Riot Games’ betting sponsorship rules, set out by John Needham on 26 June 2025, open the category only to Tier 1 LoL Esports and VCT teams in the Americas and EMEA. Riot vets and approves every partner, partners must use GRID data, teams must run an integrity program, and Riot-owned broadcast and social channels stay betting-free, jersey logos included.
This desk read Riot’s post in full on 23 September 2026. Riot says it will adjust if needed; we ran no amendment search.
What are Riot Games’ betting sponsorship rules?
| Rule | What Riot’s post says | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Tier 1 LoL Esports and VCT teams, Americas and EMEA only | Any route for other regions |
| Vetting | Riot vets and approves every partner | Which operators are approved |
| Data | Partners must use GRID | Nothing further |
| Integrity | Teams create and assess their own Internal Integrity Program: policy, monitoring, education | Who else audits it |
| Tier 2 | A portion of programme revenue goes to Tier 2 prize pools, integrity systems and training | Any figure |
| Broadcast | No betting ads or sponsored segments on Riot-owned broadcast and social channels | Nothing further |
| Jerseys | No betting partner logos on team jerseys, inside the broadcast clause | Whether logos may appear off Riot’s channels |
| Team channels | Teams decide, within programme guidelines, platform terms and local regulation | The guidelines themselves |
Riot invested in GRID in 2023; see GRID, assessed.
How do the three public deals fit Riot’s rules?
MIBR x 1xBet. Per Esports.net (27 November 2025), MIBR’s VALORANT team signed 1xBet, terms undisclosed. MIBR calls itself the first organization in the Riot ecosystem to obtain approval. That is MIBR’s claim.
G2 x Winamax. G2’s announcement, dated 17 January 2026, covers its LEC and Kings League Germany teams and calls Winamax the first betting operator approved by Riot to sponsor teams in Europe. Riot’s post names no operator, so that “first” is G2’s word.
Team Heretics x Winamax. Per The Esports Radar, Winamax also signed Heretics’ VALORANT roster, terms undisclosed.
Our 11 September team-by-team piece counted two deals; the record read this run has three.
Can LoL and VALORANT teams wear betting logos on jerseys?
Riot’s jersey line sits inside a sentence about Riot-owned channels. The Esports Radar reports Winamax logos on G2 and Heretics shirts away from official play, and “more subtle” branding in competition, “as per Riot Games’ rules”. Subtle is not absent; we have not seen the two reconciled.
FAQ
Does Riot allow betting sponsors?
Yes. On 26 June 2025 Riot announced it was opening betting sponsorships to Tier 1 League of Legends and VALORANT teams in the Americas and EMEA only. Riot must vet and approve each partner, partners must use GRID data, and teams must run an integrity program.
Can esports teams show betting logos on jerseys?
Riot’s post says its broadcast and social channels stay betting-free, which it says means no betting partner logos on team jerseys. The Esports Radar reports Winamax logos centred on G2 and Team Heretics jerseys for interviews, festivals and video content, with more subtle branding in official competition.
Why did Riot allow betting sponsorships?
Riot says teams asked for years and betting on its leagues happens anyway. Citing Sportradar, it puts 2024 global betting turnover involving LoL Esports and VCT at $10.7 billion, and says 70% of bets across all sports are placed in unregulated markets.
A shirt logo is a rights deal, not a tip. If you bet, be 18+ and of age where you live, use a book licensed there, as in licensed books keep widening esports menus, and gamble responsibly.