India-based research group ReportsnReports.com has documented a new study on the rise of the global sports betting industry, with the research forecasting growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.62% over the next four years. The report, entitled Global Sports Betting Market 2018-2022, argues that the major driver of this market growth is the sports industry’s digital revolution. …
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Last year saw CS:GO developer Valve embroiled in a skins betting scandal, and whilst this rages on, it seems that another of its titles Team Fortress 2 is now on the hit-list too. Whilst Valve issued cease and desist letters to upwards of 40 sites offering gambling on its skins (in-game items) in some form last summer, claims that ‘skins …
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In late December an announcement on the Lounges sites, CSGOLounge and Dota2Lounge, revealed that there will be a ‘money refund program’ for some of the sites’ users. It was CSGOLounge which was very much at the centre of the skins betting drama which kicked off last summer. Robert Borewik is the founder whilst ESForce Holding is an investor which came …
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Phil Kornyshev is the co-founder of PVP.ME, a live esports betting platform. Having spoken at the iGaming Super Show in Amsterdam earlier this year, now he has turned his attention to exploring the recent skins betting drama for SBC News. Heres’ what he had to say… The gambling boom of Counter Strike: Global Offensive started just over three years ago, …
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It has been announced that ELEAGUE and Twitter will partner to provide live streaming coverage of this week’s ELEAGUE semifinals and championship, featuring Valve’s popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game. The live event competitions will be held Friday and Saturday, July 29th and 30th, from Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. This will mark a milestone in that it’ll be …
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Sean Carr runs the esports consultancy Esports Logic and has been working with Dafabet as the bookmaker’s esports liason. Here he provided SBC News with his take on the recent skins betting drama and the general state of play in esports betting… Over the past 18 months esports has expanded exponentially; with significant risings in prize funds, TV broadcasters securing …
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The ESIC (Esports Integrity Coalition) was created in order to elevate integrity within esports and cut all forms of cheating including the doping and match fixing practices that have blighted competitive gaming for years. It was created following extensive investigations into the most pressing issues for esports in general. Ian Smith, of Sporting Integrity Matters, was appointed Commissioner with Bryce …
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Valve has followed up on its announcement with action by issuing cease and desist notices to no less than 23 skins betting sites. Most notably this included CSGO Lounge, a hugely popular site for betting with skins from the game. Another site, CSGOBig, published a copy of the letter it received which also listed all of the sites targeted in the …
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As the esports market continues to expand, competitive gaming integrity is increasingly in the spotlight and under the microscope. The creation of the ESIC with Ian Smith as Integrity Commissioner, as well as Valve’s decision to finally speak out on the issue of skins betting are recent developments whilst match fixing remains another major issue. The question of how to tackle …
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In a move to curb betting related content, live video platform Twitch.tv (an Amazon.com subsidiary) has warned its users to stop promoting betting/gambling related activity. As news of eSports gambling has hit national headlines this week, due to games developer Valve Corporation banning all third-party skin betting sites from its platform. Twitch.tv management made a public post warning its users …
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