Caitlyn is a 23-year-old who grew up playing video games in Wales. She decided to make the jump to esports when she turned 18, motivated by the desire to win cash prizes. Since then, she’s played in some of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the Intel Extreme Masters and the Overwatch World Cup. She’s racked up over $200,000 in prize money, with a total earnings of over $400,000. She’s even represented her country at international tournaments. Thanks to her big prize winnings and international tournament appearances, she’s managed to save up enough to buy a nice house in Sydney. Now she’s focused on developing her own brand, which she plans to put towards bettering the lives of others through sport.
Making The Decision
Whether you’ve played video games or not, you’ll almost certainly have heard of csgo betting sites. This is because they offer a unique gaming experience that you can’t get anywhere else. In an esports world filled with trash talk and questionable behavior, csgo betting sites stood out for their positive attitude and professionalism.
If you’re looking to get involved in esports, starting with csgo is a great way to go. It has some of the highest active daily users in the game, which is always a good sign. This being said, it’s a fast-paced game with a lot of money on the line, so you’ll need to make sure that you’re prepared for that.
One of the first things that you need to do is register an account with a reputable csgo betting site. Then you’ll be able to make deposits and withdrawals, as well as place bets on upcoming matches. You can also read our review of the top 10 csgo betting sites, which you can find at the end of this article.
The History Of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike was originally released in 1996 by video game legend John Romero. It was originally designed as a mod for Quake, which was released just a few months before Counter-Strike. The mod eventually turned into its own game, and became a mainstay of PC gamers’ lives in the early 2000s. The game’s tagline is “A game designed for professional gamers, by professional gamers,” and that pretty much sums up the approach that Romero and company took with Counter-Strike. It was never designed to be a simple game with simplistic controls, but instead was crafted with extreme precision and attention to detail.
Since its conception, Counter-Strike has always been about competition. It was originally intended to be a mod for Quake, but eventually grew to become its own game. The idea behind Counter-Strike was to create a game that reflected the intense competitive spirit of the early 21st century. The developers took inspiration from traditional sports like football and hockey and used the mechanics and rules of those sports to create their own blend of mayhem. While there are only three teams in traditional sports (red, white, and blue), Counter-Strike pits two teams—typically, Europe and America—against each other in a battle for global dominance. The game features 20 servers, which determine who wins and who loses based on the outcomes of individual rounds. If all else fails, the last player standing wins. If there’s a draw, neither team wins.
Over the years, Counter-Strike has maintained its spot as one of the premiere esports titles. It’s always attracted top tier competitors and had one of the highest turnouts at major tournaments. This year, the game is celebrating its 25th anniversary, which is reason enough to mark the occasion.
One of the biggest names in the history of Counter-Strike is Cloud 9. Launched in 2013, it’s one of the most successful teams in esports, with over $20 million in combined prize money won across various competitions. This makes it one of the most lucrative esports titles of all time. On the back of its international success, Cloud 9 is now expanding its operations into movie production, with several unconfirmed reports claiming that the team is working on a feature-length documentary about its incredible journey.
The Economics Of Gaming
If you’re a competitive gamer, you’ll almost certainly be aware of the growing economic importance of esports. This is especially the case since the COVID-19 pandemic nearly halted all non-esports related businesses as companies closed down or shifted to online platforms, taking the economy with them. While the video game industry as a whole is now in a state of flux, as gaming chairs are being swapped for tablets and smartphones, esports stands out as an example of a discipline that continues to grow in popularity and profitability, even during this time of uncertainty. This is due to the fact that esports are supported by advertising and sales of merchandise, as opposed to relying on subscriptions and online gambling for revenue.
One of the defining factors of esports is its economic dependence on online gambling. This is mainly because it’s nearly impossible to verify an individual’s age or citizenship when playing online. This means that gambling is completely legal, and games are able to set the odds in their favor, creating an environment that encourages frequent and heavy betting. This, in turn, attracts more people to esports and, thus, increases revenue.
While there are restrictions surrounding where you can bet online, there are no such restrictions when it comes to CSGO. This is mainly because the developers behind the game saw the potential for sports gaming, in general, to become a multi-billion-dollar industry. They wanted to ensure that there were no barriers to entry, which is why, in 2018, they established the Esports Championship Series. This is an umbrella group that manages and controls all esports-related events in North America. The most prominent of these is the Intel Extreme Masters, which brings together the best teams in the world to compete in tournament circuits around the world. These are some of the biggest tournaments in esports, attracting hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers and, often, big money sponsorships.
Intel is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of microprocessors and, over the past few years, has been investing heavily in esports. It’s putting money into organizations, teams, and events. One of the big draws of the Intel Extreme Masters, as well as other tournament circuits like the Capcom Cup and the ELEAGUE Championship, is that they bring top tier teams from around the world, which, typically, would not get the opportunity to travel to one another’s countries. This is also a way for companies to identify potential new customers, as well as to show their support for esports, as a whole, during this unprecedented time. Teams like Ferrari, which competed at the Intel Extreme Masters this year, can be found on CSGO betting sites, where they’re available to wager on. It’s also worth noting that, in some regions, like South Korea and China, online gambling is now legal and tightly regulated, protecting players from cheating software and other security issues. This, in turn, attracts more people to esports and, thus, increases revenue.
What’s Next?
While the world of esports was in a state of shock at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it quickly took firm and decisive action since it had the potential to lose so much money if participants, teams, and leagues weren’t able to organize. Even with online gambling now legal in some regions, the industry is still largely unregulated and a cause for concern, especially since many sports betting companies have turned to crypto-currencies, like Bitcoin, for transactions, as a way to maintain their anonymity.
Since the start of this year, various industry bodies have worked together to establish best practices for esports, including establishing rules surrounding competitions and setting standards for equipment and accommodations. Of course, there are still major issues surrounding online gambling and security (which, again, is a cause for major concern), but, at least, we’re moving in the right direction.
It’s inevitable that, as technology advances and the world reverts back to something resembling “normal,” the economics of gaming will change. Cloud 9, specifically, could see an increased reliance on merchandise sales, due to its hugely popular documentary series “The Inner Circle,” which explores the business of esports. The company’s founder, Jeff Wilkins, recently said that the team is exploring ways to “disrupt the industry,” with merchandise likely to become a bigger focus, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic continues to loom over the world of esports, as businesses are still struggling to figure out how to move forward, as well as when and where they can stage events.