G2 Esports has signed a multi-year partnership with Betpanda, making the crypto casino the official global betting partner for G2’s Counter-Strike team—the third major crypto gambling deal in esports within weeks, following Roobet’s partnership with 100 Thieves and BC.Game’s reported $5 million s1mple signing. The pattern is now undeniable: crypto casinos are the new money in esports.
KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE
- Deal: Betpanda becomes G2’s official CS2 global betting partner
- Duration: Multi-year partnership starting 2026 season
- Visibility: Betpanda logo as primary mark on G2’s CS2 jerseys
- Activations: Year-long fan activations, giveaways, content series, tournament presence
- First Appearance: StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 3 (December 4, 2025)
- Context: Third major crypto casino esports deal in weeks
The Deal
Announced December 3, 2025, the partnership gives Betpanda premium real estate on one of esports’ most prestigious organizations. The crypto casino’s logo will appear as the main sponsor on G2’s Counter-Strike jerseys throughout 2026—meaning every tournament, every stream, every highlight clip will feature Betpanda branding front and center.
Beyond jersey placement, the deal includes a comprehensive activation program: giveaways, sweepstakes, content series, social campaigns, and in-person activations at multiple esports events throughout the year. G2’s creators will be involved in promotional content, and fans can expect exclusive opportunities at tournament venues.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to connecting with audiences that value innovation and engagement. G2’s legacy in esports makes them the ideal partner to bring our vision to life.”
— Betpanda representative
Betpanda joins G2’s existing sponsor portfolio that includes Red Bull, Logitech G, Mastercard, Herman Miller, Ralph Lauren, Philips, and AGON by AOC—a roster of blue-chip brands that speaks to G2’s tier-1 status. Adding a crypto casino to that list marks a significant shift in what elite esports organizations consider acceptable sponsor categories.
The Crypto Casino Esports Arms Race
G2’s deal is the latest salvo in what’s become a full-scale crypto casino invasion of competitive gaming. Three major partnerships in a matter of weeks suggest this isn’t opportunistic—it’s strategic industry repositioning.
| Casino | Team/Player | Scope | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roobet | 100 Thieves | Full CS2 roster, Serbia facility | “Most significant partnership in 100T history” |
| BC.Game | s1mple + electroNic | $5M reported for s1mple alone | CS2’s greatest player signing |
| Betpanda | G2 Esports | Multi-year, jersey branding | Tier-1 European org legitimization |
The scale of investment varies, but the direction is consistent. Roobet is funding 100 Thieves’ entire European CS2 operation—roster, coaching staff, a new training facility in Serbia. BC.Game reportedly spent $5 million on s1mple alone, then acquired the SAW roster to fast-track Major tournament qualification. Betpanda is buying jersey real estate on one of esports’ most recognized brands.
The Riot Ban Lift: What Unlocked the Floodgates
This wave of crypto casino partnerships didn’t happen in a vacuum. The catalyst was Riot Games’ decision to reverse its long-standing prohibition on betting sponsors.
On June 26, 2025, Riot announced that Tier 1 League of Legends and VALORANT teams in the Americas and EMEA regions would be permitted to partner with betting companies—ending a policy that had kept gambling money out of Riot’s ecosystem for years.
WHY RIOT LIFTED THE BAN
$10.7 Billion
Global betting turnover on LoL and VALORANT esports in 2024
70%
Of all sports bets placed in unregulated markets with unlicensed bookmakers
Team Pressure
“Teams have asked us to reconsider our stance” for years
Riot’s logic was pragmatic: betting on esports already exists and will continue regardless of official policy. With 70% of bets placed through unlicensed operators, partnering with regulated entities at least brings some oversight to an activity that’s happening anyway. The company also committed to reinvesting a portion of betting program revenue into Tier 2 esports development.
But Riot’s safeguards came with significant restrictions. Betting partner logos are prohibited on team jerseys during Riot broadcasts. Riot-owned channels remain entirely betting-free—no ads, no sponsored segments. All betting partners must use official GRID data and be vetted by Riot before sponsoring teams.
THE COUNTER-STRIKE DIFFERENCE
Unlike Riot’s controlled ecosystem, Counter-Strike 2 has no equivalent restrictions. Valve doesn’t prohibit betting sponsors, which is why we’re seeing crypto casino logos on CS2 jerseys while Riot’s rules keep them off LoL and VALORANT team kits during official broadcasts. G2’s Betpanda deal is specifically for their CS2 team.
Why G2 Matters: Tier-1 Legitimization
This isn’t a struggling organization taking gambling money out of desperation. G2 Esports is one of the most prestigious names in competitive gaming.
