Riot Games has announced it will open betting sponsorship opportunities for Tier 1 League of Legends (LoL) and VALORANT teams in the Americas and EMEA regions. The decision marks a significant shift in the publisher’s longstanding policy against sports betting partnerships.
The update was shared by John Needham, President of Publishing & Esports at Riot Games, who emphasised the goal of creating a sustainable esports ecosystem. He cited rising global interest in esports betting — with a reported $10.7 billion in global betting turnover on LoL Esports and VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) matches in 2024, according to Sportradar — as a key factor behind the move. A report by Oddin.gg also shown how fertile this ground has been for the betting sector.
Needham acknowledged concerns around betting in esports but argued that it is “better to engage… thoughtfully, carefully, and with the right protections — than to sit on the sidelines while risks to fans and integrity go unchecked.”
Riot’s framework introduces several measures designed to mitigate risk and reinforce integrity across its esports properties:
– Strict vetting of partners: All prospective betting sponsors must undergo a vetting and approval process conducted by Riot.
– Use of official data via GRID: Riot requires all betting partners to use official data through its existing global partnership with GRID, which began in 2023. This is intended to combat unregulated markets and ensure data integrity.
– Mandatory team integrity programmes: Teams entering betting sponsorships must develop internal integrity programmes aligned with Riot’s standards. These include policies around competitive integrity, player protection, responsible betting, and audience safeguarding.
– No in-broadcast betting promotions: Riot has confirmed that its official broadcasts and social media channels will remain free of betting advertisements. This includes a ban on betting sponsor logos on team jerseys during Riot-owned events. Betting-related content will be left to team discretion, within platform terms of service and local laws.
– Revenue Support for Tier 2 Ecosystem: While the betting sponsorship programme is currently limited to Tier 1 teams, Riot has committed to reinvesting a portion of its revenue from the initiative into its Tier 2 ecosystem. This includes increased prize pools, new tournaments, integrity system improvements, and education programmes for up-and-coming players and tournament organisers.
Needham reiterated Riot’s long-term commitment to esports, stating that the company is prepared to make adjustments to the programme as needed. “We believe that showing up in this space — responsibly — is better than letting others define it for us,” he said.
The betting sponsorship programme will begin implementation with Tier 1 teams in the Americas and EMEA, with Riot continuing to oversee and evolve the initiative in line with its goals of integrity, fan protection, and ecosystem sustainability.
Riot has its reasons to have a cautious approach to betting. In 2024, the company had to deal with a massive scandal at the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS), resulting in 32 suspended players and coaches for match-fixing plus a whole League of Legends split delayed in the region.
