One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
The Dota Pro Circuit is in full flow. The next big tournament in this seasonal circuit is the PGL Arlington Major. Texas is the location, Esports Stadium Arlington is the venue of choice, and seventeen brilliant Dota 2 teams will be eyeing their chances here.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
League of Legends (also known as League or LoL) has taken the world by storm in the last few years. With that, many bookmakers have taken this boom in LoL esports as an opportunity to provide a plethora of betting options for dedicated fans to win big on their favourite LoL teams. To give you an idea, in this guide will take you through the different LoL esports betting options, the different ways odds are displayed, the basics of the game, and some crucial LoL betting tips.
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You’re ready. You know how to bet on League of Legends and have read the best LoL betting tips there is. Here’s a list of esports betting sites to choose from:
BetOnline.ag offers an impressive range of LoL betting markets to choose from, making your time with them exciting and rewarding. They also gift new customers with 50% welcome bonuses as well as a 100% Bitcoin bonus. Accessible from your laptop, PC, and mobile, BetOnline.ag have been LoL betting as easy as possible so all you have to do is focus on which odds and betting market you are going to choose. Check out our detailed BetOnline.ag esports review.
Betway is a reputable bookmaker that gives you an awesome €30 welcome bet, a ton of esports betting options, and helpful customer support. Although they do not offer live stream options, you can place Leaugue of Legends live betting wagers. This is not offered by all bookmakers so if you are a seasoned esports bettor and want to spice it up, Betway could be a great site for you. We go into more detail about this in our Betway esports review.
1xBet is considered one of the top esports bookmakers due to their variety of esports betting markets and competitive odds. Not to mention, they offer a generous welcome bonus and a whopping 84 payment options to choose from, These offerings make it as easy as possible to place your wagers in any way you want. Read our full 1xBet esports review.
GG.BET has been granted their license from the Malta Gaming Authority and is known for being a safe option to place LoL bets with. The odds are competitive, they offer live streaming, and they give you many different deposit and withdrawal options to choose from. GG.BET also offers a generous welcome bonus for new customers. Our GG.BET esports review goes into more detail.
EGB is one of the largest esports specialised betting sites that offers a wide overage of esports titles and tournaments, promotions around specific esports events, and a strong esports betting community presence. However, EGB does not offer real money betting in the US, UK, and Singapore, and the website needs work. Nonetheless this a great choice if you are looking to utilise promotions and welcome bonuses. Head over to our EGB esports review to read more.
Pinnacle provides a sleek and user-friendly interface that gives you an array of betting options. If you’re looking for the standard esports betting experience, Pinnacle is a great choice and the longevity of their business speaks for itself. Check out our detailed Pinnacle esports review.
Although there are a range of esports specific betting sites, bet365 has managed to maneuver well from traditional sports into the esports betting space. They offer great odds, a range of different markets, and a lot of tournaments to bet on. They have proven themselves as a trusted bookmaker and have adapted well when it comes to esports betting, making them one of the best choices for those starting out as well as those who are experienced. We’ve written more about them in our bet365 betting on LoL review.
Mybookie.ag offers a bright and easy-to-use interface that gives you the chance to take advantage of their generous odds and esports betting bonuses when betting on LoL. They provide a plethora of betting options and customer support. Take a look at our full Mybookie.ag esports review.
League of Legends is a complicated game and you need direction when betting on the esport. Because there are a lot you need to know about the game itself, the teams that compete in the plethora of tournaments Riot Games organise, and the sheer amount of LoL betting markets available, here are the best tips we can give you to get you ready for your LoL betting journey!
League of Legends is a complex MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) with many moving parts. It takes a while to not only understand the structure of the game, but also the different champions, what they do/the role they play, and the different strategies you can use to win.
It is vital that you have, at least, a concrete understanding of the game’s objective, the classes, and some of the most popular champions that are played. You can do this without playing the game by watching tutorials on YouTube from League of Legends’ YouTube channel and creators such as ProGuides Challenger League of Legends Guides and Skill Capped Challenger LoL Guides who specialise in teaching viewers.
