Riot Gambling Sponsorship Policy: What It Means for LoL eSports Integrity

By LOLValue Team · September 22, 2025

Riot Games has come out with one of the most important shifts in their marketing policy, and one that will affect the whole industry in the years to come.  The company will allow the teams competing in Tier 1 League of Legends and Valorant leagues in the Americas and EMEA to be sponsored by gambling companies.

In this article, we'll explain why this policy is important for the eSports industry and how it will affect not only LoL players, but also eSports and online gambling in general.

Changing Gambling Landscape

Online gambling has been experiencing a boom for a few years now.  There's a growing number of online gambling sites, sports betting sites, and crash sites that allow for easy, safe, and anonymous wagers from players based all over the world.  This is very much facilitated by growth in crypto acceptance.

eSports game providers have had an official position on sponsorships coming from gambling sites, which have grown into multibillion-dollar businesses.  Riot Games, a company behind LoL, had a very strict stance, and it didn't allow teams playing LoL to accept such sponsors.

What Caused the Change?

Experts, such as those from Cryptomaniaks, claim that Riot Games has decided to reverse its position because market forces have become overwhelming.  Gambling itself became a common practice, gambling sites became huge businesses, and other production companies allowed such sponsorship.  This put Riot Games at a disadvantage compared to its main competitors.

According to industry reports, in 2024, players placed as much as $10 billion in eSports wagers.  eSports were a niche market just a few years ago, but they experienced significant growth during the pandemic and have continued to expand ever since.  These mainstream efforts to include eSports and betting prove that the public attitude towards it has changed.

The New Policy: Key Safeguards

Riot Games has also introduced a comprehensive policy that provides safeguards for players and online bettors.  The argument they made was that it would be safer to allow such a partnership under their supervision and with the proper safeguards put in place.  These include:

Strict Vetting of Partners

Teams won't be able to sign deals with just any betting site.  The deal will need to be approved by Riot Games, in accordance with the company's established transparency, licensing, and ethical practice norms.  Only the betting companies working in accordance with this rule will be eligible.

Use of Official Data

Approved partners will have to use the data from the GRID, which is Riot's trusted data provider.  That way, betting odds will be based on accurate and up-to-date information.  The practice will shut down shady platforms with manipulative odds.

Team Integrity Programs

Teams that are accepted for betting sponsorships will have to establish their own integrity programs.  These need to include education for both the staff and the players.  They also need to monitor suspicious activities and evaluate their practices on a regular basis.

No Betting Ads

Riot has established a strict policy regarding betting ads during their streaming sessions.  There will be no such ads from the sponsors regardless of their relationship with the teams being broadcast.  The same goes for the use of logos on jerseys or in-game overlays.  Sponsorships are limited to activities run by the teams.

Reinvesting Revenue

Riot also pledges to reinvest a part of the revenue made from the sponsorship in Tier 2 leagues. The funds will be used to support prize pools, events, and integrity programs in competitions that otherwise can't get the funds they need.

Risk and Criticism

There are already some criticisms expressed towards the decision by both fans and industry experts.  Some claim that most fans of eSports are young and impressionable and that sponsorships such as these would expose them to online betting early on.  Others believe that there is a greater risk of rigging games in eSports, and that large online betting companies possess the necessary resources to do so.

The community has expressed these opinions online, on forums, and on social media, and as is often the case, the feelings are mixed, with some users taking the side of Riot Games.

To Sum Up

Riot Games has changed its policy on sponsorships coming from online gambling companies.  They are now allowed, but in accordance with somewhat strict guidelines that Riot Games has set up.  The online gambling market is growing, and it has become commonplace to make wagers on eSports events.  These companies will now be allowed to sponsor LoL teams.

Some have stated their concerns about this development, mostly because young fans follow eSports, and it may be too early to expose them to online gambling.  However, everyone agrees that it shows how popular online gambling is and how widely it's accepted.

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