Similar to Dota 2, Riot’s LoL has the objective of destroying the enemy team’s respective main structure or “Nexus”. This Nexus is situated at the home base of either team. Both bases are connected by 3 pathways or lanes connecting each other.

An LoL game consists of a 5v5 matchup.

A wave of AI-controlled minions is spawned at each base at regular intervals that move across each lane towards the enemy base. Dealing the killing blow to these minions gives the player gold and experience to purchase items and gain ability upgrades.

Turrets are defensive structures that are situated along the lanes that defend the lane and auto-target any enemy unit nearby.

Inhibitors are structures at the end of a lane. Destroying these inhibitors creates a powerful ally minion that can help you against the enemy.

Aside from the lanes, the map has neutral and jungle areas that are home to neutral creeps that can be killed for gold and experience points.

Each player selects a character or “Champion” to play as. Each champion has different abilities and roles. Champions can perform multiple roles but are mostly more effective in specific primary roles that they’re classified on.

Champion classes in League of Legends:

Controller:

Controllers are defensive casters that protect allies and specialize in crowd control to create openings for the team. They are essential for locking down the enemy team.

Fighter:

Fighters are close combat champions that excel at doing damage while being fairly durable. 

Mage:

Mages are long-range spellcasters that excel in AOE, burst damage, and crowd control.

Marksman:

Marksman is a class of long-range attackers who excel in massive amounts of damage from afar while staying safe. They require a decent amount of gold investment to power up as they start relatively weak.

Slayer:

Slayers are fast, burst damage champions that specialize in swift kills. They are fragile unlike Fighters but make up for it in DPS and mobility.

Specialist:

Specialists are a unique class of champions that don’t fall into the traditional definition of any general class. They are usually very distinct and gimmicky champions who might specialize in a specific action/utility.

Tank:

Tanks are champions that focus less on dealing damage and more on absorbing damage, durability and protecting the team.

League of Legends has one of the biggest betting markets in Esports. LoL is the world’s most-watched Esport, making it one of the most active Esports betting markets in the industry.

REAL MONEY BETTING
You can bet for real money on League tournaments at various sites as the Esports bookmakers have partnered with. These sites will let you wager on outcomes of various League tournaments and matches like the winner of a match or tournament, or how far a team will go in the tournament. League has a very active Esports scene, so you will always find games to bet on

FANTASY BETTING
Some websites such as Draftkings offer fantasy league betting on various Esports where players create their own roster of pro players and are awarded points based on their performance. This is a safe way of betting on your favorite Esports.

What can you bet on?

The bets that can be made for League of Legends are very similar to traditional Esports gambling. There are various betting lines that Esport betting sportsbooks offer. As an example, here are some of the most common ones that you are likely to see:

• Event Finalist: In this type of bet, a bettor predicts the team that he thinks will qualify for the tournament finals.
• Event Winner: In this type of bet, the bettor predicts the overall winner of the tournament.
• Match-winner: As obvious, here you predict the winner of a specific match.
• Kill count: In this type of wager, you bet on the team that will be the first to get to X no. of kills.

MONEYLINE BETS
These are the most popular bets in Esports where you predict and bet on the winner of a match between 2 teams. The bookmakers offer odds on both teams that determine the underdog and favorite team. For example,

Odds of Team Invictus Gaming are: 2.40

Odds of Team FunPlus Phoenix are: 1.50

In this scenario, if you’ve bet on Invictus gaming and the team wins, your bet amount will be multiplied by 2.4x. Whereas, if you bet on FunPlus Phoenix and the team wins, your payout will be your original bet multiplied by 1.5x times.

OUTRIGHT/FUTURE BETS
This kind of bet is about predicting the overall winner of a tournament. These bets require in-depth knowledge about the game and players involved to predict a long-term bet accurately. Wagers are locked in before the tournament starts.

For example, you can bet pick one of League’s top teams as your pick for the potential winner. 

SPREAD/HANDICAP BETS
These bets attempt to provide equal betting value to both teams involved when there is a skill difference. The team that is the favorite to win will have some of it’s points taken and given to the underdog for fair betting.

For example: If team Invictus gaming are the favorites to win and the team has a spread of +1.5 in best-of-3 scenarios, they will need to win the series by 2-0 to satisfy the bet if you wager on them. 

In major tournament finals, best-of-5 series are expected. The spread is usually set at +/- 2.5 map advantage/disadvantage in such a case. 

