Riot Games Will Allow eSports Betting Partnerships for League of Legends and Valorant

Last week, Riot Games announced they were opening esports betting sponsorship opportunities for their Tier 1 League of Legends and Valorant teams. In his statement, President of Publishing & Esports John Needham describes the decision as “investing in a sustainable ecosystem.” Much like how microtransactions fuel Riot’s free-to-play games, esports betting companies will prop up Riot’s free-to-watch tournaments.
In 2024, the global betting market for Riot’s competitive games was $10.7 billion. “But here’s the problem,” Needham writes: “70% of bets across all sports are placed in unregulated markets with bookmakers who aren’t licensed.” In other words, the problem is not that esports spectators exhibit signs of potential gambling addiction, but that Riot isn’t cashing in on it.