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Riot Games greenlights betting sponsors for LoL, VCT teams

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Riot Games plans to allow certain betting companies to become sponsors for teams participating in League of Legends and VALORANT competitions; however, there are some conditions that must be met.

In contrast to organizers such as BLAST, Riot Games has consistently refused to entertain gambling or betting sponsors. Previously, their presence went unrecognized, and even talent members faced penalties for involvement within the related scene.

Riot Games, developers of League of Legends and VALORANT, have announced a change in direction. They’ve decided to permit betting sponsorships for their premier esports competitions in both games. The company explained their reasoning and detailed the measures they are implementing to safeguard viewer interests while ensuring the leagues remain viable.

The news originated directly from John Needham, who holds the position of President for both Publishing and Esports at Riot Games.

Betting sponsorships for League of Legends and VALORANT teams

Initially, Riot Games has announced that it will only permit top-tier League of Legends (LoL) and VCT teams from the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions to enter into betting partnerships. At present, lower tier teams are not eligible for these deals (so don’t expect teams like Los Ratones to secure a betting sponsor anytime soon). However, this doesn’t mean that these teams won’t benefit somehow; further details will be discussed later on.

Needham admitted that fans might hold firm views on sports wagering, but he also appreciates these perspectives. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to recognize that betting activities are prevalent within our sports scene, and their presence persists regardless of our involvement. In fact, last year, the combined betting turnover for League of Legends Esports and VCT, as reported by Sportradar, amounted to a staggering $10.7 billion. Rather than allowing unregulated markets and bookmakers to thrive, Riot believes it’s wiser to collaborate with them more formally.

It seems more prudent to embrace betting sponsorships cautiously, ensuring due diligence and appropriate safeguards, rather than standing idly by as potential risks to spectators and ethics escalate.

John Needham, President of Publishing & Esports at Riot Games

According to Needham, partner teams are asking for permission to receive backing from gambling companies in order to boost their financial stability. However, it’s crucial to note that Riot plans to implement stringent safeguards to maintain the honesty and fairness of the league, encompassing both teams and fans.

He emphasized that any betting partners potentially working with Riot would be thoroughly inspected before being given approval, as it’s crucial for them to maintain a high level of vigilance towards all betting companies seeking association with their sports teams.

The future of betting on Riot esports

Riot is maintaining a long-term collaboration with GRID, a reliable, real-time sports data supplier for esports. To ensure uniformity, honesty, and responsibility in their betting operations, they intend to make it compulsory for all their partners to utilize GRID.

Beyond this, Riot Games is committed to enhancing the viewer’s enjoyment. To achieve this, all Riot-managed broadcasts will be devoid of betting elements: no advertisements, no sponsored betting segments, and no betting partner logos on team uniforms. Interestingly, they have already demonstrated their ability to execute this with their collaboration with the cryptocurrency platform Coinbase—not a single Coinbase or crypto-related branding can be found in any of the Riot broadcasts.

Organizations must develop and adhere to their own Internal Integrity Policy, ensuring that their betting partners align with their brand image. Riot Games allows teams flexibility in presenting betting-related content, however, it should comply with Riot’s sponsorship policies, terms, and regional laws.

What about Tier 2 teams?

In simpler terms, the lower-tier competitive scenes for League of Legends (LoL) and VALORANT remain vibrant. Therefore, a key foundation in Riot’s strategy regarding sponsorship related to betting is to foster the development of these lower-tier esports communities.

At this stage, players can expect larger cash prizes, an increase in tournament opportunities, enhancements to the fairness assurance, and broadened training facilities.

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2025-06-27 18:41

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