TOTAL BETS
These bets are about predicting the total no. of matches that will be played between two teams until they win the series. For example, League of Legends faceoffs are usually best of 3 or 5 series. The default given spread average for best-of-3 is 2.5 matches. If there is a high skill disparity between both teams, it is wiser to bet ‘under’ expecting a dominant victory. Whereas, in closely matched faceoffs, betting ‘over’ could be smarter. Taking an example of the teams, Gen G is one of the top teams in the world currently. A matchup with an underdog team like BIG is likely to go a common way with Gen G dominating them. Betting ‘under’ in such a case is sensible. Whereas, a matchup with someone like Fnatic or G2 Esports would not be as simple as they could give some competition. 

PROP BETS
These bets are about wagering on certain events occurring during the game, regardless of the overall match results. Some common prop bets are: 

First blood props: The first kill of the match is known as the first blood. People can wager which team they think will get the first blood. These kills happen within the first few minutes of the match. Understanding the team composition of champions can help pick the correct choice. 

Total kill count props: You can bet on the sum of total kills by both teams at the end of the match. 

For Example:

Team Liquid vs G2 Map 1:

Over 22.5: -120

Under 22.5: -120

In this example, we can see that if the total kills is 23 or more by the end of the game, the ‘Over’ wins. Whereas, if the total kills are 22 or lower, the ‘Under’ bet wins.

First team to objective props: These kinds of prop bets are incredibly popular. They are all about which team will accomplish a specific objective during the match before the other team. Some examples of such bets are: 

• • First Tower Destroyed: Bet on which team destroys the first enemy tower in the match. For Example Odds:- G2 Esports +130 | Team Invictus -112  
  • Dragon Slayed: Bet on the team who will slay the Dragon.
  • Baron Slayed: Bet on the team that will kill the Baron monster first.

LIVE BETS
These wagers are taken only after the match has started and focused on specific game areas to bet on. Live bets can give you better insight into the stakes as someone with knowledge of the game can tell which direction the game could go looking at other events in the match.

For example, in a match between G2 and Liquid, if the early game goes favorably towards G2, who gains considerable headstart in gold farm and champion experience, the overall match is also likely to go their way. Whereas, if your bet was on Liquid and they have a bad start, you can cash out your bet and cut your mid-game losses. 

The “Odds” refers to the likelihood or chance of a specific event occurring, for example, Team X winning over Team B. Bets placed on the basis of these odds offered by bookmakers. The odds are calculated by different sportsbooks differently. So make sure to pick a decent and reputable sportsbook with fair odds.

Odds are of various distinct types: Decimal, Fractional, American, or Implied Probability. You’ll most often come across Decimal Odds, however.

DECIMAL ODDS

Decimal odds give you the easiest conversion from stake to return.

AMERICAN ODDS

These odds are represented by numbers with a prefix (+) and minus(-) sign. The positive(+) sign is assigned to underdogs’ odds and indicates the amount won for every $100 staked on the bet. Whereas, the negative(-) odds indicate the amount you need to stake to win $100 from the bet.

FRACTIONAL ODDS

These odds are marked with a fractional number, with the top number dictating how much when you invest the bottom fractional number.

IMPLIED PROBABILITY

This is a more readable way to denote odds, however, this can be highly inaccurate and is mostly just used as a reference to calculate risk.

Leveraging the KBG team’s 10+ years of expertise in betting online, we have compiled these tips to help you when betting on League of Legends online.

Tip#1: Stick to your budget –  First step you need to work on before you start betting is to set a budget and make sure you bet as much as you can afford to risk. Always keep in mind that betting is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and play accordingly. If you are a beginner, review all the tips below and build your strategy accordingly.

Tip#2: Check all the odds: As you are shortlisting the LoL matches you want to place your wager on, review the different odds offered by the bookmakers before you bet. Look for the odds that might not match what your read is on the LoL match. If you can develop these edges and create an accurate analytical system, you can better hone your skills at judging games and finding opportunities.

Tip#3: Decode the game: It is important to develop a deep sense of the game and the players. In order to gain an advantage in League of Legend wagering, make sure you analyze the match prior to betting:

• Know the game and the players on the roster before you make any big bets. Learn all the rules, familiarize yourself with the game’s meta and mechanics. For example, some of the common mechanics and statistical data to look for are:
  – Kills/Deaths/Assists Ratio, and Kill to Death ratio
  – Gold per minute and total Gold count
  – Experience generated per minute
  – “Creep Count,” or the total amount of enemy minions killed throughout the game.
• New patches might allow you to bet against a robust favorite team with one or more key players who recently only rotated between two or three heroes. If these heroes have been nerfed in the latest patch, this might allow you to make a buck.
  