Founded in 2014 by Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez, G2 has won 17 domestic League of Legends titles in Europe—more than any other organization. They became the only Western team to win the Mid-Season Invitational in 2019. Forbes valued the organization at $105 million before their 2022 leadership changes, and they’ve since closed a Series B funding round with WISE Ventures.
G2 competes at the highest levels across multiple titles: the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), VALORANT Champions Tour, and Counter-Strike 2 majors. Their existing sponsors include Mastercard, Ralph Lauren, Red Bull, Herman Miller, and Logitech G—the kind of blue-chip portfolio that suggests careful brand curation.
When an organization of G2’s stature takes crypto casino money, it signals something: these partnerships are no longer fringe. If G2’s brand stewards decided Betpanda was acceptable alongside Mastercard and Ralph Lauren, the legitimization of crypto gambling sponsorships in esports is essentially complete.
About Betpanda
Betpanda is a crypto-native online casino and sportsbook launched in 2023. The platform has positioned itself around speed, privacy, and cryptocurrency integration—particularly its use of the Bitcoin Lightning Network for near-instant deposits and withdrawals.
BETPANDA AT A GLANCE
- Launched: 2023
- Games: 6,000+ titles including slots, live dealers, and provably fair games
- Cryptocurrencies: 13 supported (BTC, ETH, LTC, BNB, USDT, XRP, DOGE, TRX, SHIB, SAND, USDC, SOL, TON)
- Lightning Network: Sub-30-second deposits and withdrawals via BTC Lightning
- KYC Policy: No ID verification required—email-only signup
- License: Costa Rica
The no-KYC approach and Costa Rica licensing place Betpanda in the same regulatory category as many crypto casinos—operational but without the oversight of jurisdictions like Malta (MGA) or the UK (UKGC). This is standard for the crypto gambling sector but worth noting when evaluating esports partnerships.
The “Esports Winter” Context
These crypto casino partnerships aren’t happening in a vacuum of pure opportunity—they’re filling a void left by traditional sponsors who fled during esports’ economic contraction.
The “esports winter” of 2023-2024 saw layoffs across major organizations, team dissolutions, and a pullback from endemic and non-endemic sponsors alike. Venture capital dried up. Media rights deals underwhelmed expectations. Organizations that had raised money at peak valuations found themselves scrambling for revenue.
WHO LEFT VS. WHO ARRIVED
Traditional Sponsors Retreating
- Tech companies reducing marketing spend
- Endemic sponsors facing own financial pressures
- VC-backed brands pulling back
- ROI scrutiny on esports investments
Crypto Casinos Arriving
- Massive marketing budgets
- Direct audience overlap (young, online, crypto-aware)
- Willing to pay premium rates
- Long-term commitment deals
Into this environment stepped crypto casinos with seemingly unlimited marketing budgets and a target demographic that perfectly overlaps with esports viewership: young, digitally native, comfortable with cryptocurrency, and engaged with online entertainment. When traditional sponsors were asking hard questions about ROI, crypto casinos were writing checks.
The result is what we’re seeing now: a rapid restructuring of esports sponsorship where crypto gambling money is becoming not just accepted but essential. Organizations that might have turned down these deals two years ago are now building their competitive operations around them.
What Comes Next
With Roobet, BC.Game, and Betpanda all making major moves within weeks of each other, the question isn’t whether more crypto casino partnerships will follow—it’s which organizations are next.
The competitive pressure is significant. If rival organizations are funding rosters and infrastructure with crypto casino money, staying out of that market means competing with one hand tied behind your back. The deals also tend to be multi-year, meaning organizations that sign now lock in revenue while those that wait may find the most aggressive spenders already committed elsewhere.
For fans, this means more crypto casino logos on jerseys, more gambling-adjacent content, and more integration of betting into the esports viewing experience. Whether that’s a necessary evolution or a concerning development depends on your perspective—but the direction of travel is now clear.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- G2 joins the wave — Multi-year Betpanda deal puts crypto casino branding on one of esports’ most prestigious organizations
- Three major deals in weeks — Roobet/100 Thieves, BC.Game/s1mple, and now Betpanda/G2 signal industry-wide shift
- Riot ban lift was the unlock — June 2025 policy change opened betting sponsors to Tier 1 LoL and VALORANT teams
- Jersey branding = permanent visibility — Every tournament, stream, and highlight clip features sponsor logos
- Tier-1 legitimization — G2’s prestige (17 titles, $105M valuation, blue-chip sponsors) normalizes crypto casino partnerships
- Esports winter context — Traditional sponsors fled; crypto casinos filled the void with aggressive spending
