4Game

This is in response to this thread that, honestly, fails at elaborating anything.

I want to say that it is important to understand that nowadays bookies are major investors into any popular sport – football, MMA, etc. And they are currently in Dota 2 too. Guys, I get the idea that betting companies are predatory by its nature (like casinos). BUT this is enormous money that cannot just be replaced with your wish that 'we need decent sponsors!', no. If that was possible, we would already have other sponsors. They are either non-existent or just offer less money.

And Dota 2 pro scene needs this money. It needs A LOT of money. It is still immature and needs to grow if we want it to become a traditional sport, like the above mentioned. Yes, we have TI, but tier-2 scene is still pathetic and this is the key thing that can keep the scene afloat with new talents comming in – just like in traditional sports.

I will bring you the example of CIS pro scene that I know a lot of. The scene is a broke. We have Navi and VP (that use betting money too) and thats it. Ah, and there is also Team Spirit – but they were never rich befor TI and used betting sponsors too. There is just no investors that can and are willing to pay decent salaries to pro players that would allow them to compete freely, with bootcamps, etc. Unfortunatly, bookies are all there is. This year we had a new team – BetBoom, named after a betting company (its owner). And they qualified to TI over VP, making it a 3rd decent team in the region. If not for these money there would not be such team.

So I really do not understand, why all of a sudden you guys are so against it? Are moral aspects this important here, when you want to deprive Pro Scene of its oxygen? It does not matter how much we love Dota – without money there is no Pro Scene.