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.
As League of Legends continues to surge in popularity among fans and punters, so has LoL betting. In this guide, we will detail everything you need to know about one of the biggest esports of our time, and take you through the different betting markets available, the best bookmakers to bet with, and helpful betting strategies.
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League of Legends is one of the biggest esports in history. As such, there is an abundance of betting platforms available for enthusiasts to choose from, catering to various needs and preferences. To help you make more informed decisions, we have compiled a list of the best bookmakers for LoL betting above and detailed our favourites below, as recommended by our team of experts.
Betway is a highly reputable bookmaker that offers new customers an awesome €30 welcome bonus in free bets, as well as an entire page dedicated to just esports. With plenty of pre-game and in-play markets alike, along with a special Esports Club scheme, this site is deservedly one of the best esports platforms for bettors in the United Kingdom. It also offers three separate betting apps for sports, casino, and live casino respectively.
1xBet is considered one of the top esports bookmakers due to their sheer variety of esports betting markets and competitive odds. Moreover, they offer a generous welcome bonus, regular cashback promos, and a whopping 84 payment options to choose from. As such, there's plenty to enjoy here for both new and experienced punters.
GG.BET hold a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority, solidifying their reputation as a safe option for betting enthusiasts. Their odds are competitive, they offer livestreaming, and they give you many different deposit and withdrawal options to choose from. But what makes GG.BET stand out is its range of per-tournament betting bonuses, which include deposit bonuses, cashbacks, and free bets. All of which are on top of their generous welcome bonus for new customers.
Pinnacle has been up and running since 1998 and was one of the first to add esports to its sportsbook in 2010. The site is renowned for its extensive esports offerings, providing enthusiasts with a wide range of options to bet on. Additionally, they offer livestreaming as well as a user-friendly interface, making it easy for bettors to navigate and place their wagers without any hassle.
Despite being a classic, traditional sports bookmaker, bet365 has managed to transition into esports betting as one of the most reliable operators in the industry. 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 with their range of esports bets available, making them one of the best choices for those starting out as well as those more experienced.
League of Legends (LoL) is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) where two five-man teams face off and race to take down each other’s base. The game was developed and published by Riot Games in 2009, patterned after the success of the original Defense of the Ancients (Dota).
In LoL, each player controls and levels up a champion with its own unique abilities to help their team destroy the enemy’s Nexus. The game has a wide variety of classes and champions, the latter of which now amount to 163 and counting. While all of this may seem a bit vast to get your head around, all these moving parts are what make LoL betting so dynamic and exciting.
League of Legends’ flagship map is the iconic Summoner’s Rift, used in professional play. In this game mode, there are three lanes where players duke it out to establish control. Each champion gets stronger as they level up and are rewarded with gold by killing minions that spawn in each lane and taking down enemy champions. There is also an area between these lanes called the jungle, where players fight neutral and epic monsters to gain gold and experience.
Gold can then be used to buy items, which in turn make champions stronger and allow them to take down structures like towers and inhibitors that protect the Nexus. Altogether, LoL is a team-based strategy game that requires players to outthink their opponents in order to win a game.
The League of Legends community has developed a unique vocabulary to describe various aspects of the game and its esports scene. If you're a newcomer, you may encounter a plethora of new terms specific not only to LoL, but also the MOBA genre as a whole. Though you may find these terms confusing at first, with time and practice, you will become more familiar with them and be able to use them with ease.
To get started, you should at least be familiar with the roles played in League of Legends. There are five designated roles in the game: Top Laner, Jungler, Mid Laner, Bot Laner, and Support. Within each of these roles are tanks, fighters, healers, carries, and assassins, all of which are crucial to the success of the team.
Then, you have the epic monsters that spawn in-game called the Dragon or Drake and Baron Nashor, which, once slain, can help players take down enemies and objectives much more easily.
For further guidance, we suggest going through our list of the esports terms you will most likely come across via live broadcasts of LoL esports tournaments around the world.
You can bet on League of Legends tournaments and matches in a number of ways, ranging from moneyline wagers and handicaps to totals, prop bets, and futures. Aside from luck, your success in each LoL betting market depends on how much game knowledge you have as well as how familiar you are with LoL esports.
To clarify things further, we will take you through each betting market and describe how it works.
Moneyline bets are by far the easiest and most basic bet you can place for League of Legends. All you have to do here is choose the team you think will win the match. Because this type of wager depends on one simple outcome, it holds far less risk than totals, prop bets and futures.