Downloading League of Legends and having a play yourself will also help you understand how team fights work, how some of the champions are played, and give you a general feel of what a winning and losing fight/match looks like.
Whether you have decided to play or are merely watching YouTube videos to solidify your understanding of League of Legends, it is particularly important to make note and understand the different metas. Meta is any strategy or method that is considered particularly favoured at the time which is used by the general population of the game. Meta in League of Legends changes as Riot Games patches heroes so it is wise that you keep checking on patch notes and Reddit forums to stay informed. Mobalytics publishes patch note breakdowns which will help you understand what these changes mean for the meta.
In order to do well in LoL esports betting, you need to have a solid understanding of not only the different tournaments that Riot Games offers for the game, but also how these tournaments are structured.
Liquipedia is a great tool for those trying to learn and keep up to date with past tournaments, teams, and players as it gives comprehensive information on all regional events and of course, LoL Worlds. The site is categorised by upcoming, ongoing, and completed matches, as well as sections that delve into players, teams, transfers, statistics, and schedules.
It is better to know a few teams to a high degree than focusing on many teams and tournaments. Honing your focus on a specific tournament and selecting a few teams to focus on will allow you to really understand their strengths and weaknesses, their match styles, how well they do against the other teams, and how well they do generally.
Worlds, LEC, LCS, and LPL are the most popular tournaments for LoL esports so it is worth taking a look at these events and starting your research from there. The better your understanding is on how these tournaments are structured and the top teams within each of these tournaments, the more specific you can make your wagers, leading to hopefully greater returns.
As well as deciding which teams you want to focus your research on, it is great to follow these teams and the players involved. You can do this in a number of ways. Firstly, we’d suggest you follow @lolesports on Twitter for all the latest news. More so, following a team and its players on Twitch is vital as you can watch them play the game constantly and get a real feel for their playstyle.
Here’s a list of a few streamers that you can check out on Twitch:
Have a watch and keep a close eye on how they play, who their main champions are, and which champions they experiment with. This will aid you greatly if they decide to play out of the ordinary during a match and you can capitalise on that by placing futures and prop bets wagers.
See our extensive list of the best LoL Streamers here. We have also a separate article titled simply “Where to watch LoL“, don't miss out on it!
Odds in the esports betting world is a way of presenting implied probability which determines the likelihood of the end betting result. There are a number of ways that odds are presented, depending on which region you are betting from. The major leagues, notably the LCS, LEC, LCK, and LPL, have a greater audience and thus has more betting markets and better opportunities available for bettors.
We will cover fractional odds, decimal odds, and moneyline odds so you can get a solid and comprehensive understanding of exactly how each odd type expresses probability.
Fractional odds are generally used by bookmakers offering UK based sports and esports markets. These types of betting predictions are relatively simple to read and once you understand how to calculate it, are super easy to comprehend.
The fractions in these types of bets display two things: the favourite and the underdog. To figure out which team the bookmaker believes is the favourite and which team is the underdog, you simply have to take a look at the numbers presented. If the number of the right is greater than the one of the left, that means that team is considered the favourite and is more likely to win. In contrast, if the number on the right is smaller than the number on the left then that means the bookmaker believes the team is the underdog.
Let's look at an example of how these odds are presented and how to work out your chance of winning:
Odds: G2 Esports to win against Fnatic
1/7 – this means the bookmaker believes G2 Esports has a 87.5% chance of winning against Fnatic.
To calculate this fraction into a percentage, we did: 7/(7+1)* 100% = 87.5%
To figure out the payout of this example, you need to look at the left and right number. The left number indicates the amount you will receive if the team wins and the right number shows how much money you would need to wager.
So, 1/7 means that for each £7 you put into your wager, you will only receive £1 if they win. As you can see, these odds are not great and are pretty pointless due to the overwhelming consensus that G2 will win.
More worthwhile fractional odds look something like this:
15/1 – For each £1 you bet, you win £15 = £14 profit
50/20 – For each £20 you bet, you win £50 = £30 profit
6/1 – For each £1 you bet, you win £6 = £5 profit
Understanding how payouts work with fractional odds is vital because it gives you the chance to properly weigh up the risks against potential profits.
