League of Legends, or LoL, is one of the biggest and most successful esports on the planet, with millions of people playing and watching it across the globe. With its exciting, fast-paced, and engaging gameplay, it should not come off as a surprise LoL’s player base has grown exponentially since the first League of Legends beta download link popped up on the internet. As of 2020, the game is boasting well over 100 million active players.
But it’s not only the players who get drawn into Riot Games’ prized MOBA game title but esports bettors as well, who quickly realized League of Legends betting could be just as exciting as playing the game itself. If you are one of those people who want to learn how to bet on League of Legends and learn a trick or two that will give you an edge in your League of Legends betting endeavor, you have come to the right place!
In this guide, we will look over the basics about League of Legends and the history of the game from the very beginning when the first League of Legends open beta sign up was available. We’ll look at how League of Legends betting odds look like, which are the most common betting types, and give our opinion on which is the best League of Legends betting site. In the end, we’ll provide you with a few tips that you can use when placing a bet on League of Legends games.
League of Legends belongs in a family of MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games, meaning the game closely resembles Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, and other similar game titles.
League of Legends was first announced on Oct. 7, 2008, but it was not until April 10, 2009 (official League of Legends beta date) when the public first got to test out Riot Games' new creation. At the time, the game was still in closed beta, meaning only a handful of people got offered a League of Legends beta sign up code, leaving thousands upon thousands of players waiting for the official release on Oct. 27, 2009.
Since its release in late 2009, League of Legends has changed drastically, with the addition of new characters (Champions), new items, and some tweaks to the map. However, the nature of the game remained the same throughout its history.
Each LoL game is played with two teams of five players who enter the virtual arena named the Summoner's Rift. Each player plays the role of a "Summoner," who controls one of 148-plus Champions with a third-person perspective over the arena.
Each Champion has his own set of unique abilities and skills, which makes each game a unique experience with countless strategies that can be forged with different team compositions.
As in any other MOBA title, the goal of the game is to destroy the enemy's main building (Nexus), which is protected by the enemy players, defensive structures, and AI-controlled minions. Once the Nexus is destroyed, the game ends.
Those are the bare basics of how LoL is played. However, for anyone for looking to start betting on League of Legends matches, a better understanding of the game will be required. You can get that knowledge by either watching the professional games or simply playing the game yourself.
Betting on LoL - Basics
Understanding the game is a good start in your quest to learn how to bet on League of Legends, but knowing what the odds mean, how to approach betting and understanding of the different bet types you will come across is vital, and we will look over all that in this section.
League of Legends betting odds
Betting odds offered on League of Legends are no different to odds offered on any other esports title or any other traditional sport. Depending on the bookmaker, the odds will be written in one of the three formats, in either decimal (1.80), fractional (4/5), or Moneyline (-125) format.
Almost all bookmakers will have an option to switch out the formats. However, as a serious bettor, you should understand them all, since it can make the process of searching for better odds significantly faster and more efficient.
League of Legends bet types
On your journey in which you will learn how to bet on League of Legends, you will come across many different bet types offered on League of Legends matches. Luckily all of them are easy to understand. Here we will look over some of the most common bet types.
How to Bet on League of Legends Moneyline
You will also see this type of bet named as the "match-winner" or "Head to Head" bet.
As an example, we have a match between Gen.G and Team Liquid, where Gen.G are massive favorites.
Gen.G
-220 (1.45)
Team Liquid
+145 (2.45)
In this case, you will need to wager $220 on Gen.G to earn $100, whereas a $100 bet on Team Liquid could potentially earn you a $145 payout. In other words, a $100 bet on Gen.G will earn you $45, while a $100 bet on Team Liquid will net you $145.
How to Bet on League of Legends Map winner
Not to be confused with match winner bet, the map winner bet offers you an opportunity to bet on which team will win a map. Depending on the league and tournament, League of Legends matches are played in either best-of-one (Bo1), best-of-three (Bo3), and best-of-five (Bo5), with the latter usually reserved for the grand finals of major tournaments.
Map winner bets in matches that are played as Bo1 will be the same as Moneyline/outright bets since there will only be one map played. That format will most commonly be used in the LCS (League of Legends Championship Series) regular-season matches.
In Asian leagues and international competitions, however, most matches will be played as Bo3, which will open up an opportunity to explore map betting.
This type of bet is commonly used by more experienced bettors since it's difficult to predict the performance of a team on each map. It is, however, a very useful bet type when betting on live matches, where a small mistake of a team can quickly turn the tides of the match.
How to Bet on League of Legends Spread
Spread betting is one of the most commonly used bet types in both traditional sports betting and esports betting. With spread betting, you level the playing field in matches, where one team is a clear favorite, by either taking the "points" from the favorite to giving the points to the underdog team.
In League of Legends, you will come across spread betting on kills and maps, with the latter reserved only for best-of matches. In a Bo3 match, the spread bet will always be a +/-1.5, whereas you will see a +/-2.5 spread on Bo5 matches.
As an example, we will look at a match between G2 Esports and Team Vitality, who will play in a Bo3 match.
G2 Esports
-1.5 maps
-120 (1.83)
Team Vitality
+1.5 maps
+100 (2.00)
If you were to bet on G2 Esports at -1.5 maps, they would need to win the match with a clean sweep (2-0), thus without losing a single map, while siding with Team Vitality on +1.5 maps would mean you're counting on them to win at least one map. The same concept applies in Bo5 matches, where a +/-2.5 spread (and even 3.5) will be offered.
