Visa Issues Force BetBoom Out Of BLAST Open Porto As paiN Step In
Visa problems have forced BetBoom out of the $1.1 million BLAST Open Porto, with Brazilian side paiN Gaming called up in their place.
The withdrawal, reported on August 11, is a setback for the sportsbook-backed Russian roster, which remains inside the top 10 of Valve's world rankings after a strong run to the playoffs at the recent Cologne Major.
Recurring Travel Trouble
Visa complications have repeatedly disrupted BetBoom's LAN plans, and this time the issue was serious enough to rule the team out of the event altogether rather than force a stand-in.
It is not the first time paperwork has undermined a BetBoom campaign; the side has previously been made to field replacements at international Counter-Strike events because of travel restrictions on Russian players.
The organisation, whose name comes from the BetBoom sportsbook brand, will now miss one of the standout stops of the late-summer schedule.
A Lucky Break For paiN
paiN Gaming inherit the slot after losing the grand final of the South American qualifier, turning a near miss into a place at a major international event.
For the Brazilian organisation it is a valuable opening, with $1.1 million on offer and a stage in front of a European arena crowd.
What BetBoom Lose
The BLAST Open Porto features 16 teams and runs from August 26 to September 6, opening at BLAST's Copenhagen studios before the top six advance to the Super Bock Arena in Porto for the finals from September 4 to 6, the organiser announced.
First place is worth $150,000. Missing out also costs BetBoom ranking points, though the team will have an immediate chance to recover, with FISSURE Playground 3 beginning two days after the Porto finals conclude.
Why It Matters
BetBoom is one of several sportsbook-owned outfits competing at the sharp end of Counter-Strike, and their absence reshuffles both the bracket and the outright picture at a $1.1m event.
For the betting sites that follow the circuit, a top-10 team dropping out on the eve of a major tournament is the kind of late change that moves markets.