Decimal odds are gradually taking over fractional odds in the UK so it is really important to know how to read these too. Although this type of odds combines your stake and winnings, its presentation is a lot clearer and allows you to quickly figure out if you want to place a specific wager or not.
To calculate the potential outcome of a specific wager with decimal odds, all you will need to do is divide it by 100%. Alternatively, you can look at the decimal odd itself and the higher the decimal is, the less chance you have to win.
Example calculations of decimal odds into percentages:
1.75: 100% / 1.65 = 60.6% chance of winning
3.25: 100% / 3.25 = 30.76% chance of winning
5.6: 100% / 5.6 = 17.85% chance of winning
Knowing the percentage of a decimal wagers means you can determine how much payout you will receive from your wager. To do this, you will need to multiply your wager amount by the decimal odds you have placed that wager on.
Example payouts on a 3.25 lol decimal odds:
£5: £5 x 3.25 = £4.55
£20: £20 x 3.25 = £65
£30: £30 x 3.25 = £97.5
£50: £50 x 3.25 = £162.5
£100: £100 x 3.25 = £325
Note that these calculations combine your wager and your winnings. To figure out your winnings, simply minus your wager from the total payout.
Moneyline odds are the way betting predictions are presented in the US. These bets are presented in respect to -100 and changes based on the probability that a team will win or lose a series. The minus sign (-) indicates the favoured side and the plus sign (+) highlights the underdog. These symbols also highlight how much you will win if you bet $100 (+) and how much you will need to bet to get $100 (+).
How these LoL odds would look like:
G2 Esports -175
Vs
Fnatic + 250
G2 Esports has a minus (-) attached to it and Fnatic has a positive (+) attached to it, meaning that they are the favourites and underdogs respectively. This means if you are counting on G2 Esports to win, you will need to wager $150 dollars to win $100 and if you think Fnatic will win and wager $100, you will net a profit of $250.
We’ve formulated an easy to use calculations for you to keep and use when placing bets with moneyline odds:
Positive moneyline odds: Stake * (Odds /100) = Your winnings
Negative moneyline odds: Stake / (Odds / 100) = Your winnings
Because League of Legends and other esports titles are similar to traditional sports in format, competitiveness, and nature, odds do change over time. We advise you to place bets far in advance of an event as possible (if you are placing wagers that do not require live betting options), even if a change within a team can happen and affect that early bet. As long as you have researched the team and event you are placing your bet on, you will minimise the risk greatly.
As mentioned above, we strongly believe doing solid research and picking a few select teams to bet on is the best way to go to give you the best outcome possible. The same way you would not bet on a sports team you have never followed or know anything about, you should not do this for LoL betting. The more you know about the gaming genre and the esports title, the less risk you have in a wager falling flat and the more advanced betting markets you can have fun with.
League of Legends odds differ from sportsbook to sportsbook and it is good to have a search at what each one offers. Because esports is relatively new, betting sites are still trying to figure out how to use that information to set their odds. Note that some bookmakers have better odds than others when it comes to esports titles because they are trying to entice a new crowd to their site, making this a great opportunity to utilise their promotional offerings to get maximum value from your wager.
You can bet on League of Legends tournaments in a number of ways. From moneyline wagers, to handicap, totals, prop bets and futures. Each LoL betting market depends on how much knowledge you have on League of Legends itself as well as how familiar you are with the esports scene. You can learn more about different types of esports bets in our esports betting academy.
Don’t worry, we will take you through what type of knowledge each betting type requires and help you figure out which kind is the best market for you.
Moneyline bets are by far the easiest and most basic League of Legends bets you can place for League of Legends. All you have to do to bet on this type of wager is choose one side to win the round or match. Because there is one clear winner with this type of wager, it holds far less risk than totals, prop bets and futures.
This type of betting on LoL esports is an excellent choice if you are new to LoL betting sites and want a basic and easy to understand wager option.
Handicap or spread bets are pretty similar to a point spread in traditional sports betting. These kinds of LoL bets even out the odds when there is a clear favourite in the matchup, giving you the opportunity to bet on either team by “taking away” points from the favourite and “giving” them to the underdog.