If you are new to LoL betting, moneyline bets are an excellent starting point, allowing you to familiarise yourself with the process before branching out to more complex wagers.
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 instead try to predict by how many games you think your pick will win. In best-of-threes, for example, a -1.5-map handicap means that the favorite has to win in a clean 2-0 sweep. Meanwhile, a +1.5-map bet indicates that the underdog needs to win at least one game in the series. The same theory applies to kill handicaps, where the emphasis is placed on how many more kills can a team get over their match opponent.
Handicap/spread bets offer a safer option than moneyline bets since you can still win your bet even if the underdog doesn't win the series. However, they can be a riskier choice if you place your bets on the favourite, since they must perform flawlessly for your wager to count as a win.
Also known as ‘over/under' bets, Totals focus on whether the total matches, kills, or objectives inside a series or match will go over or under a number set by the bookmaker. In this way, totals are similar to handicaps in that they are not concerned about who will win the whole series, but what throughout an individual game.
In addition to betting on total maps and kills, you can find betting lines for totals under the live bets section. This allows you to adjust your betting strategy as the match progresses, depending on how the series begins. For instance, if you notice that T1 dominates the early game against DRX in Week 8 of the spring split, you may choose to bet that T1 will win the series with a swift 2-0 or that they can end the game after one Baron take, based on their relative performance.
Keep in mind that, since live bets are constantly updated, betting lines for totals can change frequently. As a result, you must take advantage of the odds the moment they become available.
Experienced LoL bettors often turn to proposition or ‘prop' bets, allowing them to wager on specific events that may happen during a match. This not only makes things more interesting, but it can also result in significant payouts.
It's important to note, however, that prop bets can be challenging to predict accurately. Therefore, it's crucial to research what each prop bet means and have a good understanding of both teams' strengths and weaknesses to make informed predictions about what is likely to happen during the event in question.
Some examples of prop bets you can place on League of Legends include which team will draw first blood, which team will destroy the first inhibitor, and which team will kill the first dragon.
Future bets in League of Legends are a simple way to predict the overall winner of a tournament or league. You can place these bets on regional leagues like LEC, LCS, LCK, LPL, as well as on prestigious international tournaments like the League of Legends World Championships and the Mid-Season Invitational. Additionally, you can bet on futures that predict whether a team will qualify for playoffs as the season or tournament progresses.
However, it's important to have in-depth knowledge of League of Legends, the top teams competing, and professional players before placing dabbling in this market. At the beginning of a tournament or season, outright odds are fixed, with no clear idea of how teams will perform. The odds will stabilise later as the top teams emerge.
The key to success with future betting is striking at the right time. It's best to wait until you have enough information to make an informed wager, but you must also be prepared to take calculated risks by leveraging the higher prices available at the start of the tournament or league to get a better payout.
If you're an enthusiastic punter who also enjoys watching LoL just for the fun of it, then live betting should be right up your street!
Also known as in-play betting, live betting allows you to react to the events in real time and adjust your bets accordingly. What sets it apart from pre-match betting is that the odds can change dramatically during the match in question. As such, it requires you to pay attention to what is going on, ideally with the help of a livestream or some form of live broadcast.
For instance, if Fnatic is trailing behind G2 Esports early on in the match but has a scaling composition, predicting their comeback can be a smart way to win against the odds. However, you need to closely monitor the game's progress to see whether or not you should place a bet in their favour.
Live esports betting offers the same types of wagers that pre-match betting does, including match lines, kill scores, and objectives taken. To get started, visit the in-play or live section of your chosen bookmaker and proceed from there.
Live betting not only adds excitement to your betting experience, but it also helps you improve your prediction skills by taking into account the current game state. If you are a dedicated follower of LoL's competitive scene, it can also be a great way to test your knowledge and have fun while possibly winning some generous payouts.
League of Legends Fantasy, or LoL fantasy for short, is fairly similar to fantasy sports. It is a game where you need to build your own ‘fantasy' team from a list of pro players from teams participating across regional leagues worldwide.
To take part in LoL Fantasy, you must draft your team before the tournament begins. Each player is given a set budget to recruit pro players, with each of the latter priced according to their perceived skill level. After assembling your team, each of your player's performance is measured based on in-game statistics such as KDA, CS, wins, objective takedowns, and more. Points are then awarded, with participants competing against each other on a leaderboard to determine a winner.
This game can be a great way for newcomers to learn about the esports scene, and how individual players and teams perform throughout a league. If you are interested in playing fantasy esports, sign up for an account with one of our recommended fantasy bookmakers such as DraftKings and Thrive Fantasy, and start creating your team today!
