ESports players wagered nearly $5 billion on CS:GO skins in 2016

The crackdown against the Counter-Strike skins trading has apparently not spooked gamblers from wagering in the illicit multi-player, first person video game.

Citing a research made by the firms Eilers & Krejcik Gaming and Narus Advisors, ESPN reported that some $5 billion was wagered in skins in 2016, of which 40 percent were wagered on the outcomes of eSports matches and tournaments.

The most intriguing aspect of the data given by the research firms was the fact that roughly $3 billion “flows to a darker corner of the internet — one populated by fly-by-night websites that accept skins for casino-style gaming.”

This means the money went into more traditional online gambling sites that accept wagers on slots, roulette games, dice rolls, or coin flips.