To place a handicap/spread bet, you will need to redirect your focus from which team will win the match and focus on how many games you think they will win by. For a best of three series, the spreads on offer are either -1.5 (indicating the favourite will lose by 2 LoL matches) or +1.5 (meaning you believe the series will go 2-1 or the underdogs will win outright).
This type of LoL wager means that you can bet and cash out on the underdog even if they only win one round of the match, making it a safer choice than moneyline bets if you want to place your hedges on the underdog. Alternatively, it is slightly riskier if you are placing your bets on the favourite as they will need a clean 2-0 sweep for your wager to count as a win.
Totals, also known as map bets, are similar to moneyline options. However, this betting type focuses more on how many total matches will take place instead of who will win the whole series. For a totals bet, you will need to wager on an individual match instead of wagering on the outcome of the entire series, whether that be best of three or five rounds.
This type of bet is live and is generally listed under the live bets section. You are able to watch a match live and place your bets on how the remainder of the series will play out based on how the series starts off. For example, if you are watching a best of three match between G2 and Fnatic in an LEC event and Fnatic win the first game of the series, you can either choose to bet on G2 to play better and win the consequent next two games or bet on Fnatic to win the second round and finish on a clean 2-0 sweep.
Note that in pre-match the favourites will be less favourites on these types of bets. As an example, if G2 was -500 to win the series against Fnatic, their odds on a totals bet would be presented as roughly -350.
Prop bets are always a fun way to spice things up for experienced LoL bettors. These betting options give you the chance to place wagers on what you think will happen during each game and is not only an interesting way to bet on LoL games but can also give you a huge payout.
It is important to note that prop bets can be difficult to predict so make sure you have done your research on what they mean and know both teams’ general strengths and weaknesses to accurately predict what is likely to happen within the series.
To summarise, here’s a list of prop bets you can place in LoL betting markets:
In-game LoL objectives bets
Number of kills bets
Futures bets are simple because all you have to do is predict which team will be the overall winner of the specified LoL competition. You can place these bets on regional events (LEC, LCS, LCK, LPL, etc.) and the League of Legends World Championships (Worlds). This LoL wager option can also be presented as questions rather than picks. For example, the propositions could be “Will Misfits Gaming reach the LEC Semi-Finals?” or “Will Echo Fox make the Playoffs?”.
Timing and knowledge of League of Legends and LoL esports is essential when placing bets on futures. Because odds are generally favourable when they are first released, it is best to wait it out until odds are updated according to relevant events information that becomes available when the teams perform. However, the key to success with futures betting is striking at the right time. Place your bets when you have enough information to make an informed bet but also take advantage of the longer odds and you will likely get a great payout if successful.
Thinking of betting while streaming? Then perhaps live betting can be your pastime that puts two and two together. What makes live betting different from your standard bets? With pre-match betting, the odds rarely change. But with live betting, how the game plays out drastically changes the betting odds as time goes on.
Live betting is dynamic and if you know how to pick up on clues that will help you predict the game’s outcome, the odds are well off in your favor. For example, if Fnatic are at a deficit in the early game against G2 Esports but have a scaling composition, predicting the comeback can be an easy way to win against the odds. But, this means that you have to pay close attention to how the game goes and track it in real-time. With the game unfolding right in front of you, you have the data to make sure your predictions are on-point. But of course, that means you’ve put in the time to research the playstyle and nature of the teams you’re betting on beforehand. Are they known for throwing their leads or can they snowball their advantages from the early game?
Live betting helps you improve at predicting game outcomes based on the current game state and not to mention, it’s just way funner! If you’re an avid follower of League’s competitive scene, live betting is a serious yet fun way for you to test your skills and earn while you’re at it. For those who want to take the trade seriously, you can check out player and team stats on Oracle’s Elixir and Games of Legends and make informed decisions on your bets.
You can make the same wagers in live betting that pre-match betting offers such as match lines, kill scores, and objectives taken. To start live betting, head on over to the in-play or live section of your preferred bookmaker and choose a game to bet on. Make sure to be logged in your preferred bookmaker to stream the game live as you’re betting. Just make sure you catch the games on-time by following the schedule on LoL Esports!
