eSports

UltraPlay reports a record-breaking increase in eSports betting

Published

6 years ago

April 24, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Advanced betting solutions provider UltraPlay has reported a record-breaking increase in the eSports betting volume and turnover after COVID-19 hit the sports sector.

The company has reported a 500% turnover growth since mid-March 2020 compared to an average yearly increase of 30% by the end of 2019. Bets’ growth, including the number of bets, reached 450% growth for the same period. There is a 22% increase in the number of bets per player daily, according to UltraPlay. The reported data is accumulated by the coverage of 34 eSports, 16 of them offered with live odds on the leading eSportsbooks powered by UltraPlay.

With traditional sports events canceled or postponed, eSports stepped up and offered many new opportunities for its fans and bettors. UltraPlay increased its CS:GO events by 15%, all offered with pre-match and live odds, while Dota 2 events’ coverage was increased by 20%. League of Legends continues to be offered with its previous number of events. By the end of 2019, LoL recorded a turnover increase of over 65%. The three main eSports titles continue to be responsible for 60% of the betting volume, but this percentage is gradually going down due to a recent spike in interest in sports simulators.

UltraPlay also reports another promising trend related to the games that simulate sports such as football, basketball, and hockey – FIFA, NBA2K, and NHL. Due to the gap in the sports bettors’ previous choices, there is an increase in FIFA’s and NBA2K’s percentage in the overall eSports betting turnover.

These titles are offered with an enormous amount of events by UltraPlay’s eSports trading department on a weekly basis. According to UltraPlay, FIFA breaks records compared with the period before COVID-19 with 1500 events weekly, 90% of which are offered in-play on the provider’s clients, where NBA2K comes with over 500 events, all of them offered with live odds. UltraPlay also offers more than 250 NHL events weekly, 70% of those going live. Overall, UltraPlay covers over 3500 events weekly, 90% of them with live odds.

Peter Ivanov, Head of Trading at UlraPlay commented: “We believe eSports could be the profitable alternative to many sportsbooks looking for a solution at the moment. And it won’t be a short-term solution; rather it will gain more power in the next following months and years. From the data we collected since mid-March, we are certain that the eSports potential will be further released.

He added: “Esports is the next generation of bettors’ way of entertainment and operators need to make this leap forward as soon as possible.”

UltraPlay has also announced an increased interest in their eSports betting solution ODDS.GG from many leading online operators now looking to expand into eSports. The multi-awarded product ODDS.GG has an easy-to-use infrastructure and integration process through its API key.

The B2B betting provider started offering eSports pre-match and live odds back in 2014, where the sector was less known and risky. For the past 6 years, the company has enhanced its offering to 34 titles, 16 of them covered with live odds. On a monthly basis, UltraPlay offers 6000+ events with pre-match odds as well as 5500+ events with live odds. The eSports punters can choose from more than 200 markets on most of the games.

About UltraPlay:

UltraPlay is a modern technology company, founded in 2010, with the core ambition to offer an innovative approach to the online gaming industry by providing advanced betting solutions, focused on sports and eSports betting, live betting, white-label, online casino and blockchain technology.

Assembled by a team of iGaming professionals with vast experience in betting product development, operations, eSports and marketing, UltraPlay is a trusted partner for delivering superior sports software and odds products to its customers. Learn more about the company here: www.ultraplay.co

eSports

NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events

Published

24 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

nodwin-gaming-partners-runestone-on-integrity-and-real-time-data-for-esports-events

Deal launches with NODWIN Clutch Series as the companies target better oversight and more interactive broadcasts across Tier 2 CS2 and beyond.

NODWIN Gaming has signed a strategic partnership with Prague-based esports technology company Runestone to add integrity monitoring and real-time data tools across NODWIN’s global tournament portfolio. The companies said the collaboration has launched with the NODWIN Clutch Series.

NODWIN and Runestone positioned the deal around tournament oversight and broadcast engagement, as organizers increasingly use data-driven tooling to support fair competition and build more interactive viewing experiences.

The partnership begins on a Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 property. The latest edition ended with BIG winning NODWIN Clutch Series 5, beating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online tournament.

Speaking on the partnership Teemu Koski, Chief Business Officer at NODWIN Gaming MENA and Global Head of Data Monetization, said, “We’re excited to partner with Runestone as we continue expanding our competitive gaming portfolio across high-growth regions and titles. Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise in real-time data and integrity infrastructure complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs and competitive ecosystems. Together, we’re able to strengthen tournament operations while unlocking richer engagement experiences for fans. Starting with the NODWIN Clutch Series for CS2, we see strong potential to expand this collaboration across new IPs, new regions, and new competitive formats.”

Michael Schwartz, Head of Partnerships at Runestone, added, “NODWIN Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with a partner that shares our focus on building sustainable competitive ecosystems. By combining NODWIN’s experience in operating global esports IPs with Runestone’s integrity and engagement infrastructure, we can support tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable operational tools. Supporting the NODWIN Clutch Series is an exciting starting point, and we’re looking forward to expanding into new titles, formats, and regions together.”

The post NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

brand-partnership

G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-names-skin.club-official-skin-partner-for-its-cs2-team

Skin.Club branding will appear on G2 jerseys, social channels and content series, with in-person activations planned.

G2 has partnered with Skin.Club as the official skin partner for its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team, with the deal spanning team jerseys, content and live experiences.

Under the agreement, Skin.Club will feature on G2’s CS2 team jersey as an official partner. The partnership also includes logo placement across G2’s social channels and integration within content series throughout the year, plus a “series of in-person activations,” according to the companies.

“Partnering with Skin.Club marks an exciting step forward for our G2 CS team,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. “We’re always looking to work with brands that genuinely understand the Counter-Strike community, and Skin.Club brings both passion and innovation to the space. Together, we aim to create engaging experiences for fans while continuing to push the competitive ambitions of our roster.”

“At Skin.Club, we’re focused on creating experiences that bring the Counter-Strike community closer together,” said Dan Tar, CMO of Skin.Club. “Collaborating with G2 allows us to work alongside one of the most iconic teams in esports and deliver new ways for fans to engage. Drive, Love, Counter-Strike!”

Financial terms and the partnership duration were not disclosed.

The post G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-Strike 2

Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

Five custom gaming PC rigs, each set up by a Vitality Counter-Strike player, are available via the Stake Community Forum.

Stake has partnered with esports organisation Team Vitality on an exclusive fan giveaway tied to the Counter-Strike 2 ecosystem, offering five bespoke gaming PC rigs customised by players from Vitality’s Counter-Strike roster.

According to the companies, each setup is built to competitive standards and reflects a player’s individual preferences and playstyle. The rigs include an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an ASUS RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and ASUS B850M motherboards with integrated Wi‑Fi, alongside a 750W 80+ Gold power supply.

Team Vitality is Stake’s official esports partner, and the giveaway is positioned as part of a broader campaign around the Stake Ranked series, described by Stake as the latest instalment in its calendar of Counter-Strike 2 LAN events.

Fans can enter by creating a Stake Community Forum account and replying to the official competition post with their Stake username.

Mezii, Team Vitality said: “I’m really excited to see this PC. It’s a super clean custom build, with great attention to detail and a strong overall aesthetic. Huge thanks to Stake for delivering something that looks sharp and really captures the vibe we’re bringing to the server.”

The post Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.