Betting odds are a bookmaker’s way of presenting implied probability or likelihood of a bet’s end result. They also represent your potential payout from a bet, should you win your wager. There are a number of odds formats, with the most popular being fractional, decimal, and moneyline, depending on which region you are betting from.
In esports games such as League of Legends, betting odds change over time, similar to traditional sports. Bookmakers adjust the odds as the event draws closer as they gain a better understanding of the competition level within a league or tournament.
To maximise your potential winnings, we recommend that you place your bets well in advance of the event to take advantage of the best prices available. Add on proper research on the team and tournament you are betting on, and you can minimise your risk too.
Betting odds for League of Legends can vary from one betting site to another. As the esports industry is still relatively young compared to its more traditional counterparts (such as football or rugby), betting sites are still experimenting with how to use in-game statistics and data to set their odds. Therefore, it's recommended that you compare the odds offered by different bookmakers to find the best value for your bets.
Some bookmakers also have a lower overround or (‘vig') than others. For instance, Pinnacle is known for offering one of the lowest margins, typically ranging between 3-5% per bet. In contrast, other bookies generally have an overround of between 5-7%. However, it's worth noting that Pinnacle doesn't offer betting bonuses, unlike other sites such as GG.BET and 1xBet, who frequently run promotions.
As we have come to learn, League of Legends is one of the most popular esports in the world. with a good number of tournaments to bet on at any time of the year. There are regional and international tournaments alike, in which esports teams from countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and China all take part.
It's crucial to stay up-to-date with both minor and major tournaments that are part of Riot Games' LoL esports ecosystem. This will ensure that you have a deep understanding of the game and its competitive landscape throughout the year.
The League of Legends regional leagues are local tournament circuits where teams compete to qualify for major international tournaments like Worlds and MSI.
These leagues are divided into major and minor regions based on the country's level of competitiveness on the international stage and the overall infrastructure of their esports scene. It's vital that you understand the differences between these regions, as it can greatly impact the level of competition and the likelihood of success for different teams.
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The LoL Esports tournament ecosystem currently comprises 9 regions, with the recent absorption of Oceania's LCO into the PCS and the TCL's merger into the LEC. Each region has multiple teams vying to become their champion and ultimately win the Summoner's Cup. The LCK and the LPL have won the most trophies in the past decade, but the LEC has shown that they can compete with the top teams, exemplified by G2 Esports' victory in MSI 2018.
Watching the regional leagues can provide you with more insight into how Worlds will unfold, enabling you to compare the relative strength of top teams and players heading into the tournament. Additionally, each region has its own amateur league, such as the LCK's Challengers League and the LEC's various regional leagues like the La Ligue Française (LFL) leading to the EU Masters. Keeping tabs on these amateur circuits will help you pinpoint emerging rookies in Riot's professional leagues more accurately.
The Mid-Season Invitational (often shortened to MSI) only comes behind Worlds as the second-most prestigious tournament in LoL's history. The tournament features the top representatives from each region’s spring split, who duke it out in order to crown the strongest team of the year thus far.
In 2023, the MSI is finally undergoing a major tournament revamp, finally making use of the highly requested double-elimination format. With 13 invited teams, there will be significantly more matches for viewers like yourself to enjoy and bet on across the play-in and playoff stages.
The League of Legends World Championship (often abbreviated as Worlds) is the game’s biggest annual esports tournament that takes place at the end of the season. The yearly tournament includes only the best teams from all of Riot’s regional leagues, during which they compete for millions of dollars and the chance to hoist the Summoner’s Cup.
Worlds is the most anticipated tournament of the year, drawing in millions of viewers across the globe. For the 2022 LoL World finals, for example, there was a record-breaking 5.15 million viewers who watched the epic rivalry between T1’s Faker and DRX’s Deft go down in a tense best-of-five series. At the end, DRX etched their name in history, brought home an astounding €460 million, and continued the legacy of the LCK in LoL Esports.
To start prepping for Worlds, it's best to begin researching which teams and regions you would like to support come September. Managing your pool of teams to bet on will give you the opportunity to really understand the teams’ specificity, play styles, strengths, and weaknesses, which will benefit you greatly when exploring the various betting markets available for Worlds.
Around the world, every major region in League of Legends has its own ‘superteam' dominating the competition. To give you a head start, we have highlighted below a team from each major region that is poised to make noise locally and internationally.