For betting in the 2021 season, you can place your League of Legends live streaming bets on bookmakers such as 1xbet, bet365, and dafabet. Also don't miss out our general guide to live esports betting here and more general one about esports streams.
League of Legends is one of the most popular esports titles in the world and Riot Games have developed a number of tournaments for you to bet on. Each competition involves professional esports players, with tournaments ranging from worldwide championships to regional rivalries. As these esports tournaments are sometimes intertwined, it is essential you understand the basics of the most popular ones. Let’s take a look at how the main tournaments are formatted and the benefits of betting on LoL’s various competitions.
The League of Legends World Championship (often abbreviated as LoL Worlds) takes place each year and includes the best teams from the LPL, LEC, LCK, LCS, PCS, CBLOL, TCL, LJL, LLA, OPL, and LCL. The teams compete for the Summoner’s Cup and a multi-million-dollar prize.
This is the most anticipated event of the year for League of Legends and Riot Games release League of Legends Worlds cinematics annually to create hype surrounding the tournament. The 2020 League of Legends World Championship racked up 139 million unique viewers, with the finals peaking at a 3.7 million viewership and a hefty $2.5 million prize pool.
Worlds features the best teams in LoL esports and splits them into two groups for the Play-In Stage. Each team will play in a single-match round robin format with the top team in each group automatically moving to the main event. The teams in second, third, and forth place advance to a knockout gauntlet stage and compete in a best-of-five format with the winner advancing to the main event:
The main event structures the teams in a seeded four groups of four format, with the groups completing a double round robin. The top two teams in each group will advance to the Knockout Stage, formatted as a single-elimination, best-of-five series. The winners progress while the losers go home.
Here are some of the top teams and players:
Top teams: Fnatic, Suning Gaming, JD Gaming, G2 Esports, Damwon Gaming, Top Esports
Top players: Caps – Mid laner for G2, Ruler – Bot laner for Gen.G, ShowMaker – Mid laner for Damwon Gaming, Chovy – Mid Laner for DRX, Karsa – Jungler for Top Esports, and Knight – Mid Laner for Top Esports.
By using this information, you can start researching which teams you would like to support regionally and on the grand stage of LoL Worlds. Keeping your support pool small will give you the opportunity to really understand the teams’ specificity, play styles, strengths, and weaknesses which will benefit you greatly when wagering in different LoL odds markets.
Read our comprehensive guide to LoL Worlds Betting here.
The Mid-Season Invitational (often shortened to MSI) is the second most important international League of Legends competition and for an esports bettor, it is recommended that you understand the structure of the event.
The tournament features the Spring Split champions from all regional competitions (LPL, LEC, LCK, LCS, PCS, CBLOL, TCL, LJL, LLA, OPL, and LCL) participating in a Play-In Stage. The eight-team event features a group stage with a single round-robin, each team playing a total of three games. The two top teams from Group A and Group B advance to the playoffs, semifinals, and finals.
The top region in the MSI are guaranteed a spot for the victor of their Summer Split champions in the Worlds Group Stage. More so, the top four regions in the MSI get a pool-1 spot in the Worlds Group Stage.
Read our comprehensive guide to LoL MSI Betting here.
The League of Legends regional competitions are important events that lead up to Worlds. It gives insight into how Worlds will play out, making it a vital event to watch out for as you will be able to factor in the strongest teams and players going into Worlds.
Each regional event and Worlds has numerous teams competing each year for the chance to be crowned champions and ultimately win the Summoner’s Cup.
Knowing the top players and teams in each regional event will aid you greatly so we’ve compiled a list of teams and players to look out for:
League of Legends European Championships (LEC) – 10 teams – EUROPE
The LEC is the regional competition for European based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: G2 Esports, Fnatic, Origen, MAD Lions, Misfits Gaming, and Rogue
Top players: Alphari – Top laner for Origen, Selfmade – Jungler for Fnatic, Larseen – Mid laner for Rogue, Patrik – Bot laner for Excel, and Caps – Mid laner for G2
Check our main article on LoL LEC Betting here.
