Stake

Last updated: 22 May 2026 – Written by Cian O’Rourke, Esports Betting Analyst – Fact-checked by the eGamingHQ editorial team

Stake Review 2026 — Crypto-Native Esports Sportsbook with Live Streaming

Stake at a glance

Website	stake.com
Year launched	2017
Founders	Ed Craven, Bijan Tehrani
Operator	Medium Rare N.V.
Licence	Curaçao eGaming licence (Medium Rare N.V.). Not licensed by UKGC, MGA or any Australian regulator.
Esports titles covered	CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant + selected niche events
Payment methods	Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), USDT, TRX, Bitcoin Cash (BCH). No fiat support.
Mobile	Mobile web (no native app); best-in-class browser experience
Live streaming	Integrated for selected matches
Restricted markets	United Kingdom, United States, Australia plus selected other regulated markets
Customer support	24/7 live chat, email, help centre, community forum

Quick verdict

Stake is a genuinely good product for a narrow audience. If you bet in crypto, want live streaming on your esports matches, and want the slickest mobile web experience in the market, Stake delivers. The CS2, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant coverage is deep, the in-play markets refresh quickly, and the support team is fast and reliable. Major sponsorships (UFC, prominent esports teams, Drake) put it in the wider sports conversation in a way most crypto books aren’t.

Three honest weaknesses. The Curaçao licence keeps Stake out of the UK, US and Australia — three of the biggest regulated markets. There’s no traditional welcome bonus; the model is activity-based VIP and weekly giveaways, which is harder to evaluate against the methodology’s “clear T&Cs, wagering, expiry” criteria. And there’s no fiat support: if you don’t hold or buy crypto, Stake isn’t for you. Recent history matters too — the 2023 platform hack and ongoing advertising-standards complaints in several jurisdictions tell the regulator-trust side of the story.

Net: great product, narrow fit. Crypto-native esports bettors in unrestricted markets will get a lot out of it. Everyone else should look elsewhere.

Who Stake is good for

Strengths & weaknesses

What Stake gets right

• Live streaming integrated in-platform. Watch the CS2 round, see the odds shift, react. Cleanest implementation in the affiliate set after GG.BET. For live esports bettors, this is the killer feature.
• Best mobile web experience in our set. No native app needed. The mobile site is so well built that you genuinely don’t miss one. Streaming works on mobile too, which most operators can’t pull off.
• Crypto rails done properly. Eight coins supported including BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP and stablecoins. Withdrawals process quickly once on-chain. No platform-side fees. If you live in crypto, Stake is the most frictionless option.
• Strong customer support and visible brand presence. 24/7 live chat, active help centre, public community forum. UFC sponsorship and high-profile esports partnerships add real-world trust signals that pure-crypto books don’t have.

Where Stake falls short

• Not available in UK, US or Australia. Three of the largest regulated markets are off limits. If you bet from any of those, you simply can’t use Stake.
• No traditional welcome bonus. The model is VIP rewards and weekly giveaways, which is good if you bet consistently but offers no clean “match my first deposit” offer for new players. Our methodology rewards transparent bonus structures — Stake’s doesn’t fit that frame.
• Crypto-only. No Visa, no Mastercard, no bank transfer, no PayPal. If you can’t hold crypto or don’t want to start, this isn’t the operator for you.
• Regulator trust signals are mixed. The 2023 platform hack (around $41M lost) was handled professionally, but it happened. Advertising-standards complaints have been upheld in multiple jurisdictions over the operator’s celebrity-led marketing approach. The Curaçao licence is light on player protection compared to a UKGC or MGA operator. Set your own limits before you start.

Esports coverage

Stake covers the four biggest esports titles consistently: Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant. Coverage is strongest around major tournaments — CS2 Majors, The International, the LoL World Championship, VCT Champions — with deeper market sets including map handicap, totals, props and outright tournament markets.

Where Stake genuinely stands out is the in-play product. Integrated live streaming on selected matches means you can watch the round play out and bet on the next round without switching tabs. Live odds refresh quickly during peak tournament play.

Less depth than GG.BET on niche or tier-two titles. For mainstream tier-1 esports, Stake holds its own.

Promotions & the “bonus” question

Stake doesn’t run a traditional welcome bonus. No “100% match your first deposit”, no upfront free bet, no specified rollover. Instead, the platform runs an activity-based promotional model.

This works well if you bet consistently and qualify for VIP benefits. It works poorly if you’re after a clean first-deposit offer to evaluate before signing up. Our methodology asks for “clear T&Cs, wagering rules, expiry, eligible markets” — Stake’s model can’t answer those questions for a new player.

Payments & withdrawals

Stake is crypto-only. Supported coins include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), Tether (USDT), Tron (TRX) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Deposits are processed once the transaction confirms on-chain. Withdrawals are typically very fast — minutes to an hour depending on the coin and network conditions. There are no platform-side fees, only blockchain network fees.

For users new to crypto, Stake may offer integrated purchase paths via third-party providers. If you use those, the third-party fees and KYC requirements are separate from Stake’s own.

Licensing & country availability

Stake operates under a Curaçao licence via Medium Rare N.V. Curaçao licensing meets baseline regulatory requirements but is lighter than UKGC, MGA or iGaming Ontario in terms of player-protection requirements, complaint resolution and operator obligations.

Restricted markets: United Kingdom, United States, Australia and selected other jurisdictions. Available in: Ireland, EU, Asia, Latin America. Always check your local rules before depositing.

Worth knowing: in September 2023, Stake suffered a hot-wallet hack with around $41M in cryptocurrency lost. The platform handled customer communications and operations professionally during the incident and most user funds were unaffected. We mention it not to alarm but because regulator trust is partly built on incident history.

Mobile & user experience

Stake doesn’t have a native iOS or Android app, but the mobile web experience is genuinely the best in our affiliate set. Loading is fast, the bet slip stays in view, esports markets load cleanly, and integrated streaming works on mobile as well as desktop. Most users don’t notice the absence of a native app.

Responsible gambling

Stake provides modern encryption, two-factor authentication, and responsible gambling tools including deposit limits and cooling-off periods where the local jurisdiction requires them. Specific RG tools aren’t as prominently surfaced as at UKGC or MGA-licensed operators. Set your own deposit and loss limits in your account settings before placing bets. If gambling stops feeling controlled, take a break and visit our responsible gambling page for support resources.

Customer support

Four channels: 24/7 live chat (the fastest), email for complex issues, a detailed help centre, and an active community forum. Live chat response times are typically very quick. The community forum is genuinely useful for crypto-specific questions. Combined with the sponsorship visibility (UFC, esports teams, music industry deals), Stake has built a recognisable brand presence that most pure-crypto books don’t have.

Stake esports FAQs