Riot Games, one of the biggest esports game developers, has switched its stance on gambling deals. The Santa Monica-based American company will allow teams in League of Legends and Valorant to advertise betting companies, of course with rules. (More Sports News)
Announcing the company's policy shift regarding gambling sponsors, Whalen Rozelle, the Chief Operating Officer, wrote in a social media post: "Hey all - saw some chatter about policies with teams and betting platforms these past few days, and thought some context could be helpful."
"A few weeks ago, we told partnered LoL Esports and VCT teams in Americas and EMEA that starting in 2025, they’ll be allowed to explore partnerships with Riot-approved betting platforms," the 42-year-old added. "This decision wasn’t made lightly—it라이브 바카라 the result of careful study and planning to settle on a move that will unlock new revenue opportunities for teams while also protecting competitive integrity and the overall fan experience."
Established in 2006, Riot Games was partly acquired by Tencent in 2011 and became a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate in 2015. Riot continues to run League of Legends esports leagues and the Valorant Champions Tour.
Rozelle joined Riot Games as Director of Esports in 2012 and he is now responsible for the execution and development of sustainable business practices across each of the company's esports products. According to Riot Games, Rozelle also "provides high-level management, strategic guidance, and mentorship to a diverse global team including regional leagues and product leaders."
The new sponsorship policy, which takes effect in 2025, applies to Riot Games' partnered teams in the Americas and EMEA regions only and has put in well-defined restrictions.
While sharing the company's new stand, Rozelle highlighted that "Riot-owned channels will stay betting-free. No betting brands will appear on our broadcasts, socials, or jerseys" and they "will vet all potential betting partners to meet our standards for integrity, transparency, and fan engagement. All sports books partnering with teams will need to meet local regulatory and licensing requirements and match Riot requirements around content and promotion for this category."
Rozelle added that they "will make changes if at any point this compromises the integrity of the sport or impacts the high-quality experience our fans have today. Depending on how this initial implementation goes, we’ll evaluate opportunities to expand—or refine—our approach in the future."
It's believed that the introduction of betting sponsorships will offer long-term financial benefits to esports teams, including an increase in revenue streams, competitive salaries, and exposure. But this move also presents several significant challenges, linked with regulatory compliance and other ethical concerns.
Meanwhile, Riot Games will have its first international League of Legends event of 2025 in Seoul, South Korea from 10 to 16 March 16th -- a first-ever edition of First Stand featuring five teams. It will be followed by the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in Vancouver, Canada and the 2025 World Championship in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu).
What is League of Legends
Released in October 2009, League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) with two teams of players fighting. The main objective of the game is to destroy the opponent team's main structure. Now a free-to-play game, it became a medal event at the Asian Games 2023.
What is Valorant
Valorant is a first-person tactical shooter (FPS) game. The primary objective of the game is to win a combined total of at least 13 rounds as either attackers or defenders -- teams consisting of five players each. This free-to-play game was launched in June 2020.