League of Legends Pro League (LPL) – 17 teams – CHINA
The LPL is the regional competition for Chinese based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: Invictus Gaming, JD Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Top Esports, and eStar Gaming
Top players: Doinb – Mid laner for FunPlus Phoenix, Theshy – Top laner for Invictus Gaming, Rookie – Mid laner for Invictus Gaming, Knight9 – Mid laner for Topsports Gaming, and Tian – Jungler for FunPlus Phoenix
Read our guide to LoL LPL Betting here.
League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) – 10 teams – SOUTH KOREA
The LCK is the regional competition for South Korean based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: Gen.G, T1, DragonX, KT Rolster, DAMWON, and Afreeca Freecs.
Top players: Chovy – Mid laner for Griffin – Lehends – Support for Griffin, Clid – Jungler for T1, Flame – Top laner for DAMWON, and Key – Support for Hanwha Life Esports
Read our guide to LCK Betting here.
League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) – 10 teams – NORTH AMERICA
The LCS is the regional competition for North American based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: Team Liquid, Cloud9, 100 Thieves, TSM, FlyQuest, and Evil Geniuses
Top players: Bang – Bot laner for Evil Geniuses, Zven – Bot laner for Cloud9, Doublelift, Bot laner for TSM, CoreJJ – Support for Team Liquid, and Licorice – Top laner for Cloud9
Read our guide to LCS Betting here.
Pacific Championship Series (PCS) – 10 teams – TAIWAN, HONG KONG, MACAO, SOUTHEAST ASIA
The PCS is the regional competition for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asian based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: Machi Esports, ahq Esports Club, PSG Talon, Berjaya Dragons, and Alpha Esports
Top players: Hanabi – Top laner for PSG Talon, Maple – Mid laner for PSG Talon, Enso – Jungler for Berjaya Dragons, JimieN – Mid laner for Machi Esports, and WeiLun – Bot laner for Alpha esports
Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) – 8 teams – VIETNAM
The VCS is the regional competition for Vietnamese based LoL esports teams.
Top teams: GAM Esports, Team Flash, CERBERUS, Team Secret, and EVOS Esports
Top players: Artemis – Bot laner for CERBERUS, Bie – Support for GAM Esports, Zica – Top laner for Team Secret, and Artifact – Mid laner for Team Secret
League of Legends Continental League (LCL) – 8 teams – COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES
Top teams: Gambit Esports, Unicorns of Love, Vega Squadron, Elements Pro Gaming, and RoX
Top players: DREAMPYLLA – Top laner for Gambit Esports, BOSS – Top laner for Unicorns of Love, Nomanz – Mid laner for Unicorns of Love, and Soul – Jungler for RoX
Turkish Championship League (TCL) – 10 teams – TURKEY
Top teams: Istanbul Wildcats, Galakticos, SuperMassive Esports, 5 Ronin, and Dark Passage
Top players: StarScreen – Top laner for Istanbul Wildcats, Oncan – Top laner for 5 Ronin, Umut – Mid laner for 5 Ronin, and Ksaez – Mid laner for Dark Passage
Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL) – 8 teams – BRAZIL
Top teams: Flamengo Esports, FURIA Uppercut, KaBuM! e-Sports, and Prodigy Esports
Top players: Ranger – Jungler for Flamengo Esports and Anyyy – Mid laner for FURIA esports
Liga Latinoamérica (LLA) – 8 teams – LATIN AMERICA
Top teams: All Knights, Infinity Esports, Isurus, Rainbow7, and Anzules Esports
Top players: Straight – Top laner for All Knights, Seiya – Mid laner for Isurus, and Aloned – Mid laner for Rainbow7
League of Legends Japan League (LJL) – 8 teams – JAPAN
Top teams: V3 Esports, Sengoku Gaming, Crest Gaming Act, DetonatioN FocusMe, and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks gaming
Top players: Enty – Support for Sengoku Gaming and Dasher – Mid Laner for Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks gaming
Now that you know the types of betting markets available for LoL esports, the different tournaments you can bet on, and the way bettings odds are displayed, you are officially ready to start your LoL betting journey. A lot of bookmakers offer LoL betting options because of the sheer success of the esport title so you could say you are quite spoilt for choice. You are still probably wondering, how do I choose the right bookmaker for me? Don’t worry, we have you covered.
