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GG.BET closes UK platform following license expiration, signaling intensified regulatory scrutiny.

Riot Games has announced the release of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2026 team capsules, expanding its in-game monetisation programme for partnered organisations ahead of the upcoming competitive season. The capsules allow fans to purchase team-branded cosmetic bundles, with a portion of revenue shared directly with participating VCT teams.

Wildcard qualifiers Team Zone and Boostgate Esports have advanced to the M7 World Championship Swiss Stage following tense Bo5 semifinals, injecting fresh volatility into betting markets ahead of the January 10 opener. This $1,000,000 USD Mobile Legends showdown in Jakarta positions operators to benefit from heightened liquidity on Swiss props and tournament futures in regulated Asian, European, and Latin American jurisdictions.

Brazil implements gradual tax increases on licensed operators while expanding the list of eligible esports titles for betting.

For years, experience was treated as a prerequisite at the top level of esports. Veteran players anchored rosters, guided strategy, and justified premium salaries. That model is now being quietly replaced.

For esports bettors, roster changes have become one of the hardest variables to price accurately. While talent levels remain high across Tier-1 competition, constant lineup changes are introducing volatility that even experienced markets struggle to absorb.

For years, Tier-1 status was considered a moat in esports. Large fan bases, premium sponsorships, and guaranteed slots in top competitions insulated leading organizations from volatility elsewhere in the industry. That assumption no longer holds.

For more than a decade, esports organizations pursued success through star power. The assumption was straightforward: assemble elite players, win tournaments, monetize attention. While this approach delivered short-term visibility, it has increasingly failed to produce consistent results or sustainable business models.

The global esports betting industry heads into 2026 poised for continued expansion, with market projections indicating revenue surpassing $3 billion amid maturing regulations and evolving publisher policies in key regions. Analysts anticipate sustained momentum from 2025's developments, including Riot Games' vetted betting sponsorships for League of Legends and VALORANT teams, as well as proactive integrity enhancements across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

Riot Games lifts long-standing ban on betting sponsorships for major leagues, enabling new revenue streams under regulated conditions.

Esports betting solutions provider Oddin.gg has released industry analysis showing substantial growth in the vertical, with betting volumes on major titles increasing significantly year-over-year. The data underscores the sector's appeal to younger demographics and its rising prominence among sportsbook operators worldwide.

Riot Games has lifted its long-standing prohibition on betting sponsorships for partnered teams in League of Legends and VALORANT esports ecosystems. Starting in 2025, Tier 1 organisations in the Americas and EMEA regions can pursue partnerships with approved betting operators, marking a pivotal shift in publisher policy toward regulated gambling integration.

Betting operators secure high-profile esports team sponsorships in Europe, boosting visibility in mature markets.

Rivalry, the Canada-based esports betting platform, has posted its third consecutive quarter of sequential net revenue growth, underscoring the sector's resilience amid expanding global markets. The operator, licensed in key jurisdictions including the UK, Ontario, and Australia, reported a 15% increase in quarterly revenue to CAD 12.5 million, driven by heightened engagement in Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends betting during major tournaments such as the StarLadder Budapest Major. This performance highlights how specialized esports operators are capitalizing on younger demographics and innovative features to outpace broader iGaming slowdowns.

Belgium has launched a comprehensive six-year gambling strategy, endorsed by King Philippe, establishing a new regulatory commission to oversee esports betting and enforce stricter compliance measures. This initiative integrates esports wagering into the nation's broader responsible gaming framework, mandating enhanced player protections and integrity protocols amid projections of a €500 million annual market by 2030. For the esports betting ecosystem, the strategy signals Europe's deepening commitment to harmonized regulation, potentially influencing operators across the EU to adopt similar standards and reducing cross-border risks in a sector prone to match-fixing vulnerabilities.

ESIC bolsters anti-corruption efforts through new Tier 1 partnerships with operators such as Stake and BETER, enhancing monitoring of suspicious betting across key APAC and EU markets.