Leading Esports Team FNATIC Signs Partnership With Betting Company

London-based esports organization FNATIC has signed a partnership deal with esports betting company Rivalry.gg. The exclusive partnership is for 1 year and related to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and DOTA2 content for the term.

The parties refused to comment on the compensation component of the agreement, but noted that it included a set sponsorship fee.

FNATIC is one of the more popular esports teams in the world and has amassed numerous international championships including the inaugural League of Legends World Championship, 6 EU LCS Championships and 3 CS:GO Majors. It now enters into a relationship with Rivalry.gg, which was only launched as an esports betting platform in early 2018 and allows fans to place bets throughout live matches on a variety of in-game events and outcomes.

The new partners promise that educating fans about responsible betting will be an important component of their relationship. Additionally, it will be wise for the duo to dedicate resources to ensure that all betting is handled above board.

As I wrote in June 2018, match fixing is 1 of the biggest threats to the continued success of the esports industry. A total of 78% of respondents in a recently conducted survey view match fixing as a serious or moderate risk to the sustained wellness and growth of an industry that is projected to grow to nearly $1 billion by the end of 2018