1xBet and IEM Beijing 2026: An Example of Betting Platforms' Growing Role in Esports

While IEM Beijing 2026 is in full swing with the best CS2 teams in the world, the tournament has also become a concrete example of how betting platforms are increasingly integrated into professional esports.

Three of the participating teams at IEM Beijing 2026 – 9z, Aurora Gaming and The MongolZ – are all partners with the betting platform 1xBet. The platform actively offers odds on the matches at the tournament, which runs from 2 to 8 November and has a total prize pool of $1,250,000 distributed across 16 teams.

The three 1xBet-affiliated teams' paths through the tournament illustrate the breadth of the partnership. 9z played in Group B against BetBoom Team and then TYLOO, while Aurora Gaming advanced further and faced Team Liquid, G2 Esports and BetBoom Team respectively. The MongolZ performed best and advanced to the playoff semi-finals, where they await the winner of the quarter-final between PARIVISION and Natus Vincere.

The fact that three separate teams at the same tournament are tied to one and the same betting platform is noteworthy. It reflects a trend in which betting operators are not merely buying exposure through advertisements, but are entering into direct team partnerships – and are thereby represented on the field itself, regardless of who wins.

1xBet's platform covers several esports titles beyond CS2, including League of Legends, Dota 2, VALORANT and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which underscores the platform's broader ambitions within esports betting in general.

IEM Beijing 2026 is therefore not only a competition for prize money – it also serves as a visible stage for the commercial relationship between organised esports and the betting industry.