Skins betting – How It Works, Bookmakers, and How to Start?

Skins betting is a completely unique form of esports gambling, where you’re betting entirely using in-game items. You can get these cosmetics in most of the biggest esports games. However, betting with them is a bit more complex. We’re going to break down everything you need to know about skins gambling, from how to bet skins in CSGO to the best skin betting sites. First though, what is skin betting and why is it so popular in esports?

The Meaning of Skins in the Gaming World and in Gambling

Esports skin betting is an exciting type of gambling, but it can be a bit confusing for newcomers. So how exactly does it work? Skin betting is essentially the same as regular esports betting but using the items as currency. In a lot of games, you can unlock and buy different appearances for your in-game character or weapon called a skin.

Exactly what the skins are varies depending on what game you’re playing. For CSGO skin betting, they are normally different looks for your weapons that give them a different appearance. In other games, it is the character model that you’re using. They are all a cosmetic difference in-game, but they’ve become something more for players. They can show off how long you’ve played a game, that you’ve got something rare, or even your commitment to the game. This makes them a great pick for esports betting, but how does skin gambling work?

What Is Skin Gambling and How Does It Work?

Betting on skins works quite simply in theory, just using in-game items in place of currency when placing your bets. However, it can raise some problems like who decides the value of a skin and what do you get as a payout? There are two main types, wagering on specific matches and skin roulette. They work differently and different esports betting websites offer them. This is how each breaks down.

Esports Skin Match Wagering

Esports match wagering skins betting is where you place an esports bet as you would with currency, but your prize for the bet is a skin. This can be randomized too, so it depends on what you’re going to get.

Those who lose their skin in a bet have them go into a pool. The winners get a payout from this pool of items lost by other players.

If you’re wondering what skin gambling is, this is the most common form. You’re using your skin in place of normal currency in a bet on an esports match.

Skin Roulette

Another type of skin gambling is skin roulette or casino games. Here you play a casino game like roulette but get a payout in a skin. You can get a CS:GO skin or another skin when you win the game. This type of betting has more randomness.

The Different Types of Skins Used for Betting

It’s helpful to know what all the different types of skins are before you bet with them. It can vary depending on the game, but these are the main types: • Character Skins – These are a type of skin that changes your character model. They can change your player character to something entirely different or just an altered outfit.

Weapon Skins

These are cosmetic changes applied to a weapon or item. In FPS games, you can see them in-game by looking down. These can be patterns or decals that change the gun but don’t have an effect on gameplay.

Methods of Acquiring Skins in Games

There are many different ways of getting skins depending on what game you’re playing! In a lot of titles, it is as simple as going into the item store and buying the skin you want. In other games, you can complete challenges to unlock them. Most games involved with skin gambling though use loot box mechanics. Here, the skins that you get are randomized in-game. When buying one, you’re buying a lucky dip and hoping you get the one you want, which is a form of gambling too.

Esports skin betting and gambling is a different way to get skins in-game for some titles. You place a bet and potentially get a skin as a prize. You’ll usually need some items to start off and wager to win more though.

Skins Marketplace

Selling skins is one way to make money out of skin betting! You can win skins while betting and sell any that happen to be valuable. This is a great way to take advantage of the extra randomness from winning on skin gambling websites.

In most titles, there are marketplaces that you can use to sell your skins. Although, this will vary depending on what game it is you play. In titles like CS:GO and Dota 2, you can use Steam’s marketplace to sell your in-game items. Most of the major titles for gambling like CSGO skin gambling and Dota skins betting are popular since their in-game items can be sold, sometimes for a high price.

What’s the Value of Skins in Gaming?

If you’re looking into betting with skins, you might be wondering why exactly someone would go for them over cash as a prize for winning a bet? A lot of them have quite a bit of value. When your prize is randomized, this could actually lead to a much bigger payout than if you’d used cash. Some skins in games like CS:GO have been sold for over $25,000.

The value of a skin comes down to a few factors in different games. As CS:GO games are largely the most valuable, they work as an example. CS:GO skins are divided into different rarities. Those on the highest tiers of the rarities are worth quite a lot of money as players are willing to pay more to show off in-game. Supply and demand for them are really what defines their value. If a skin is rare then supply doesn’t meet demand, and it typically pulls a high price from other players. In all games, the rarer items pull in higher prices and more common ones sell for lower prices. Like anything else, it just comes down to what price the community for these games is willing to pay.

Most of the best skin betting sites have some degree of randomness to what skin you can win. This means there’s always the chance of getting a valuable skin as your prize.

Odds and Payouts

Things work quite a bit differently for esports skin betting, so just how do you work out odds and payouts when wagering on skins instead of money? Things can be tricky, and the value of in-game items is partially down to personal preference. However, most sites use an objective system to add some fairness to this. If you’re doing match-wagering skins betting, then the skin still works as a payout with normal decimal odds.

It is best to think of the skins as any other token in this situation, like a casino chip. You’re wagering one skin, if you lose then you lose this skin. However, if you win you get your skin back, alongside a portion of those that other players lost. This does randomize what you get a bit, which is where odds come in.

