Riot Games has announced that starting in 2025, partner teams in the League of Legends Esports and VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) circuits in the Americas and EMEA regions will be able to partner with sports betting platforms licensed and approved by Riot.
This change represents a shift from Riot's historical stance, which until then prohibited any sponsorship linked to betting.
John Needham, Riot's president of eSports, highlighted, when taking the measure: “According to Sportradar, the global betting volume involving only LoL and VCT eSports reached US$ 10.7 billion in 2024”. He pointed out a problem: 70% of bets on all sports are made on irregular markets with unlicensed bookmakers.”
For this reason, Riot’s careful approach in opening sports betting for LoL and VCT.
How it will work
1. Prior approval: All interested bookmakers must undergo a rigorous evaluation process by Riot, which includes regulatory compliance, integrity and transparency checks.
2. Visual restrictions: Sponsorships will be prohibited from appearing on official Riot channels — such as broadcasts, social media and team uniforms ([strafe.com][1]).
3. Careful implementation: According to Riot, the decision was made after meticulous planning and studies. The focus will be on opening new revenue streams without compromising the integrity of the competitions or the fan experience.
Motivations and impacts
* New revenue streams: The goal is to strengthen the financial health of partner organizations, allowing for better investments in players, infrastructure and operations.
* Preserving integrity: Riot emphasizes that it is aware of risks such as match-fixing and excessive exposure to bets — hence the rigorous selection of partners and restrictive measures.
* Balance: although they accept sponsorships, Riot remains reticent about visibility – adopting a pilot-testing stance to assess the effects before expanding or adjusting the policy.
The article by John Needham, president of eSports at Riot Games, can be read here.
Source: GMB
