Esports site Streak provides prize-heavy alternative to traditional betting

A new website wants to provide fans with an alternative to traditional betting services. And all they have to do is go streaking.

Betting and fantasy games have experienced a recent burst in popularity. For better or worse, betting websites such as CSGO Lounge are among the most influential entities in the game. And fantasy service Vulcan recently announced that its latest expansion would increase its total prize offerings to $4 million.

But not everyone is interested in putting their own hard-earned cash or in-game items on the line. For those people, Streak.gg may offer a viable alternative.

Streak allows users to sign up and answer a series of questions such as which team will win an upcoming game or which player will post the better statistics in the match. Put together a long enough streak of correct guesses, and you’ll have put yourself in the running for a variety of prizes.

Streak operates solely with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with prizes coming in the form of the popular in-game weapon skins. But cofounder Trey Martin told the Daily Dot that the website already plans to broaden offerings to include both League of Legends and Dota 2, with other types of prizes on the horizon. Other games such as Call of Duty may be offered in the future, but would likely require a different logistical approach.

“We launched with Counter-Strike partly due to the in-game item attraction and our knowledge of it. We hope to transition into the realm of cash prizes and physical prizes such as computers, monitors, and things of that nature,” Martin said.

The inspiration for the service, which launched in March, came from ESPN’s popular “Streak for the Cash” game, in which registered users attempt to answer a number of assorted sporting predictions correctly for a chance at a large cash prize. Martin and his team had a background in Counter-Strike and thought it to be the perfect starting point.

Questions are created and answered by Streak’s crack team of esports fans who make sure each potential prediction is both relevant and sensical. Signing up to participate is as simple as linking your Stream account to the service. And while Streak isn’t yet offering the $4 million in prizes of a Vulcun, Martin and his team are confident that there’s a big audience for their service.

“If wagering isn’t your thing, you can come to us and play for fun while still being highly engaged in a match that can benefit you,” Martin said.

Photo via Prayitno/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)