There is a pool of all the bets placed, each with a skin as the wager. When lost, these items stay in that pool. You’ll receive a payout from this pool if you win your bet, getting part of what others lost. The odds change how much you get from this pool. If you bet on something with higher odds like an underdog to win a match, you’ll get a bigger payout than if you have bet on a favorite team to win. This is a share of the total skins wagered though, you get a bigger part of the pool if you had higher odds. It doesn’t account for the quality of them as cosmetic items since that’s subjective. That’s how betting works across games, but what titles offer this?

Games That Provide Esports Item Gambling

Not every game is set up to let you wager skins. It needs to be a game that allows for easy and open skin trading to facilitate wagering them. However, some of the biggest esports do allow their skins to be used in this way. These are the main esports titles with skin betting:

CSGO Skin Betting

CS:GO is probably the biggest esports for its coverage on skin gambling sites and one of the biggest competitive shooters. This is a game where skins can be very valuable and there are no restrictions on transferring from player to player. With the giant esports community that CS:GO has, there are plenty of opportunities for skins betting here.

Dota 2 Skin Betting

Dota 2 has a huge cast of characters that players can choose from in-game. These characters can each have multiple looks to help you differentiate yourself from others in-game. This has led to a lot of different looks for characters and they’re easy to trade between players. Dota skin betting is offered pretty widely since all this makes it easy to do so. Dota 2 skin betting sites are some of the most widely available after CS:GO.

PUBG Skin Betting

PUBG is another game where you can bet skins thanks to the great options for aesthetic changes in the game. There is a wide array of characters you can use in the Battle Royale mode which makes for lots of choices and options for skin gambling.

Difference between Skin and Cash Betting

Skin betting and cash betting are your two main options, but how do they compare? Each has pros and cons. These are some of the main things to consider with the two types:

Skin betting lets you win in-game items, from games that you’re interested in playing. If you normally buy skins or heavily play esports games, then there’s a clear advantage here. You can bet without using any actual cash. You could have a better chance of receiving in-game prizes for your knowledge of the game if you can predict the match’s outcome.

Cash betting uses actual cash, so you can go and buy skins with those winnings but there are some extra steps. If you’re looking to keep your winnings inside of the game, you follow then skin gambling works great. The best skin betting sites are easy to use and minimize those extra steps to get more skins.

The benefits of cash betting over skins are a bit clearer too. Working with cash means that the odds are easier to understand, and you get a clear understanding of the payout. Skins betting gives you the chance to win a skin that’s worth a lot, but also a chance to win one you don’t really want. This can be a lot of fun if you play the game already and want skins. Although there are benefits to cash betting for some people too.

FAQ

  • Is Skin Gambling Legal?

    Skin gambling is definitely legal as long as you're using regulated esports bookmakers. Plenty of the best esports gambling sites offer skin betting, go with one that's regulated for gambling with skins, and it is legal.
  • Why Do Gamers Buy Skins?

    Gamers buy skins because they like to customize their experience in-game. For titles that have expansive multiplayer sections and offer a lot of skins, they're a way to personalize gameplay. They can express your sense of style, how long you've been playing a game, or even your skin level. They can be a great way to get that across while playing an esports game. If you're looking at CSGO skin betting, these in-game cosmetics can often become very valuable which is another reason why gamers buy them.
  • Does a Skin Make You Play Better?

    Skins in games don't make you play better. They are just there for a cosmetic change. While some games might use microtransactions to sell gameplay advantages, most esports games just offer a different appearance in-game to stand out. These are the games covered by esports skin betting, where cosmetics just change your appearance.
  • Is Skin Gambling Safe?

    Skins betting is safe when you're using a safe platform. The best skins gambling sites hold the skin that you bet safely and can be trusted to payout in a way that is promised. There are a few sites around though that don't offer legitimate skins betting. So, while it is safe, make sure you're using a verified website, so everything works how it claims.
  • What Games Use Skins?

    Loads of games use skins, including some single-player games like Mario Odyssey. However, the games that are most associated with having skins are definitely multiplayer and esports games. These are some of the biggest games with a lot of different looks for the player: CS:GO, Dota, LoL, Fortnite, PUBG,, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, Valorant, Overwatch. Not all of these games allow trading with in-game items though. Make sure you check skin gambling websites to see if a game is available for skins betting.
  • What Are Skins in Games?

    Skins in a game are a customizable option that you can set to differentiate your character from that of other players in the game. You can use them to change your character model to a different character or add a pattern to your weapon. They work well to make your experience unique or make you stand out in the lobbies of competitive games.Buying skins in-game isn't gambling, although some argue that using loot boxes is. You can use skins betting to gamble with skins, but this is outside of physically buying them.
  • Is Buying Skins Gambling?

    Buying skins in-game isn't gambling, although some argue that using loot boxes is. You can use skins betting to gamble with skins, but this is outside of physically buying them.

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