Swedish esports organization Godsent has announced a partnership with Estonian betting operator Coolbet. As part of the deal, Coolbet will become the main sponsor for Godsent’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) team and the exclusive sportsbook partner of the organization. The financial details of the partnership have not been disclosed.
Coolbet was founded in 2016 and is based in Tallinn, Estonia. The company is owned by GAN Ltd and has licenses in Malta, Estonia, and Sweden. In addition to esports, Coolbet also offers betting on traditional sports such as football, tennis, and ice hockey. The partnership with Godsent is one of the first partnerships for the company in the esports space.
The partnership seems to be significant, as Godsent emphasized the importance of the partnership. As a “Headline Partner,” Coolbet will be able to interact further with Godsent’s esports audience and host activations with the esports organization, as well as create content.
As part of the partnership, the companies have already launched a dedicated hoodie that incorporates the Godsent monogram logo with Coolbet’s colors. The companies did not say whether there will be more merchandise collaborations in the future.
Ludwig Sandgren, Founder of Godsent, commented: “I am extremely proud and happy to be welcoming Coolbet as new Headliner Sponsor for the team. This partnership comes at the perfect time and will be crucial for us in the coming years when we realize our vision of building a historic Counter-Strike legacy. We look forward to working closely with Coolbet to create exciting new opportunities for our fans to engage with esports.”
Godsent has seen a resurgence recently and teased a “new era” for the organization after appointing Counter-Strike legend Emil “HeatoN” Christensen as its new CEO in November 2022. The company has also partnered with battery brand GP Batteries in 2022, making it perhaps the only esports brand to have a dedicated battery partner.
Esports and betting partnerships have become increasingly common in recent years, as both industries continue to grow. Esports is expected to generate $1.08 billion in revenue in 2023, and betting on esports is projected to grow to $15 billion by 2025.
However, there has been some controversy around esports and betting partnerships, with concerns raised about the potential for underage gambling and match-fixing. In response, some organizations have implemented strict policies around gambling and betting partnerships to ensure the integrity of esports competitions.
The partnership between Godsent and Coolbet is a positive development for both organizations and the wider esports industry. It will be interesting to see how the partnership develops and what other opportunities it may create for both Godsent and Coolbet.