliver $12.50 for every $10 bet. When you win, you also receive the initual CS bet amount back.
Map Winner
A map winner is the first to 13 rounds in a Counter-Strike 2 esports match. Your goal with this wager is to pick which team will win an individual map.
CSGO gambling sites usually offer as many map bets as needed to win the match. In a Bo3 match, for example, you could wager on Map 1 and Map 2. Betting on Map 3 will only become available after a tie from the first two maps.
Totals
Totals represent an entire subcategory for bets on Counter-Strike 2. These can refer to total kills, rounds played, headshots, and more.
The total rounds wager involves betting on the over/under on rounds played during a map. CS2 betting websites set most round totals somewhere between 19.5 and 21.5.
Let’s say that a CSGO gamble site sets the total line at 20.5 rounds. You’d need 20 or fewer rounds when betting the under, and 21 or more rounds when taking the over.
Handicap
Many CS2 matches are best-of-three (Bo3), so handicap bets commonly have the favorite at -1.5 rounds and the underdog at +1.5 rounds.
In this case, the favorite would need to win by two rounds (i.e. 2-0) for a winning bet. The underdog would have to lose by one map (i.e. 2-1) or win the match for a successful wager.
Pistol Round Winner
As you may know, pistol rounds occur at the beginning of each half, which is the 1st and 13th round of a map. This bet involves trying to decide which team will win a pistol round. These were some of the most popular picks for CSGO betting due to their difficulty in predicting.
First Blood
You can also wager on which team will get first blood, or the initial kill of a match or map.
First blood is one of the most exciting CS2 bets because it’s extremely volatile. Even a heavy underdog can get lucky and score the opening kill.
Outright
Your goal with outright bets on the best CS gambling sites is to choose the tournament winner from a field of teams. Due to their unforgiving nature, these bets often pay well even for favorites.
Natus Vincere might have +350 odds to win IEM Cologne, for example, despite being one of the world’s best teams.
Props
Props are among the most interesting wagers at CSGO gambling sites. They center on player and team performances rather than the final score or match winner.
Common CSGO prop bets include map kill totals, match kill totals, and the correct match score
Live CS2 Betting
You can bet on matches in real time at most CS2 gambling sites, known as live betting or in-play betting. This offers updated match winner bets, handicaps, kill totals, and map winner lines as matches are happening.
It calls on you to make quick decisions because live odds aren’t available very long. We recommend having pre-match knowledge of the teams and players since you don’t have much time.
Live streaming is a helpful tool when you’re wagering live. The best esports live betting sites offer streaming, so you can watch matches on the site and make wagers on the same platform.
Top CS2 Tournaments for Betting
The best Counter-Strike gambling sites cover several types of major tournaments and leagues. Let’s go over the biggest events you can expect throughout the year and why they’re important from a betting perspective.
BLAST Premier
Blast.tv hosts massive CS2 tournaments in different cities, with Austin, Texas, being a recent example. These events are unique because they invite 32 teams rather than the traditional 16.
The larger tourney format means that you’ll have more options for outright bets and other wagers at CS betting sites. With most of the top teams of the season being invited, you will often find BLAST Counter-Strike tournaments available on live betting sites.
ESL Pro League
The ESL Pro League features two seasons each year, with one running in late winter and the other taking place in the fall.
In 2025, the ESL trimmed the number of competing teams down from 32 to 24. The best 16 teams qualify for the Swiss stage, with the top eight qualifiers competing in a playoff.
All playoff matches are Bo3, and the Grand Final is a Bo5 affair. We suggest checking out map winner, totals, and handicap bets for the Bo3 and Bo5 formats.
IEM
IEM tournaments normally offer prize pools worth $1.25 million and invite 16 teams. The latter is a key difference from Blast events, which host 32 squads.
You won’t have as many teams to pick from for outrights, but you’ll still find plenty of interesting bets on online sportsbooks and betting apps.
Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup takes place every year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It features the same 16-team format and $1.25 million prize pool as IEM. You’ll typically find lots of props and in-play betting opportunities for this event.
Moreover, the World Cup hosts a variety of other esports titles during the same period, so you can check out options for Call of Duty betting, Rainbow Six gambling, and much more.
Payment Methods Available at CS2 and CSGO Gambling Sites
Credit/debit cards, cryptocurrencies, and eWallets are popular banking methods at CS2 esports betting sites. Let’s discuss each of these options in detail, along with their pros and cons.
⚡ Cryptocurrencies
Crypto offers multiple advantages, including low fees, safe blockchain technology, and anonymity. Cryptocurrencies are also incredibly fast, with most coins delivering payments within 15 minutes after bookmaker processing.
