Riot Games Is Opening up eSports to Betting by Allowing Sports Betting Partnerships

League of Legends (LoL) and VALORANT eSports betting sponsors will be permitted by Riot Games. Tier-1 teams competing in these games are eligible to sign betting sponsors, the American company revealed.

Riot, a well-known American video game developer, publisher, and eSports tournament organizer with headquarters in Los Angeles, is integrating sports betting sponsorships into its most popular titles. They are the creators of League of Legends and VALORANT. The organization declared that betting sponsors are available to Tier-1 LoL and VALORANT clubs in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

John Needham, President of Publishing and Esports at Riot Games, explained the decision to change the process by stating two main reasons. One of the reasons, according to Needham, is that “70% of bets across all sports are placed in unregulated markets with bookmakers who aren’t licensed.” They also stated that they felt it was preferable to permit betting sponsorships “thoughtfully, carefully, and with the right protections” rather than to watch as integrity and fan risks are ignored. According to reports, League of Legends and VALORANT eSports, the competitive aspects of the game, have seen over US$10.7 billion in global wagers.

The second reason was eSports’ financial prospects and the instant advantages of gambling sponsorships. The global eSports market is expected to reach US$2.2 billion by 2025, with betting sponsors accounting for almost 25% of total eSports sponsorship revenue in some areas earlier in June.

Guidelines for Betting Sponsors

Riot has established guidelines for potential sponsors as betting is now available on its well-known titles.

Every sponsor, even if it’s one of the reputable eSports bookies, must use data from GRID, a third-party eSports data provider, and will go through a rigorous screening procedure. Riot added that it would put in place a number of “guardrails”. To guard against malicious intervention, teams must create, maintain, and enforce integrity rules. For prop bettors, this might be, for instance, a player receiving fewer in-game kills than they are capable of.

Official league-sponsored broadcasts won’t feature sports betting advertisements, and teams aren’t permitted to wear sportsbook symbols on their uniforms.