• Follow teams and players and understand player form – teams and players cannot always play at their best; know your team’s history and research recent results before placing bets. Know which players are strong with certain heroes/champions, which can give them an advantage.
• Event Format: Depending on the format of the matches, the likelihood of specific outcomes can change.  For example, a Best-of-1 has higher chances of an upset or unexpected result. A draw is very likely in a Best-of-2. A Best-of-5 should favor the most consistent team than a surprising result.
• Observe Community betting – Observe the top betters and what their opinion is about the game, teams, players, and the meta.

Tip#4: Find the bet types you are good at: As you start betting, start building your expertise in a betting strategy that you are personally comfortable in. This could be a good indicator of which betting dimensions you have the best understanding of. Here are some guidelines to take into account:

• Specialize whenever possible – with so many teams and tournaments happening annually, focusing on a particular region will allow you to research in more depth which will result in smarter betting decisions.
• Bet selectively and objectively–you don’t need to bet on every match and you should always bet with your head rather than your heart–your favorite team may not be the favorite to win.
• Don’t limit yourself to only major events–minor tournaments and local events that feed into majors often feature unknown teams with the potential to upset their more known rivals making for juicy wins for smart betters.
• Don’t always believe any information blindly and make your own decisions: Make sure you scrutinize every intel you get. Start by seeing how the gathered information works with your strategy, not resort to change your play entirely. It’s better to not take everything at face value and make your own end decision through research.

Esports Bookmakers we recommend in this guide will accept a wide array of payment methods. You will be able to deposit credit cards, direct bank transfers, and PayPal. Other newer options such as eWallets and Cryptocurrencies are also accepted at selective bookmakers.

Here’s more details on the payments you can expect when betting on League of Legends:

• Credit and Debit cards: remain the most popularly accepted means of payment across bookmaker websites. MasterCard and VISA being the most common.
• Web Wallets: These are basically e-Wallets that allow you to transfer funds to a virtual wallet for placing bets instead of linking your credit or debit card directly. This helps you avoid giving any sensitive financial information to the bookmaker. Skrill and Neteller are some of the most widely used e-Wallets.
• PayPal: PayPal remains one of the world’s most reliable online payment services. It helps you avoid giving your personal financial information to the bookmaker and provides an extra layer of security in transactions.
• CryptoCurrency: Cryptocurrencies can also be used to bet on bookmaker websites. These are usually not available globally due to country-specific crypto laws but are usually used to cater to smaller regions and markets. For example, AstroPay caters to Brazil and the USA. GiroPay caters to Germany and Austria etc.
• Direct Bank Transfers: Bookmaking websites commonly allow you to directly transfer the amount from your bank account to theirs. The betting site will provide you with its bank details.

If you need some assistance at any point while betting on Hearthstone the bookmakers we partnered with have you covered.

Given that most online Esport bookmakers are available around the clock, open every day, there is always some form of customer service options available via email, toll-free telephone number, or an instant chat function.

The customer service teams can assist you with anything from deposit or withdrawal issues to questions about specific League of Legends related bets you have placed.

League of Legends World Championships

The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season.

The League of legends World Championship has gained tremendous success and popularity, making it the world’s most watched Esports tournament.

The tournament is known to rotate it’s venue across different major countries and regions every year.

Last Prize Pool:$2.2 million USD

Significant Teams:

China Region:

FunPlus Phoenix

Royal Never Give Up

Invictus Gaming

Korean Region:

SK Telecom T1

Griffin

European Region:

G2 Esports

Fnatic

North American Region:

Team Liquid

Cloud9

Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macao Region:

J Team

Ahq Esports Club

Vietnam:

GAM Esports

Other Tournaments:

Apart from the World Champion series that brings all the best teams in the world together, there are smaller regional leagues with their own championships. Some of them are:

League of Legends European Championship(LES)

The League of Legends European Championship (LEC), is the name of the professional League of legends Esports league run by Riot game. 10 teams compete in the league. Each annual season of play is divided into spring and summer seasons with 9 weeks of play, then concluded by a play-off between the top 6 teams. At the end of the season, the team with the most championship point and the winner of the gauntlet tournament qualify for the annual League of Legends World Championship. The LEC represents the highest level of League of Legends play in Europe.

