Esports Betting Ends 2025 with Integrity and Growth Focus
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Key Takeaways
- Riot Games lifts long-standing ban on betting sponsorships for major leagues, enabling new revenue streams under regulated conditions.
- Operators strengthen ties with ESIC through anti-corruption partnerships to enhance global esports integrity monitoring.
- Team-level betting deals emerge, reflecting the growing integration of regulated wagering in non-US markets.
Riot Games Permits Betting Sponsorships in LoL and VALORANT Esports
Riot Games has lifted its longstanding prohibition on sports betting sponsorships for Tier 1 teams in League of Legends Esports and the VALORANT Champions Tour across EMEA and Americas regions. This policy shift, effective in 2025, allows organisations to partner with Riot-approved, regulated betting operators while implementing rigorous safeguards to protect competitive integrity.
Key requirements include mandatory use of official GRID esports data, team-led integrity programs encompassing policy development, monitoring, and player education, and restrictions on branding visibility—no betting logos on jerseys, in official broadcasts, or on Riot social media channels. Riot emphasises channeling betting activity toward licensed platforms to mitigate risks from unregulated markets, where an estimated 70% of global wagers currently occur.
The move addresses financial pressures on teams and aims to redirect revenue into Tier 2 ecosystems through increased prize pools and tournaments. It aligns with broader industry trends, providing stakeholders in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific with stabilised funding without compromising underage audience protections.
Source: Riot Games Official Blog; Esports Insider
Stake Becomes ESIC Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Partner
Global sportsbook operator Stake has joined the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) as a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Partner, committing to enhanced monitoring and transparency in esports betting. This collaboration integrates Stake's data into ESIC's systems for rapid response to potential integrity threats across international competitions.
With esports audiences projected to exceed 640 million by year-end and betting markets valued at approximately $13 billion in 2024, such partnerships underscore operators' focus on fair competition. Stake's involvement supports ESIC's global framework, particularly beneficial for operators active in regulated markets across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
This addition follows similar commitments from providers like BETBY earlier in the year, reinforcing collective efforts to combat betting-related corruption amid rapid sector growth.
Source: SBC News
G2 Esports Secures Betting Partnership with Betpanda
European powerhouse G2 Esports has named crypto casino platform Betpanda as its official global betting partner for its Counter-Strike division. The deal highlights the increasing prevalence of regulated betting sponsorships in mature esports ecosystems outside North America.
Betpanda's integration supports G2's CS2 roster during high-profile events such as the StarLadder Budapest Major. Such partnerships provide critical revenue for organisations in regions with established wagering frameworks, including Europe and parts of Asia, while adhering to publisher and integrity body guidelines.
This agreement reflects Riot's recent policy influence spilling into adjacent titles, as teams capitalise on betting verticals to bolster operations in competitive global markets.
Source: Esports Insider
ESIC Maintains Vigilance on Integrity with Ongoing Monitoring
The Esports Integrity Commission continues proactive enforcement, with no major new sanctions announced in recent weeks but sustained emphasis on partnerships and suspicious betting alerts. Collaborations with operators like Stake enhance real-time detection capabilities, vital for preserving trust in high-stakes tournaments across APAC and European leagues.
Industry stakeholders benefit from ESIC's framework, which supports regulated expansion while deterring underground activity—a priority as betting handle grows in non-US jurisdictions.
Source: ESIC Official Site