It is really important to do your research when deciding to use your hard working money on placing LoL bets. Read reviews, look for licences and regulations, check the foundation date, and most importantly only bet with sites who have really earned your trust.
Because even the smallest of margins can cost you, we recommend you to ensure that the site you are choosing offers the best possible odds. Have a browse through the most popular LoL betting operators and compare their odds on the same match to ensure you are getting the most generous offer. You can screenshot the formulas we have placed above to calculate moneyline, decimal and fractional odds.
You know a betting site is great when they offer a customer support option to their customers. Mistakes happen, and it is good to know that your chosen bookmaker will be there for you if technical hiccups occur. A bookie that offers an FAQ section, live chat, or even a phone line to help you out is always a good sign.
Because of the competitive nature of LoL betting, most sites offer deposit bonuses and promotions. So much so, some bookmakers are offering to double or even triple your deposit if you wager a certain amount. Some other sites are going even further and will offer you free bets which is a great way to learn how to bet on League of Legends. As most deposit bonuses are relative to the bookmaker in question, we suggest researching the betting sites mentioned below and to see which one offers the best deal. Be aware that you would need a select amount of bets placed before you can withdraw your winnings from promotions.
League of Legends (LoL) is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game that follows a format where two teams have to destroy the others’ main structure. The game has a wide variety of classes and champions, making it quite complex to understand.
That is why we will take you through the basics so you get a solid idea of exactly how to play the game, as well as the different play styles depending on the classes chosen.
Each player controls a character (also known as a Champion) with a set of unique abilities. These abilities are on a cooldown and are used to either engage or retreat from the enemy. The game involves two teams with five players each, and the main objective is to destroy the Nexus structure positioned in the opposing teams’ base.
The main game mode in League of Legends, and the only game mode played in LoL esports events, is Summoner’s Rift. This is a game mode that has three lanes and a jungle that is assigned to certain champion types and is defended and pushed simultaneously. Each champion gets stronger as they level up and are rewarded with gold by killing minions and enemy champions. The gold is used to buy items which strengthen aspects of a champion depending on the play style that is chosen and the class that the champion is assigned to.
Players choose one of the six champion types before entering the Summoner’s Rift. There are 148 different champions to choose from so you have a variety of options depending on your play style. It is good to know the types of champion class types available so you can anticipate the play styles of the enemy team in duals and team fights as well as find the right champion for you.
Here is what you need to know about the six champion class types:
Assassins
Popular champions: Akali, Zed, Kha’Zix, Shaco, Evelynn, and Kassadin.
Strengths: This champion class type possesses very high mobility and offensive potential. They are best at quickly inflicting damage on weaker enemies
Weaknesses: Champions under this class type lack defensive abilities, making it difficult for them to succeed if crowd controlled (CCd)
Mages
Popular champions: Ahri, Xerath, Swain, Akali, Fizz, and Malzahar
Strengths: Able to attack enemies with spells while also supporting other teammates as they can attack multiple enemies at the same time
Weaknesses: Weak (squishy) champions with a low health pool and limited in casting spells and enemies at a fast speed
Fighters
Popular champions: Camille, Flora, Garen, Jax, and Trynadamere
Strengths: Highly resilient champions that cause significant damage to enemies
Weaknesses: Easily poked/kited (where an enemy attacks you and retreats repeatedly) by assassins and mages
Marksmens
Popular champions: Caitlyn, Kalista, Aphelios, Ezreal, and Ashe
Strengths: Long ranged fighters that eventually wear down defensive champions and assist in destroying key objectives
Weaknesses: Weak defenses and not suitable for direct close fights with enemies
Tanks
Popular champions: Tahm Kench, Galio, Rammus, Dr. Mundo, Ornn, and Cho’Gath
Strengths: Huge health pool and able to sustain significant damage from enemies
Weaknesses: Does not do a whole load of damage and is vulnerable to harassment in early phase of game
Supports
Popular champions: Leona, Janna, Thresh, Seraphine, and Morgana
Strengths: Healing abilities and can provide buffs to their teammates which allows for sustain during fights
Weaknesses: Not really effective on their own and needs support from teammates with more offensive abilities
The League of Legends and general gaming community has many terms to describe certain things that happen within the game and esports scene. We have compiled a short list of the terms you will most likely hear with brief definitions.
