BC.Game will not be allowed to use its own name or logo at the PGL Major Singapore, after the crypto casino’s chief executive confirmed that Singapore’s gambling rules apply to its Counter-Strike 2 team. “Yes we are not allowed to use our logo and name due to regulations in Singapore, it’s not Valve,” Ali “Ako” Muhanned wrote on X on 6 November. He added that he had known about the restriction for a long time, and that the team had already submitted an alternative that was still waiting for approval. His post came a day after the Russian Telegram channel Esports Base reported that BC.Game, BetBoom Team, 1win and PARIVISION would all have to play the PGL Major Singapore under different names.
According to that report, logos, stickers and team names that include or point to a gambling, casino or bookmaker brand are barred at the event unless the brand holds a valid Singapore licence. The four organisations were reportedly given about a day to propose neutral alternatives. Neither PGL nor Valve has published a statement on the requirements, and BetBoom, 1win and PARIVISION have not said which names they will use. BetBoom Team’s general director, Artyom “Pioneer” Savelyev, did write in his Telegram channel that “BoomBoys will not play at the Major in Singapore”. That rules out the name the club used at Dota 2’s biggest event this year.
How Singapore’s gambling law reaches esports team names
The rules behind the change come from Singapore’s Gambling Control Act 2022, which is enforced by the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA). Section 85 of the act makes it an offence to advertise any unlawful gambling, which covers gambling services that are not licensed or exempted in Singapore. Crucially for esports teams, the section treats sponsorship and brand-sharing deals as advertising when a name is displayed in connection with an event and gambling is the main activity carried out under that name. On that reading, a team named after a casino or bookmaker brand would appear to fall squarely within the definition, whatever the players themselves do on the server.
The penalties are serious enough to make any event organiser cautious. A conviction under section 85 carries a fine of up to S$20,000, and the offence is one of strict liability, so prosecutors do not need to prove that anyone meant to advertise gambling. Under section 87, the GRA can also order advertisers to remove the material and publish a corrective advertisement. Ignoring such an order can lead to a fine of up to S$50,000, two years in prison, or both. The authority already works to block unlicensed online gambling sites and payments, and it asks the public to report unlawful gambling advertisements and promotions.
Singapore has made room for gambling sponsors before, but only through a formal legal exemption. In October 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an exemption order for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, which runs until the end of 2028. It lets sponsors that provide unauthorised gambling services show their names and logos on racing team attire, cars and even team names, provided there is no invitation to gamble. That order names only the Grand Prix, which means it offers nothing to the 32 teams arriving for the Major.
Why BetBoom, 1win and PARIVISION have been renamed before
For three of the four teams, playing under another name at a Valve event is nothing new. At The International 2026 in Shanghai in August, BetBoom Team played as BoomBoys, PARIVISION as Team Vision and 1win as Iron Wing. Valve never explained the changes publicly, although Savelyev later said the club had to rename because of restrictions on bookmaker branding at the event. Team Vision went all the way to the grand final, where they lost 3-2 to Team Spirit, so the new name did little to slow them down.
Branding restrictions have followed these clubs in other markets as well. Savelyev has said BetBoom often plays as BB Team in countries where its full name is banned, and its sponsorships were caught up in Brazil’s new betting rules last month. PARIVISION takes its name from the Russian bookmaker Pari, while 1win and BC.Game are named after the online casino brands that own them. BC.Game is also facing criticism in English football this week, where Leicester City supporters have turned on the club’s shirt deal with the casino.
Valve’s own Major Supplemental Rulebook asks teams to register their names and logos as they commonly appear in their own media. It says nothing about gambling sponsors or the laws of the host country, and it leaves the complete rules of each event to the tournament organiser. In Singapore, that leaves PGL responsible for running a Valve Major in a country with strict rules on gambling advertising.
What the change means for the teams at the Major
The timing is awkward for the clubs, because Major stickers are one of the biggest ways a team earns money from the event. Valve’s sticker capsules usually go on sale shortly before a Major begins, so any new name or logo has to be settled within days. A neutral brand could also make a team harder for fans to recognise, both in the capsule and on the broadcast. The rosters themselves are not affected, and each team keeps the place it earned through the Valve Regional Standings.
BC.Game, led by s1mple, will start in Stage 1 on 24 November alongside PARIVISION, after Valve cleared its route through Asia. Stage 2 brings in 1win on 28 November, while BetBoom go straight into Stage 3 on 2 December, as confirmed when Valve locked in all 32 teams. The playoffs follow at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 10 to 13 December, and Ako is still waiting to hear whether the name he submitted will be approved.
