Esports betting: Stake to sponsor Champion of Champions Tour
Stake has been named the exclusive betting partner for the English broadcast of the CS2 esports event.
UK.- Stake is betting on the future of esports betting with a deal to sponsor the English broadcast of GRID and Eden Esports’ Champion of Champions Tour. It has been named the exclusive betting partner for the broadcast of the large CS2 esports event.
It’s the first time that Stake has sponsored an esports event or competitive gaming. Stake chief marketing officer Akhil Sarin said the brand will provide content and activations in a bid to connect with fans in what he sees as a key growth area.
The second Champion of Champions Tour is already in process with 36 online events to take place across four regions. It has a $1.5m prize pool and will feature a LAN final in early 2025. Turkey’s Eternal Fire is the reigning champion, having beaten Team Liquid in this year’s global final in May.
GRID chief sales officer Mikael Westerling said: “Stake’s reputation for innovation, support of traditional sports, and entertainment makes them a perfect partner for the CCT. Together, we look forward to elevating the tournament experience for players, fans, and the entire esports community.”
Meanwhile, the British Gambling Commission has announced a new prioritisation of data analytics to monitor unlicensed gambling and launch more effective enforcement actions against black market operators. It’s published a new ‘evidence-led’ methodology that it says will identify unlicensed online gambling operators, allowing it to estimate the size of the black market more accurately.
New measures will include a new cease-and-desist process targeting unauthorised prize draws and competitions, the growth of which has raised concerns at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The regulator also intends to expand its work with search engines to remove unlicensed gambling content from Bing and Yahoo Finance as well as Google results. It also plans to increase its collaboration with the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and payment providers.
