A Landmark Shift for Esports Sponsorship
Tier 1 League of Legends and VALORANT teams can now sponsor betting through Riot Games. This is a big change for esports.
Riot Games is now letting Tier 1 League of Legends and VALORANT teams in the Americas and EMEA get sponsorships for sports betting. This is a big change from how the company has been making money from esports for a long time.
John Needham, Riot’s President of Publishing & Esports, made the announcement on June 26, 2025. The goal of the move is to set up strong integrity measures to keep the competitive ecosystem going while also giving esports organizations new ways to make money.
Needham wrote on the company’s blog, “At Riot, we’ve always thought that investing in a sustainable ecosystem is the best way to build the future of esports.” not just for today, but for a long time. “That’s why we’re focused on helping the players, teams, and fans who make it all happen.”
Riot Finally Lets People Bet on Esports After Years of Being Careful
Riot’s sponsorship policy said that sports betting was not allowed for years because it could hurt the integrity of the competition and the fact that most of its fans were young. But the fact that more people are getting involved, both legally and illegally, has made us rethink our position.
“Teams have asked us to rethink our position, and after years of research to make sure we were right, we agreed it was time to open up this category to make more money,” Needham said.
Sportradar says that the total amount of money bet on LoL Esports and VCT around the world was $10.7 billion in 2024, and an estimated 70% of that happened in markets that weren’t regulated. Riot thinks that being responsible is better than just ignoring the problem.
“We think it’s better to allow betting sponsorships—thoughtfully, carefully, and with the right protections—than to sit on the sidelines while fans and integrity are at risk.”
Riot’s Integrity Measures: “Not a Free-for-All”
To make sure that competition is fair and to reduce the chance of harm, Riot is putting in place a very structured betting sponsorship framework:
- Riot must check out and approve all betting partners.
- Partners will only be able to use official data from GRID, Riot’s esports data provider.
- Teams must set up an Internal Integrity Program that includes making policies, keeping an eye on things, and teaching people how to bet responsibly.
- Broadcasts, social media channels, and jerseys will remain betting-free.
“Integrity isn’t something Riot can uphold alone,” Needham said. “It’s a shared responsibility across the entire ecosystem.”
Riot Vows to Keep Betting Ads Off Broadcasts
To protect the fan experience, Riot emphasized that official broadcasts and esports content channels will remain untouched by sports betting promotion.
“No ads, no sponsored segments, no betting logos on jerseys,” the company clarified. Each team will manage how their betting sponsors appear — if at all — within Riot’s guidelines, platform terms of service, and local laws.
“The last thing we want to do is disrupt LoL Esports and VCT broadcasts with an influx of sports betting ads,” Needham said.
Reactions from the Community: Mixed, but Loud
Riot’s decision has sparked a wide range of opinions across the esports community — from fierce opposition to cautious optimism.
Some fans are deeply critical, citing concerns about promoting gambling to younger audiences and linking the move to recent match-fixing allegations in VALORANT’s Tier 2 scene.
“Crazy that we are getting an article about allowing gambling in Tier 1 LoL and VAL when we just had the bomb thrown on us about the potential of match-fixing related to gambling in the Tier 2 scene,” one user wrote. “How is this gonna be any different besides more money?”
Others see the decision as a pragmatic and necessary response to esports’ ongoing financial struggles.
“Hot take but if you guys like LoL esports then you should be happy about this,” one fan said. “Every esport has incorporated betting except LoL, and guess what esport is losing money fastest… LoL esports.”
Industry Insight: A Needed Revenue Lifeline?
From an industry perspective, it’s hard to ignore the financial pressure that organizations are facing — especially post-pandemic. Many top-tier orgs have downsized, dropped rosters, or exited certain titles entirely due to declining viewership and shrinking margins.
“Personally, I’m not into gambling, but I see the rationale behind Riot’s calculated and tightly controlled approach here,” the author added. “Only a handful of esports orgs are financially sustainable right now. If betting sponsorships can help stabilize the scene, Riot’s blueprint is probably the safest way to do it.”
