1xBet’s Deal with MIBR Becomes First Approved Betting Sponsorship in Riot Games’ eSports Ecosystem

MIBR made history by becoming the first team to have Riot Games authorize betting sponsorship within its eSports realm. The Brazilians are sponsored by 1xBet.

Brazilian eSports powerhouse MIBR has officially become the first organization in the entire Riot Games ecosystem to receive approval for a betting sponsorship, announcing a landmark partnership with 1xBet for its VALORANT lineup.

The approval follows a rigorous compliance review that began earlier this year, aligning with Riot’s decision to open commercial opportunities in League of Legends and VALORANT across the Americas and EMEA to select companies in the betting sector. This marks a significant evolution in the developer’s historically strict rules regarding gambling advertising.

Partnership Years in Making

MIBR’s relationship with 1xBet isn’t new. The collaboration began in January 2022 with the organization’s Counter-Strike division. It expanded again in early 2025 to include MIBR Rap Clube, the organization’s music and cultural talent arm.

With the addition of MIBR’s mixed-gender VALORANT roster, the agreement now becomes one of the organization’s widest-reaching partnerships to date. As part of the deal, iconic Brazilian streamer and former VALORANT pro Gustavo “Sacy” Ross joins as ambassador and the face of this new phase.

Strong Governance Key to Riot’s Approval

MIBR stated that becoming the first organization to receive Riot’s approval wasn’t accidental — it was earned through years of internal structure-building.

“Being the first organization in the entire Riot ecosystem to obtain approval for a betting sponsorship is a direct result of how MIBR operates today, as an organized company with robust governance, clear processes, and policies that prioritize competitive integrity,” said Raphael Castanheira, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at MIBR.

According to him, this strong governance and compliance framework “shortened the approval process,” allowing MIBR to advance ahead of other organizations exploring similar sponsorship opportunities.

What Riot eSports Ecosystem Means

The Riot eSports ecosystem refers to the entire competitive environment operated, regulated, and supervised by Riot Games, covering both League of Legends and VALORANT.

It includes:

• Official leagues and circuits: such as the VCT (VALORANT Champions Tour), LEC, LCS, CBLOL, and other regional and global competitions.
• Teams and organizations participating within those leagues.
• Riot-owned rulesets and compliance structures, including sponsorship guidelines, competitive integrity protocols, and brand safety requirements.
• Broadcasts, events, and regional operations overseen or sanctioned by Riot Games.

In practice, this ecosystem is tightly controlled by Riot. Unlike some other eSports titles where teams have broad commercial freedom, Riot enforces strict limits on sponsorship categories — including betting, alcohol, and crypto. With regulated betting partnerships emerging, many organizations and fans are increasingly seeking reliable bookmaker esport resources to better understand safe and compliant esports wagering.

This makes the approval of a 1xBet sponsorship unprecedented, as it signals a new regulated pathway for betting brands within Riot-controlled competitions.

New Phase for MIBR Across Multiple Divisions

With the sponsorship expanded to its VALORANT roster, MIBR closes 2025 with renewed confidence in its structural and commercial direction. The organization plans to launch new activations involving:

• The Counter-Strike roster
• The mixed VALORANT roster
• MIBR Rap Clube
• Ambassador Sacy

All initiatives will strictly follow Riot’s updated policies concerning competitive integrity and responsible communications.

MIBR says additional details will be revealed on its official platforms in the coming weeks.