Los Angeles-based esports organization Cloud9 announced Tuesday that it has expanded its relationship with online betting platform BC.GAME, by acquiring the Dota 2 esports team Entity. As part of the deal, the European-based Entity has been renamed Cloud9 BC.GAME Dota 2. The rebranded team will make its official debut at The International 2024 at the end of this year.
While financial terms of this deal were not disclosed, Cloud9 said in an announcement that it “is committed to dedicating significant resources to support the team’s competitive growth and potential.” The deal was facilitated with the help of sports marketing agency SportQuake.
“We’re thrilled to reignite our presence in the Dota 2 scene and further our ongoing partnership with BC.GAME,” said Cloud9 CEO & Co-Founder Jack Etienne. “Dota 2 holds a special place in Cloud9’s history as one of the first games we’ve entered as an organization. BC.GAME’s dedication to supporting our teams and creating engaging content for our fans is invaluable. This collaboration allows us to bring even more exciting experiences to the Cloud9 community, honoring our past while looking forward to a promising future in Dota 2.”
The Entity acquisition marks the second collaboration between BC.GAME and Cloud9; in August 2022, BC.GAME partnered with Cloud9 to become its official “gaming and sports betting partner.” BC.GAME will continue to support Cloud9’s Counter-Strike team.
In case you are not familiar with BC.GAME, it is an online crypto gambling platform offering traditional casino games alongside betting on sports and esports including Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and more. The company claims that it “places a strong emphasis on compliance, having recently secured a new Curacao LOK license.”
It should be noted that BC.GAME is not legal to use in the United States, according to its terms of service:
“Persons located in or residents of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, France, the Netherlands, Saba, Statia, St. Martin, and the USA (the ‘Prohibited Jurisdictions’) are not permitted to use the Service. For clarity, these restrictions on engaging in real-money play apply equally to residents and citizens of other nations while located in a Prohibited Jurisdiction. Any attempt to circumvent these restrictions, including manipulating information used by BC.GAME to identify your location or providing false or misleading information about your location or residence, is a breach of this Agreement.”