💳 Credit & Debit Cards
Bank cards are extremely easy to use, especially when your card details are already stored on-site. One drawback is that deposit fees can be high. Some of the best online betting sites cover these fees for you, but others don’t.
👛 eWallets
Neteller and Skrill are the most common eWallet brands available on CS2 betting websites. The catch is that you can’t normally use these eWallets for esports betting from countries like the US.
The Latest Trend: CS2 Bitcoin Betting
Many established platforms for CSGO bets and new CS2 gambling sites are focusing on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
This trend is increasing due to the decentralized payments, fast transactions, anonymity, and low fees that Bitcoin provides.
Decentralization is big because it means you can transact directly with the websites. You don’t need to worry about a bank rejecting your deposits, like with a debit or credit card. You don’t even have to share any personal details if you stick to no KYC betting sites.
Crypto ensures you get your money as quickly as possible with low fees involved. It also doesn’t make you give up personal information, like with bank cards and eWallets.
Some new CS 2 gambling sites are crypto-only because both the platform and you benefit from using it.
Counter-Strike 2 Betting Apps
Our best CS2 betting sites don’t have downloadable iOS or Android apps, but they do let you wager through mobile browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Some even allow you to bet directly from Telegram for added convenience.
The leading sites feature well-optimized mobile platforms with an emphasis on usability. You can expect fast-loading pages, handy menus, and easy deposit and withdrawal processes.
We find browser-based wagering on par with or even better than the apps we’ve tried from state-licensed CS:GO betting sites.
Understanding CS2 Betting: Key Teams and Players
This esports title features plenty of great players and teams, but some really stand out due to their incredible success. Many rose to fame in CSGO and some were even pros during the CS 1.6 days. Of course, the scene now has a lot of new talent that is taking over the CS2 leaderboards. Let’s discuss the top pros and teams that you’ll find on esports betting sites.
⭐ Star Players
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut: A French legend who’s arguably been the most consistently great player. He captured HLTV Best Player awards in 2019, 2020, and 2023, along with being the runner-up in 2021 and 2022.
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev: Widely considered one of the greatest, s1mple has used his aggressive style to win Best Player honors in 2021 and runner-up in 2020.
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov: A young Russian talent who captured 2022 HLTV Rookie of the Year honors and finished runner-up for the 2024 Best Player.
- Robin “ropz” Kool: An Estonian player with a versatile playing style who finished third in the 2023 Best Player rankings.
🏆 Notable Teams
- G2 Esports: They’ve been a dominant force in major tournaments recently, with m0NESY leading the charge.
- Team Spirit: Spirit is another team that’s rattled off a string of victories lately, including a win at the 2024 Shanghai Major.
- Team Vitality: They’re always a contender thanks to superstar player ZywOo. Vitality won the IEM Cologne event in 2024.
- Natus Vincere (NAVI): A legendary team with a history of victories, including taking down the 2024 IEM Rio tourney. Fan favorite on CSGO bet sites.
Is Betting on CSGO and CS2 Legal in the US?
Counter-Strike esports betting is in a gray area in the US. No federal law prohibits this type of wagering, but individual states can vary on the subject.
Our recommendations for the best CS2 gambling sites operate in offshore jurisdictions. They hold licensing with authorities like the Curaçao Gaming Control Board and are completely legal under their jurisdiction’s laws.
While offshore sportsbooks don’t have state licensing, you are fine to use them. We’ve never seen any case of an American getting prosecuted for online wagering.
If you are interested in skins, you can check out CSGO case opening sites where you can buy loot boxes for the chance to win very rare cosmetics to add to your Steam collection or sell on the marketplace. These are also legal in the US and can be great alternatives to real money betting.
How to Spot a Safe CS2 Betting Site
We recommend that you check our top CS2 sportsbooks because they’re safe and legit. The following checklist is helpful if you want to identify trustworthy esports betting sites yourself.
- Valid Licensing: The best CSGO betting sites have long histories and hold licensing from reputable jurisdictions, such as Curaçao, Mwali, or Panama. This licenses ensure that a betting site follows the rules and regulations.
- SSL Encryption: All good CS2 gambling sites must encrypt their platforms. SSL encryption protects bookmakers’ websites, ensuring that your personal and financial details aren’t hacked and stolen.
- Fair Bonus T&Cs: Many Counter-Strike betting bonuses look attractive on the surface, but you need to look at the terms behind them. Specifically, you want low rollover (e.g. 10x or lower), reasonable minimum odds, and no restrictions on esports.
- Reasonable Odds: The best bookmakers feature CS2 gambling options that are competitive or even better than the industry. For example, we like operators that take less juice on handicaps and totals.