Currently leading in the spring split of the LCK 2023 season, T1 hasn’t let their runner-up finish at Worlds 2022 deter the team from going all out this year. The organisation chose to keep their roster intact in the hopes of finally bagging an international trophy in Season 13.
This year, Keria has stood out with his distinct champion pool (think Kalista support) and defined the meta down in the bottom lane. If they keep up their form, expect T1 to keep continuing their winning ways all the way to Summer and hopefully, Worlds.
At the start of the 2023 LPL spring split, JD Gaming came in swinging with their newly recruited bot laner and former world champ Ruler already getting a pentakill early into the season. This set the bar really high for the stacked veteran roster for the rest of the year. With talents like 369, Kanavi, and Knight on the team, it’s easy to see JDG win tournaments like MSI or Worlds should they reach their potential.
However, there will be those that remember Top Esports and knight failing to qualify out of groups in last year’s Worlds. As such, there are reservations for the team already as early as now.
This year, G2 Esports’ gamble to put their faith on veterans down bottom and a rookie in the jungle has paid off handsomely for the organisation. Even with the odds stacked against them, the team managed to reclaim their throne in Europe after a dominant win in the inaugural 2023 LEC winter split.
Much of their success, however, was attributed to finals MVP Caps who gave the team advantage after advantage with his stellar individual play. However, G2 will have to continue proving themselves across spring and summer if they want a chance at the coveted Summoner’s Cup.
FlyQuest are a promising up-and-coming squad in the LCS with a good blend of veteran talent and talented rookies in their lineup. Out of all their players, however, the team’s star carry Prince has been making rounds as one of the best players in the league since he arrived in the region. His flawless ability to teamfight on champions like Zeri have put him and his team on the radar in the 2023 season.
But before anything else, Prince still has to prove his team’s worth in the LCS before they can start thinking about tournaments like Worlds.
By now, you should have a better good grasp of how things work, and are likely feeling ready to embark on your LoL betting journey.
However, the question now is: which bookmaker should you trust with your money, and what factors should you consider when selecting the ideal one for you? We look at the most important points to keep in mind below.
It is really important to do your research when deciding where to place your bets. As a rule of thumb, you should first look for the bookmaker's gambling licence to make sure that all your future transactions with them are legally authorised. A few reputable authorities include the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.
Next, look for the platform’s dedicated security features like SSL encryption and firewall protection. Be also on the lookout for identity verification measures like two-factor authentication for an even more secure betting experience.
Lastly, read up on reviews from trustworthy platforms like TrustPilot and even community feedback from the likes of Reddit and Twitter. This factor is perhaps the most important of all, as customer reviews tend to be consistently honest and unbiased towards the operator in question.
Because even the smallest difference in margins can end up costing you, we recommend you ensure that the bookie you are choosing offers the best possible odds on the market. 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. To compare the value you’re getting on each betting line, make sure to find its vig or overround.
When it comes to online betting, the user interface and experience are crucial factors that can make or break your betting journey. A well-designed platform should enhance the user's experience, allow you to navigate through the site with ease, find the betting markets you're interested in, and place bets quickly.
In addition to a user-friendly interface, it's essential to consider the overall user experience. This includes the speed and reliability of the platform to ensure a seamless experience, regardless of the device being used.
Next up are the payment methods a bookmaker accepts for deposits and withdrawals. Look out for secure and trusted providers such as e-wallets like PayPal or Skrill as well as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Visa and Mastercard are also popular and widely used among punters online.
In addition to the payment methods, you should also consider the time it takes for payments to be processed. Some bookmakers may have longer processing times than others, which could affect the speed at which you can access your winnings. Additionally, keep an eye out for any fees or charges associated with the payment methods.
Another factor to consider is the availability of payment methods in your country. Some bookmakers may not accept certain payment methods in certain countries due to legal or regulatory reasons. Therefore, it's important to make sure that the payment methods available to you are suitable for your needs.
A reliable and trustworthy betting site always provides excellent customer support to its clients, with a 24/7 service being an added plus. This means that the bookie will be there to assist you whenever you need help, regardless of the time of day or night.
One of the most important features of a great bookmaker is a comprehensive FAQ section that provides detailed answers to commonly asked questions. A readily available live chat feature is a must, making it easier to resolve any issues that arise quickly. For more complex issues that require detailed explanations, you should ideally be able to turn to a phone line service or email support.
Lastly, since there is an abundance to choose from, most bookmakers offer lucrative promotions to incentivise newcomers to bet exclusively on their platform. Certain sites even offer to double or even triple your initial deposit, together with a few free bets thrown in on top.
