Svenska Spel, the Swedish lottery and iGaming operator, will work with Esportshall, an esports coaching company and facility, to further develop the growth of competitive video gaming in Sweden. The country is already home to DreamHack, which is one of the most significant esports and gaming festivals around the world, and Swedish Counter-Strike players are some of the best, competing in some of the most popular teams in the esports vertical.

Shaping the Next Generation of CS: GO Professionals

Moving forward, Svenska Spel and Esportshall will work to introduce new players to esports, and specifically those that are interested in trying their hand at competitive Counter-Strike. New players will have a chance to participate in various competitions organized specifically for brand-new players who want to break on the competitive level or work in the right direction.

To this end, the two entities are hosting a series of tournaments, the first of which will start on October 16. The goal, as Svenska Spel project manager of sponsorships Jimmy Sandberg says, is to make sure that grassroots players have a chance to progress in the higher tiers of play.

Svenska Spel and Esportshall have teamed up with Svenska Elitserien, an organization focusing on hosting online esports competitions and working with Esportshall. 

Accounting for Every Aspect of Esports

The approach chosen by Esportshall towards the development of esports is broader, though. The organization tries to provide players with physical places to play and works with other companies who promote a healthy lifestyle, which has become of increasing importance to esports players. 

Esportshall founder Karl Sergal added that just like Svenska Spel, the company is interested in making sure that grassroots esports continue to develop in Sweden. Svenska Spel previously backed the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and the Swedish Esports Association in a bid to help with the setup of the eHockey Championship.