How to Bet on League of Legends Totals
With totals betting, you are predicting whether a certain element will happen more or fewer times than the predetermined amount set by the bookmaker. In League of Legends, you will most commonly come across totals bet for the number of kills and number of maps played, with the latter only available in the best-of series.
As an example, we will look at the previously mentioned match between G2 Esports and Team Vitality, who play a Bo3 match.
G2 Esports
Over 2.5 maps
-140 (1.71)
Team Vitality
Under 2.5 maps
+100 (2.00)
In this case, you're either backing whether one team will walk away victorious without losing a single map or whether the series will go the distance i.e., all three maps will be played.
While the total map bet is very appealing to esports bettors, the total kills bet is not to be ignored, as it offers you an excellent opportunity to win a bet even if the team you side with loses the match, since the number of kills is not necessarily a key factor in winning a League of Legends match.
Some bookmakers will also offer you totals bet on the number of Turrets destroyed, the duration of the game, number of dragons killed, and other elements of the game.
How to Bet on League of Legends Futures
League of Legends future bets will ask you to predict the outcome of a major event or a league ahead of time, often months before the competition in question begins. Some futures bets are also structured as proposition bets, i.e., "Will G2 Esports make the Finals" or "Will Fnatic reach the semifinals".
The future odds are generally the most favorable shortly after the esports bookmakers release them. As the event starts to approach and more information becomes available, however, the odds tend to shift drastically.
How to Bet on League of Legends Props
Proposition bets present you with a proposition about an event of the game that might or might not happen. Since these kinds of bets are usually extremely specific and relate to the events that don't necessarily affect the final outcome of the game, making proposition bets is something to stay away from until you bet a better understanding of the game.
Some of the most common proposition bets are:
Which team will slay the dragon first?
Which team will slay the Baron first?
Which team will draw the first blood?
Which team till destroy the first tower?
Which team till destroy the first inhibitor?
Where to bet on League of Legends
Now that you got a hold of the basics behind how to bet on League of Legends, you are probably wondering where you can bet on League of Legends. Since League of Legends is one of the most popular esports amongst bettors, finding odds on LoL matches will be as easy as finding a bookmaker that offers odds on esports events.
Unlike DOTA 2 and CS:GO, League of Legends doesn't have any skins that can be traded, meaning you will only be able to bet money on League of Legends, although some skin betting websites also accept skins and other tradeable cosmetic items from other game titles.
Some of the best esports betting League of Legends websites available on the market currently are: Bet365 and BetWay.
Now that we have covered everything there is to know about League of Legends betting, we have some final tips and tricks that will help you turn your LoL betting journey into a profitable one.
League of Legends Betting strategies and tips
Get familiar with the game by playing it yourself
League of Legends is an ever-developing game that gets regularly updated and changed, meaning that in a few months, the game will be played differently due to meta changes. If you want to get ahead of the curve and get a better understanding of the game, playing the game yourself is the best course of action you can take.
Additionally, creating an account on League of Legends public beta test realm will allow you to test the upcoming changes ahead of time, which will help you understand how the game will potentially change in the next update.
If you're wondering how to get League of Legends beta client on your computer, all you need to do is visit the official website and click on League of Legends public beta client download link. Just like the game itself, playing on PBE is completely free.
Look for the best odds and promotions
A tip that can be used in any form of betting, getting your hands on the best odds on the market, and taking advantage of bookmaker's promotions never hurt anyone. Even the smallest of differences in odds make a big difference on your bankroll in the long run, while promotions usually allow you to double your deposits, giving you more money to bet with - for free.
Different leagues use different playstyles
Once you begin to watch the professional League of Legends, you will notice different regions use different playstyles, utilize different meta, and use overall have a different approach to their games. That is something to take note of when betting on international events, where teams from all over the globe met on the Rift.
League of Legends fantasy betting
While it may seem very similar to skin betting, League of Legends fantasy betting is a very enjoyable and potentially profitable way to bet on League of Legends. This form of betting, however, demands a great deal of understanding of the meta, teams, and individual players.
Nonetheless, with fantasy betting, you can add some spice to your League of Legends betting journey and even make some additional profit from it.
How to Bet on League of Legends FAQ
Which is the best LoL league to bet on?
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League of Legends competitive landscape spans across 12 Tier-1 leagues and 10 Tier-2 leagues. Because the top-tier leagues receive significantly more coverage, they are preferred by League of Legends bettors, since you can get your hands on the needed information quicker.
Picking which of the 12 leagues you want to focus on, however, is entirely in your hands but it's worth noting that LCS (US), LEC (EU), LCK (Korea) and LPL (China) are four of the most popular due to also being four of the strongest leagues.
How can I become a League of Legends beta tester?
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Unlike how it was years ago, you do not need to look for a League of Legends open beta sign-up, nor create a separate League of Legends beta account to become a beta tester since PBE accounts are directly linked to your existing one. This means that becoming a League of Legends beta tester requires only two things: a Riot Games account and a League of Legends beta client, both of which are free.
What are the most popular League of Legends events to bet on?
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Outside of the four top leagues, League of Legends annually hosts two major events in Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship, which take place around May and in November, respectively. These events usually receive massive coverage and are also two of the most popular events esports bettors bet on.
