Main PageRiot to Allow Betting Sponsorships on Professional League of Legends and Valorant Competitions
A risky decision.
Riot Games has announced the introduction of betting sponsorships in the tier 1 of League of Legends and Valorant esports.
John Needham, Riot's Head of Publishing and Esports, justified this move by explaining that the inclusion of betting aligns with Riot's goal of creating "a sustainable ecosystem" for its games.
The executive revealed that teams have been for the consideration of bookmaker sponsorships for years. This of sponsorship will be permitted in Europe, America, the Middle, and Africa, with no current plans to extend it to other regions.
Needham acknowledged that "sports betting is not for everyone, and some fans hold strong opinions against it, which we respect. However, the reality is that betting activity already exists around our sports and will persist regardless of our involvement."
Previously, Riot had categorized betting as a restricted sponsorship area and refrained from engaging with betting companies. After years of analysis to ensure a well-considered approach, Riot has decided to open this sponsorship category to provide teams with additional revenue opportunities to Sportradar, League of Legends esports generates over $10.7 billion in betting activity with 70% of these bets placed on unregulated platforms. Riot's objective is to bring such betting activities under their oversight.
Interestingly, Riot's decision to allow betting sponsorships comes in the wake of controversy in the Valorant Tier 2 scene, where Sean Gares, CEO of the Shopify Rebels esports team, released a video highlighting instances of match-fixing.
Needham assured that Riot would thoroughly vet betting-related partners, conduct integrity checks on teams, and ensure that such sponsorships contribute to maintaining the competitive integrity of their games.
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