Buff: A spell or effect that can be used on yourself, a teammate or friendly minion that benefits you and your team
KDA: An abbreviation for Kills/Deaths/Assists
Meta: The most effective tactics available
Strat: Short for strategy
Squishy: A champion who has low health and can only take a little bit of damage before dying
Gank: An ambush of an enemy
Flank: A player or the team attacking the enemy by splitting up and surrounding them, often attacking the backline champions by sneaking past their frontline
ACE: Earned when a player kills the last living enemy champion
AoE: Short for area of effect, the act of casting damage over an area through the use of spells or attacks
Bot and top: Bottom and top lanes positioned at either the bottom or top of Summoner’s Rift
Crowd Control: Also known as CC, are abilities that limit the enemies movement or actions for a period of type. Examples of CCs include stuns, slows, polymorphs, and knock-ups
ADC: Abbreviated form of Attack Damage Carry, referring to a champion that has high damage output as the game progresses. Often referred to the role taken by the bot lane and the Marksmen class
DPS: Short for damage per second
Drake: The dragon that is found in Summoner’s Rift and grants various effects and buffs to the team that kills it
Farming: Killing creeps (minions) for gold and experience
Picks/Bans: Each team gets to select five champions they can ban from being used in game. This happens during the drafting phase of the game
Dive: To pursue a specific enemy into a dangerous area such as a turret
Shotcaller: The player on the team that leads communication
Laning Phase: A period typically lasting between 10-20 minutes where champions focus on gaining gold by farming minions, dealing damage to towers, and killing enemy champions
Zoning: Pushing an enemy champion away from objectives to prevent them from gaining gold and experience
Ulti: Short for ultimate, a champion's most powerful ability that only becomes available after level 6
CS: An abbreviation for Creep Score, meaning the number of enemy creeps (minions) that a player gets the last hit on and gets gold from
Lane Swap: When one or more champions switching their designated lanes
League of Legends Fantasy, also described as LoL fantasy, is fairly similar to Fantasy football. It is a game that allows you to build your own fantasy League of Legends team. You choose from a list of pro players from teams participating in the LoL esports tournaments.
To sign up, you will need to do so before the tournament begins.
The rules of fantasy LoL are as follows:
If you are interested in playing LoL fantasy, you are in luck – many are offering promotions and bonuses for all players, and particularly newcomers.
We have a complete guide to LoL Fantasy here.
League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game where two teams made up of five champions fight and destroy the others’ base. You are assigned a role and must play within one of the 5 positions (bot lane, top lane, mid lane, or jungle) to defeat enemy champions to push the lanes until you destroy the enemies main structure.
A League of Legends betting spread refers to a type of betting option you can wager on during a LoL esports tournament. This type of bet allows you to wager on either team, irrespective of who is considered the favourite and the underdog, by giving the underdog points and taking them away from the favourite.
There are a range of ways you can read League of Legends betting odds, from moneyline odds, to decimal and fractional odds. The former is typically used by operators catering to US bettors and the latter two are formatted to those betting with the UK. Decimal odds are slowly overtaking fractional odds due to the ease and convenience of how they are presented.
Bet365 League of Legends betting is considered one of the best out there. They offer really competitive odds as well as a plethora of different markets, making it a fun time for new and seasoned LoL bettors. Amongst all these perks, Bet365 are very trusted and have adapted extremely well from being a traditional sportsbook to a very popular esports bookmaker. If you’re looking to kickstart your LoL betting journey, look no further.
Fantasy League of Legends, or commonly known as LoL Fantasy, is a game similar to Fantasy Football. This game gives you the chance to draft and manage your own Fantasy LoL pro team during the LoL esport events that take place in real life. Those with an understanding of the game and are well versed in the LoL esport scene are rewarded on individual players rather than teams.