I paid FACEIT Premium for two years straight. Every month, €10 gone. Thousands of matches played. Nothing to show for it except a rank that resets every season.
Then I found out stake matches were a real thing. Not skin gambling, not betting on pro matches — actual 1v1 competitive matches where the winner takes real money.
Here is what I have been using for the past few weeks.
What Are CS2 Stake Matches?
You challenge another player, agree on a stake amount (say $2 USDC), play a 1v1 CS2 match on your normal account, and the winner gets 90% of the combined pot sent directly to their crypto wallet. No middleman holds the money — it sits in a smart contract during the match and releases automatically when the result comes in via the Steam API.
This is different from:
- Skin gambling (you are not betting skins on outcomes you have no control over)
- Discord wagers (no trust required, no risk of getting scammed)
- Esports betting (you are the player, not the spectator)
FACEIT vs Stake Matches
FACEIT is the standard for competitive CS2 — good anti-cheat, big player pool, ranked queues. If you want structured matchmaking and do not care about earning, it is a solid platform. Premium runs around €10/month.
The trade-off: you pay monthly and earn zero regardless of how well you play.
Stake matches flip that. You play the same CS2 you always play, but the winner gets paid. The skill floor matters more, but there is no subscription eating into your wallet every month.
Platform I Use: LootDiff
LootDiff is where I play. Setup took about 10 minutes the first time:
- Steam login
- MetaMask wallet connected
- Deposited $5 USDC
- Joined an open lobby on CS2
New accounts get $1 USDC free on signup — enough to enter the weekend tournament without depositing anything first.
The Money Side
I am not going to pretend this is a get-rich scheme. At $1-2 stakes, winning 60% of matches nets you a few dollars per hour. At $5-10 stakes with consistent results, it starts to look like real side income.
What I can say is: I have not paid for FACEIT since I started using this.
Weekend Tournaments
Every Saturday and Sunday there is a $200 USDC prize pool tournament. Free entry for new accounts. That is the fastest way to see if it is worth your time — play a weekend tournament, zero risk, real payout if you win.
Supported Games
All payouts in USDC or USDT on BNB Chain. Fast and cheap.
Should You Try It?
If you are already playing CS2 regularly and you have a spare $5, yes. The $1 free credit means you can test it with zero deposit. Worst case you lose $1 of their money. Best case you find a platform that pays you to play instead of charging you.
lootdiff.com — Steam login, no KYC, instant payouts.
Has anyone else made the switch from FACEIT to stake matches? Curious what stakes people are playing at.
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