Online bookmaker Betway has sponsored BLAST Bounty Hunt, the inaugural Dota 2 event from tournament organiser BLAST.
The Danish company typically focuses on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, though it announced its first step into Dota 2 earlier this month.
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Starting on June 9th, BLAST Bounty Hunt will see Betway-sponsored team Ninjas in Pyjamas take on the likes of Alliance, Team Secret, Team Nigma, OG, and Team Liquid over four days. The event has a total prize purse of $145,000 (GBP117,455.80).
Adam Savinson, Head of Esports at Betway, spoke on the decision in a release: “We have had an incredibly successful 2020 working with BLAST across their Counter-Strike tournaments, making it a very easy decision to support their entry into DOTA 2. We are excited to see BLAST bring their innovative and exciting approach to a new game, and are proud to help them on that journey.”
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Betway confirmed that it would sponsor BLAST Premier for the entirety of 2020 back in December 2019, having originally forged a working relationship with the tournament organiser earlier that year in March.
Leo Matlock, Commercial Director for BLAST, also commented: “The expansion of this deal is testament to the impressive collaboration between BLAST and Betway over the last 18 months as we both strive to be industry leaders in esports and entertain fans the best we can.
“We look forward to continuing this innovative partnership as we expand into one of the world’s most played and loved games in the shape of DOTA 2. We can’t wait to deliver the world class DOTA 2 tournament that fans have been asking for, and are delighted that Betway are supporting and working with us to ensure we achieve this.”
Esports Insider says: Betway has made a name for itself, when it comes to esports, by being heavily involved with top-flight competition in CS:GO. Seeing Betway support a pre-existing partner, BLAST, as it’s making a brave move in expanding to a new title is a solid sign that the relationship between the two companies is strong and there’s a lot of faith in BLAST Bounty Hunt.