Comprehensive guide to League of Legends betting

With the rapid growth of esports, League of Legends (LoL) betting has quickly become a major focus in the industry and an increasingly popular choice for bettors.

Esports is short for electronic sports and refers to competitive gaming, which is done at a professional level. In recent years, esports have grown to become of global interest, attracting millions of viewers worldwide.

Players compete individually and in teams across various game genres, including multiplayer online battle arenas such as LoL, first-person shooters or real-time strategy games.

Esports events such as LoL usually have a tournament structure with a league table and an eventual championship that attracts huge audiences in person and online.

The global appeal of esports tournaments has had a huge impact in the betting world, with players able to place various wagers on the outcome of matches and tournaments as well as in-play bets.

What is League of Legends betting?

LoL is a multiplayer online battle area (MOBA) game. Two teams of five players compete to kill the opposing team’s Nexus, which is the known enemy and is located within their base. The Nexus is defended by the opposing team’s champions as well as non-player characters such as monsters, minions and turrets.

Matches are played in a best-of-three-rounds format, and a round is only complete when a Nexus has been destroyed.

In order to understand the game, it’s important to know about the champion roster, which is the collection of playable characters that can be chosen to join the game. All champions have unique abilities, gameplay, strengths, weaknesses and roles within the gameplay.

Placing a successful League of Legends bet involves getting to know the various player and non-player characters and champions.

Tanks: Tanks have high durability and the ability to control crowds, which they use to initiate team fights and clear up any damage.

Fighters: Their high resiliency allows them to sustain engagement in close combat, and they can inflict serious damage on enemies.

Mages: Mages can inflict damage from range by placing spells, which means that they’re able to attack multiple enemies at once from a distance.

Assassins: Assassins are high-damage champions who can quickly eliminate priority targets and remove weaker enemies.

Marksmen (ADC): Marksmen support basic and low-range attacks that keep the objective under control and are often utilised late in the game.

Supports: Supports heal, shield and crowd control, and have various other abilities to assist their teammates in achieving the objective.

Junglers: These champions roam the jungle, clearing camps, securing objectives and providing map control.

History of League of Legends betting

LoL was first released in 2009 by Riot Games, which has gone on to shape the competitive esports betting League of Legends landscape.

Since its release, LoL has grown to become a global gaming community with millions of players and supporters, making it a cultural phenomenon.

As its popularity increased, enthusiasts began placing informal bets on professional matches and tournaments. Initially, betting started within gaming communities and online forums, but over time, betting platforms such as LeoVegas began offering markets for anyone wanting to place a League of Legends bet.

Tournaments you should know about to improve your League of Legends betting

Starting in 2021, tournaments have become an integral part of LoL and esports in general.

Players, betters and supporters alike are invited to major events such as the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds), which takes place annually. The winning team is awarded a cup along with a cash prize. The winning team was awarded $1m when the tournament first started.

The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) began in 2015 and is the second biggest annual LoL tournament. It features top teams from various regions. The top four regions at the end of the MSI get a valuable spot in the World Championship group stage.

Other tournaments that are important in the League of Legends betting world include the LCS (League Championship Series), CBLOL (Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends), LPL, LEC (the League of Legends European Championship) and LVP.

Only the best players in the world are showcased at these types of events to display their gameplay and determine champions. Multiple tournaments take place year-round, but these are considered League of Legend betting favourites.

A background on leagues and how they impact League of Legends betting

Leagues within LoL include professional teams that compete in regional and international tournaments. Usually, league matches offer players a chance to show their skills, win prizes and qualify for bigger events such as the MSI and Worlds.

When it comes to League of Legends betting, being aware of the league table can work to your advantage.

There are eight professional leagues around the world. The major league teams are LEC (Europe), LCK (South Korea), LCS (North America) and LPL (China). There are also several other regional leagues such as LMS (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), LLX (Latin America), CBLOL (Brazil), VCS (Vietnam) and PSC (Asia-Pacific).

As well as hosting their own premier leagues, the major league teams usually host matches throughout the season that go on for several weeks.

This structure works to a bettor’s advantage because they can monitor the team, player performance and meta trends over time to make informed decisions about their League of Legends bet. Experienced bettors often utilise the league dynamics to their advantage throughout the season.

How to bet on League of Legends

To bet on LoL, follow the steps listed below:

Start by setting up an account with LeoVegas. When it’s ready and verified, log into your account. Go to the sports section of the site, and select ‘Esports’ to find the latest LoL betting odds. Select the betting market, and choose your option – Moneyline bets are best for beginners. Place your bet and wait for your results.

There are various types of bets available.

Moneyline – Placing a League of Legends bet on the outcome of an entire match. You can view the odds of your bet by finding a number with the plus or minus signal.

For example, if there’s a match between Team LCK and LCS, if LCK has moneyline odds of +150, it shows that they’re considered the underdog of the match. A £10 bet on LCK could result in a £15 profit if they win.

On the other hand, if LCS has moneyline odds of -200, it shows that they’re viewed as a favourite to win. A £20 bet on LCS at those odds could get you a £10 profit if they win.

Outrights – Wagers placed on the outcome of an entire season or competition. These are also known as futures bets and the odds will naturally change throughout the tournament depending on the team’s performance and progression.

For example, you might bet on the overall winner of the World Championships. Before the tournament starts, Team LPL has +800 odds of winning. If you bet £10 on them, you would win an £80 profit. However, if their odds improved to +400 mid-tournament, your potential profit would be £40 instead.

Experienced bettors can implement more advanced betting strategies such as value betting, which is identifying wagers that have a positive expected value over time (EV). Value betting involves finding bets where the odds offered by the bookmaker are higher than the actual probability of the outcome occurring.

How to make an in-play League of Legends bet

In-play esports betting allows you to place wagers on live matches as they unfold. Here’s how you can take part in in-play League of Legends betting.

Live Betting Markets – You can place wagers on specific outcomes such as match winners, map winners, or first team to meet objectives such as kill total, first blood, most kills, quadra kill, penta kill, first dragon slayed and more.

In-play betting requires adaptability and strategic quick thinking. Make sure that you leverage the knowledge you’ve learned in this article around gameplay, champion characteristics, leagues and League of Legends betting to have the best chance of success.

FAQs

How do I start League of Legends betting?

To start betting on LoL, just create a LeoVegas account, go to the sports section, select ‘Esports’, and choose your online sports betting market..

What factors should I consider before placing a League of Legends bet?

You will want to consider important factors such as team performance, player performance, trends, roster changes and match importance (regular season vs. playoffs).

Can I bet on live League of Legends matches?

Yes, LeoVegas offers in-play League of Legends betting, which means that you can place bets in real time based on the changing team performances.