Teams:

Fnatic

SK Gaming

Origen

Excel Esports

Rogue

MAD Lions

G2 Esports

Misfits Gaming

Schalke 04

Team Vitality

League of Legends Pro League (LPL)

League of Legends Pro League (LPL) is the top level of professional League of Legends in China. The top 3 finishers of the playoff tournament receive automatic bids to the LoL World Championship.

Teams:

Edward Gaming

Royal Never Give Up

Invictus Gaming

Oh My God

JD Gaming

LGD Gaming

Positive Energy

Team WE

FunPlus Phoenix

League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)

League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) is the primary competition for LoL in South Korea. 10 teams compete for 2 seasons per year to qualify for the LoL World Championship. It is conducted by Riot games and KeSPA in partnership. It is widely considered to be the strongest league in League of Legends competitive scene.

.

Teams:

Afreeca Freecs

APK Prince

Damwon Gaming

DragonX

Gen.G

Hanwha Life Esports

KT Rolster

Sandbox Gaming

T1

Team Dynamics

League of Legends Champion Series (LCS)

The LCS is the top level of professional League of Legends in the United States and Canada. The Esports league is run by Riot games and has 10 franchise teams. Each annual season is divided into 2 seasons. The top 3 teams qualify for the annual League of Legends World Championship.

Teams:

Team SoloMid

Counter Logic Gaming

Cloud9

Team Liquid

FlyQuest

100 Thieves

Golden Guardians

Dignitas

Evil Geniuses

Immortals

Vietnam Championship Series (VCS)

The Vietnam Championship League is the professional LoL league run by Riot games and Garena based off in Vietnam. Teams have the opportunity to qualify for the LoL World Championship.

Teams:

Saigon Jokers

GAM Esports

Dashing Buffalo

Full Louis

Saigon Fantastic Five

EVOS Esports

Hanoi Fate

XGame

Team Ozone Cutie Monsters

League of Legends Continental League(LCL)

League of Legends Continental League (LCL) is the top level of professional League of Legends competition in the CIS region. It is organized by Riot Games Russia. There are 8 teams in the league.

Teams:

Elements Pro Gaming

Gambit Esports

Vega Squadron

M19

Dragon Army

RoX

Team Just

Vaevictis Esports

Pacific Championship Series (PCS)

The PCS is a professional League of Legends Esports league for players competing from Taiwan,Hong Kong, Macau and South East Asia. It has 10 teams in the league.

Teams:

Esports Club

Alpha Esports

Berjaya Dragons

HK Attitude

J Team

Liyab Esports

Machi Esports

Nova Esports

Resurgence

Talon Esports

Turkish Championship League(TCL)

The TCL is the professional LoL Esports league in Turkey.

Teams:

1907 Fenerbahce

5 Ronin

Besiktas Esports

Dark Passage

Galakticos

Istanbul Wildcats

Papara SuperMassive

Royal Youth Team AURORA

Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends CBLOL)

The CBLOL is the top professional LoL Esports league in Brazil. There are 8 teams in the league.

Teams:

Flamengo Esports

FURIA Uppercut

INTZ

KaBuM! Esports

paiN Gaming

Prodigy Esports

Redemption POA

Vivo Keyd

Liga Latinoamerica (LLA)

The LLA is the top level of professional League of Legends in Hispanic America.

Teams:

All Knights

Furious Gaming

Infinity Esports

Isurus

Kaos Latin Gamers

Pixel Esports Club

Rainbow7

EXTEN Esports

League of Legends Japan League (LJL)

The LJL is the top professional Esports league for LoL in Japan.The league has 8 teams under partnership.

Teams:

AXIZ

Burning Core

Crest Gaming Act

DetonatioN  FM

SoftBank Hawks

Rascal Jester

Sengoku Gaming

V3 Esports

Oceanic Pro League (OPL)

The OPL is the top level of professional LoL competition in Oceania. It is organized by Riot games and has eight teams.

Teams:

Avant Gaming

Chiefs Esports Club

Dire Wolves

Gravitas

Legacy Esports

MAMMOTH

ORDER

Pentanet.GG

Wondering how the different U.S. States approach Esports Betting? the KGB team has provided in-depth guides on how various State or County laws stack up on casino gambling. Check out the U.S. Guide below, where we’ll investigate each state and help you in your quest to Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly:

Pick your Esport, learn the dynamics of the match, and tap into the best betting strategies developed over the years. Can you build that elusive hot streak? There’s only one way to find out. Always remember, Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly: