The Premier League is hailed as one of the most competitive leagues in the arena of sports. According to a survey by Ampere’s Sports Consumer, 2023’s Q4 showed that at least 23% of sports fans across 14 countries globally are ardent followers of the EPL. In fact, the competition is so intense that it ranks third most popular, right after the World Cup and UEFA Champions League. It actually is the most popular national competition globally. Since it is quite intense, fans from all over feel at a loss when the season comes to an end.
However, with the rise of eSports, and especially Counter-Strike: Global Offence (CS: GO), EPL fans don’t have to be bored. Just imagine that the thrill you get from a game between Liverpool and Arsenal can be packaged in a whole different way. You see, CS: GO has become one of the most popular eSports globally. It is actually ranked among the top 5 most watched and played games at professional tournaments. In fact, its sequel, CS2, recorded a peak of 1.59 million concurrent players on Steam in January 2025.
In comes the wagering!
Now, because of the popularity of this game, the betting industry has found a niche that they can explore. CG: GO gambling has become a massive industry. In fact, as popular YouTuber Houngoungagne puts it, you cannot look at CS: GO and not look at gambling anymore.
The growth of CS2 gambling has been happening at a huge rate, inviting fans from all corners, including the EPL, to join. At its peak in 2016, the skin gambling market for this game was at least $4.6 billion USD. By 2020, the estimate on skins betting was close to $20 billion USD. Now it’s 2025, you can just imagine the value!
But the question is, why is Counter-Strike gambling this popular? And why are we saying that it can be a good substitute for EPL fans during the off-season?
Simplicity of the gaming process
You will realize that CS: GO is among the least complicated eSports. The gaming process is easy, making it easy for fans to wager on whatever is happening. Actually, it is because of the simplicity of the game that you get to see complex gameplay from players. The aim, strategy and teamwork of players determined the outcome. Most importantly, just like football, the rules are definite, which means you can understand them as soon as you start watching.
The popularity of the game among football lovers
Just as we mentioned above, Counter-Strike: Global Offence has become one of the most popular eSports globally. With eSports taking over the world, fans of traditional sports like football are getting more intrigued to watch people playing video games. In fact, many football players are ardent lovers of video games.
For example, Neymar Jr., one of the most popular football players around the world, made a statement after the launch of CS2. On his X account, Neymar Jr. recounted how some of his best moments were playing CG: GO with his friends. In fact, sources claim that he has played CS: GO and CS2 more than he has played football. Also, many CS: GO players have claimed to be football fans of teams like Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
High quantity of matches and tournaments to bet on
In 2025, there are so many tournaments and matches that are out there to watch. The good thing is that all these games are entertaining to watch. Tournament operators like BLAST, ESL and WePlay are always coming up with matches every other day for the best planet on the globe. And that’s not all: TIER-2 and TIER-3 stages are always hosting numerous online tournaments.
But now, how does this relate to EPL fans? You see, the thrill and competition coming from weekly EPL games are unmatched. During game days, there are always two to four matches concurrently. This means that as you watch one game, you are following the live scores of the others and wagering on them simultaneously. Now, with CS: GO, the live scores give tens of matches every day to match the thrill and suspense that is normally there in EPL games.
The sheer quantity of matches and tournaments happening on a regular basis makes CS: GO gambling a good opportunity for Premier League fans to have a good experience.
Availability of statistics for match analysis
Before you wager on any game, you need to first do a lot of research on the teams playing. Find the history of the teams and their players, past performances, past head-to-head matches and many more things. This works true for both Premier League games and CG: GO matches.
Now, the good thing about the two is that there is available data for match analysis before making any kind of wager. Today, there are many sites that offer advanced statistics on teams and individual players. For instance, among the players in the Russian team ‘Spirit,’ who always carries the team? Has anyone reported a recent dwindling in teamwork or skill?
You can always find advanced data concerning teams you are expecting to see in particular matches. There are also experts who help analyze CS: GO matches after they end, making it more like the EPL.
As we wrap up, it is quite clear that CS: GO is a popular game that can help Premier League fans get through the off-season without being bored. The thrill, joy and entertainment factor that is enhanced by the gambling aspect of the game is enough to make ardent lovers of football have a great time.