As each bookmaker has its own set of promotions to offer, we suggest browsing through our recommended sites above to see which ones offer the best deals for you personally.
League of Legends is a complicated and high-level game to play, watch, and understand. There is a lot you need to know regarding its esports scene as well as the best betting strategies specific to the game itself. As such, keep the below betting tips close to heart before starting out.
League of Legends is a complex MOBA with many moving parts. It takes a while to not only understand the way the game is played, but also the countless champions, the role they play in-game, and the different strategies players use to win.
It is vital that you at least have a concrete understanding of the game’s objective, player roles, and the most popular champions that are played in the current meta. To start, playing the game yourself will help give you first-hand experience on how team fights work and how champions are played, which should give you a general feel of what a winning and losing match looks like.
If you don’t have the time to play, you can watch tutorials on YouTube from content creators such as ProGuides and Skill Capped who specialise in teaching beginner and advanced viewers the fundamentals of League. There are also entertaining yet educational LoL streamers such as Faker, Doublelift, and Thebausffs who can help you better learn about the game.
Keep a close eye on how your chosen teams and players perform, including their strengths and weaknesses, champion pool, playstyles, and recent form. Researching teams will help you better capitalise on betting opportunities such as lopsided odds.
You can start by watching streams of tournament broadcasts and pro players alike. But for those who want to take their betting game to the next level, you can check out player and team stats on platforms like Oracle’s Elixir and Games of Legends. This will allow you to back up your bets with sound analysis which will hopefully help you win more often.
Taking it a step further, bettors should also understand the different formats belonging to various League of Legends tournaments. This is because tournament structures can decide whether a team is knocked out early or make it all the way to the finals. For example, a double-elimination format could potentially change the outcome of a tournament like Worlds.
Liquipedia is a great tool for keeping up-to-date with tournaments, teams, and players as it is a comprehensive archive on all past, ongoing, and future regional leagues and international tournaments. The site is categorised into sections that delve into players, teams, transfers, statistics, and schedules.
As a punter, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer number of esports teams and tournaments out there. The good news is that focusing on a few teams and tournaments can be more beneficial than trying to follow them all. By doing so, you can develop a more strategic approach to your betting and increase your chances of success, as opposed to having just a superficial knowledge of many teams.
To start, we recommend that you focus on the major regional leagues, as well as the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), as these are the most popular and highly anticipated events in LoL esports. By understanding the structure of these tournaments and the top teams within each one, you can make more informed predictions for your wagers, which can lead to greater returns.
Lastly, it goes without saying that you should always bet responsibly. This means only spending money you’re willing to lose, which involves setting a fixed budget before each session. It also means knowing when to stop, as things will not always go your way.
Remember to always have enough to keep yourself in the game rather than risking it all on one passing match. To help you get the most out of your bets, you can head over to our esports betting academy to learn strategies that will help you maximise your returns while minimising your risks.
For fans of League of Legends, betting on the game can be both entertaining and profitable. With a plethora of daily tournaments throughout the year, finding a bookmaker and placing your bets is easier than ever before.
With the knowledge we have shared, we hope you now have a firm grasp of the basics of LoL betting, the types of wagers available, and the best teams and betting sites to consider when placing your bets. After conducting thorough research and with a bit of luck, you may be able to start landing handsome winnings before you know it!
League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) where two teams of five champions fight and destroy the others’ base. Each player is assigned a role out of five positions (top, jungle, mid, bot, and support) to defeat enemy champions and push the lanes until the enemy’s main structure or the Nexus is destroyed.
There are a variety of betting markets available for betting on League of Legends. Among these are futures, moneylines, handicaps, totals, and props. Each type of bet focuses on a different aspect of the game in pro play.
There are a number of different formats for League of Legends betting odds, including moneyline, decimal, and fractional. The former is typically used by operators catering to US bettors, while the latter two are more popular with punters from the UK. Decimal odds offer the greatest ease and convenience in terms of how they are presented.
Our favourites would have to be bet365, Pinnacle, and Rivalry. They are trustworthy, and offer highly competitive odds as well as a plethora of different markets, making for a fun and safe betting experience for new and seasoned bettors alike.
Fantasy League of Legends, or commonly known as Fantasy LoL, works similarly to fantasy sports. Here, you are given the chance to draft and manage your own fantasy pro team that earn points based on in-game (such as KDA and CS) and match (win or loss) performances. The player with the fantasy roster with the most points at the end of the season wins.
Through our in-depth guides and reviews, we are focused on providing the best insights into esports betting.