- Secure Payment Options: You need secure and reliable ways to receive payouts. Examples of legitimate payment methods include cryptocurrencies and bank wires.
- Fast Payouts: The best platforms process withdrawal requests within 24 hours. You’ll get your money 15-20 minutes after processing when using crypto on the best Bitcoin sports betting sites.
- Responsible Gambling Tools & Resources: All sites should provide responsible gaming tools and resources. These are especially helpful for managing your bankroll since you can set deposit limits, time limits, and wagering limits.
CS2 Betting Tips and Strategies
Looking for a little advice on getting started at CSGO gambling sites? If so, you may find the following tips helpful.
🗺️ Know the Maps
Anubis, Dust II, Mirage, and Train are some of the common maps in CS2 matches. Most players and teams tend to have favorites where they excel while not performing as well on certain other maps.
You can research stats on dedicated sites to find these potential patterns. For example, you might find that a key player really tears it up on Dust II. Also, make sure to play the maps yourself and unlock Premier in CS2 for a better understanding of the strategies required to win.
💡 Understand the Volatility in Bo1 Matches
Counter-Strike 2 is interesting compared to other FPS esports because it has best-of-one matches. These one-map events still require the winner to take 13 out of 24 rounds, but they’re much more volatile than a Bo3 or Bo5 match.
You need to account for this volatility when picking a favorite. After all, a superior team can still struggle over the course of one map and lose. Upsets were common on CSGO betting websites and continue in tournaments today.
📊 Research CS2 Player & Team Stats
As mentioned above, stats are helpful for identifying trends for Counter Strike betting purposes. We suggest getting to know popular stat sites like HLTV and Liquipedia.
You can use these resources to spot patterns that other bettors might not see. For instance, you might notice that a certain team does really well in LAN events, but they struggle in online tournaments.
💵 Make Sure Your Pick Has Something to Gain
Whether we’re talking underdogs or favorites, you want to ensure your CS2 betting picks have their heads in the game.
For example, G2 might be heavily favored against Trace Esports in a small event leading up to the Esports World Cup. But they could overlook and struggle to win against their lower-ranked opponent before a major tournament.
What Makes CS2 Different from Other Esports for Betting?
Counter-Strike 2 has a few elements that make it unique from other esports from a gambling perspective.
The Bo1 setup for certain matches is not common throughout esports. Most FPS games at least have a BO3 format. You can expect more upsets in these single-map games.
CS2 doesn’t feature any fantasy elements or abilities, like Valorant, and it doesn’t have the same large map that allows for more props like in Fortnite betting.
The game is designed to be realistic and fast-paced, where the ability to aim accurately and quickly often determines the winner. This makes it exciting but also means there are different markets to what you can find on Valorant betting sites or even on League of Legends betting sites. You just need to account for each side’s skill and tactical abilities.
This game doesn’t have a level-up system that unlocks different skills. The only thing to consider when placing your bets, especially during in-play wagering, is the economy of each team. Players who can afford more expensive weapons can have a significant advantage over others. Therefore, you’ll be mostly concentrating on player and team skills for CS2 esports betting purposes.
FAQs
Yes, you can enjoy Counter Strike 2 betting at many bookmakers. To get started, you just need to register and deposit at betting sites that offer esports. Once your deposit goes through, head to the dedicated section and begin placing wagers.
Our pick for the top betting site for Counter-Strike 2 is BetOnline. It excels in all key areas, including markets, bonuses, payment options, and reputability. BetNow, Bovada, BC.Game, and Xbet are also among the best CS2 betting sites.
Some betting sites focus on CSGO skins rather than traditional wagers. Here, you can bet your in-game cosmetics on markets like match winners, handicaps, and totals and receive more skins if you are successful. Some platforms even have casino-style games that you can play with skins.
The main difference between Counter-Strike esports betting sites and skins gambling sites is what you’re risking. In the latter case, you’re wagering in-game items known as “skins.” With traditional gambling sites, you deposit and bet real money.
The most popular events at CS2 esports betting sites include Blast tournaments, IEM tourneys, and the Esports World Cup. Each of these events inspires many props, parlays, live bets, and more.
Yes, many betting sites that cover CS2 accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. In fact, many of the best betting sites favor crypto because it’s decentralized, has low fees, and allows for fast payments.
The best CS2 gambling sites offer a variety of bonuses. Your first deposit will be eligible for a welcome bonus, which can be worth up to $1,000 or more. Other promotions include free bets, payout boosts, cashback, and VIP rewards.
References
- https://gamingcontrolanjouan.org (Gaming Control Anjouan)
- https://www.counter-strike.net/ (Counter-Strike Official Site)
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/730/CounterStrike_2/ (Counter-Strike 2 Steam page)