The ESL One Cologne viewing experience will be enhanced this weekend as Betway has been announced as the Official Betting Partner. As a result, live odds will be added to the broadcast.

The release on ESL’s website states that “Betway will enhance the ESL One Cologne viewing experience by adding live odds to the broadcast to demonstrate the power of balance between the playing teams”.

Betway’s Anthony Werkman, Director of Marketing and Operations commented: “We are delighted to partner with ESL for Cologne, a landmark event of the CS:GO calendar. With CS:GO being the most competitive it has ever been, we can’t wait to see the world’s top teams battle it out.”

This partnership represents a huge opportunity for a regulated bookmaker to show exactly what they’re made of. There’s an innate pressure that comes with providing live odds, as the often sad reality of regulated esports betting is that markets are frequently suspended. It’s a chance for Betway to add another layer of excitement to what’s already looking like an incredible event.

The tournament, for which group stage games get underway tomorrow, hosts 16 of the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams all vying for the lion’s share of a $250,000 prize pool and the famous ESL One trophy. It will be held in the LANXESS Arena, the home of the Cologne Sharks ice hockey club. With over 12,000 tickets already sold it’s sure to make for some epic viewing.

The likes of SK Gaming, G2 Esports and FaZe Clan will head into the tournament as favourites. SK Gaming is coming off back to back tournament wins in Europe having already won at DreamHack and beaten out FaZe in a gruelling ECS Season 3 final at Wembley. SK are shortest priced at 3.80 on Betway, with FaZe at 4.00 and G2 at 6.50.

Esports Insider says: Fantastic news. Hopefully this will be well received by a community which are often bizarrely frosty towards gambling and betting in general. The pressure’s on to make sure that the live odds on display are relevant, not constantly suspended and thus compelling. It’s undoubtedly a great opportunity.