League of Legends, or simply LoL, is one of the biggest free-to-play esports on the planet. Debuting in October 2009, the game pits two teams of five against each other to defend territory, with each team wielding a mighty Champion at the front of the pack.

The game is the jewel in the crown of Riot Games’ catalogue, having amassed millions of fans across the past decade. It’s one of the forerunners of modern esports gaming alongside StarCraft, so it’s little wonder that there are so many LoL betting markets.

There are several different modes to LoL, but you’ll typically find that players dive into the action via Summoner’s Rift. This mode sees both teams striving to take each other’s base and destroy their Nexus. It’s a little like ‘capture the flag’, if you’ve ever played online games elsewhere.

Over time, players and their Champions gain XP, or experience points, and level up. There are currently more than 160 Champions for players to pick from, meaning that each LoL match is likely to be pretty varied!

Why is betting on League of Legends so popular?

League of Legends is a game of patience, tactical nerve and out-and-out bravado. While there’s always a Champion involved, teams must work together to act defensively alongside mounting an attacking plan to take over the rival Nexus. This fast-paced gameplay has made the title one of the biggest esports franchises on the planet.

What’s more, punters heading to sportsbooks to bet on traditional football and rugby markets, for example, often find betting on League of Legends to be a nice change of pace. Watching a LoL game is often just as exciting as cheering on your favourite team – and it’s no surprise that popularity with sports bettors has followed.

League of Legends betting has evolved massively over the past few years, opening up lots of different markets beyond simple outright wins. Bitsler Casino always works hard to find the most competitive odds and most interesting opportunities for punters – and we’ll dive into a few different ways that you can bet on LoL shortly.

One of the main reasons why LoL betting is so popular is the major tournaments that unfold across the year. Like most popular sports, there are trophies and championships that LoL players can strive for if they’re feeling brave enough. Let’s take a look at a couple of the biggest tournaments you can bet on across the year.

League of Legends World Championship

The League of Legends World Championship debuted just two years after LoL launched – back in 2011, Riot Games announced the inaugural tournament and has been the host in charge ever since.

This championship surrounds a fierce knockout battle to claim the prestigious Summoner’s Cup, a hefty trophy worth millions of dollars!

Teams aiming to compete in the hallowed tournament must qualify through regional leagues and competitions before heading into single-knockout round-robin matches.

The LoL World Championship switches location each year, and there’s usually fierce speculation over who is likely to come away with the spoils. If you’re just getting into betting on League of Legends, you might want to keep a close eye on T1, South Korea’s premier LoL side. They’ve won four Championships at the time of writing, making them the most decorated side.

The Mid-Season Invitational

Any LoL fan will tell you that the road to the World Championship is long and challenging. In fact, beyond the regional leagues and qualifiers, teams will need to brace themselves for the Mid-Season Invitational, which first started back in 2015.

Again founded and hosted by Riot Games, this championship is regarded as the ‘number two’ event on the LoL schedule and provides wildcard teams with a shot at heading to the World Championship that same season.

While T1 might have the most spoils from the world stage, the most decorated team in LoL’s mid-season games is Royal Never Give Up, a Chinese side with three championship wins at the time of writing.

Therefore, if you’re keen to start betting on League of Legends, it’s worth looking at team form beyond South Korean sides!

Tiered Leagues

Much like in football, LoL also oversees tiered leagues where players from all over the world compete for places in the biggest championships. At the time of writing, for example, there are nine professional leagues, with many lower championships stacking alongside.

Some of the biggest Tier 1 leagues in the game include North America’s League Championship, which welcomes eight teams, and the League of Legends Pro League, or LPL, in China. Here in Europe, the biggest championship at this level is the League of Legends EMEA Championship, which welcomes 10 players from across the continent, as well as Africa and the Middle East.

Scaling further down the regional championships, you’ll also find the Northern League of Legends Championship, a third-tier professional league that welcomes players from the UK, Ireland and the Nordics.

One look at the tier listings for LoL will tell you that the game is immensely popular in the East, though it has also got a firm following in mainland Europe.

Betting on League of Legends: what bets can you place?

League of Legends betting at Bitsler Casino arrives with a variety of different markets, odds and bet types. Depending on the match you bet on, you’ll be able to break down games into different win conditions and even place bets on scoring. Let’s take a closer look at how this works in practice.

Betting on League of Legends: Markets

The most obvious betting markets available for LoL at Bitsler are outright wins. This means that you essentially decide who you think will win a specific head-to-head – i.e., who will destroy the enemy Nexus first. Of course, different game modes are available outside of Summoner's Rift, and we host markets for these where available.

Betting markets for LoL at Bitsler let you choose who you think will successfully attack the Nexus first, and who you think will be the standout players in a given match. Once you’ve watched a few games and have a feel for the form of different teams, you might want to start betting beyond the outright markets and scoring.

Betting markets for LoL will vary, especially if you’re getting into in-play bets. In-play markets let you track a LoL live score and take advantage of changing odds as a match progresses.

For example, the odds of one team winning before a match starts might change drastically if they start to lose Nexus health fast, with players starting to scramble to gain ground back.

Live play markets change wildly during play, meaning that we typically recommend them only to punters who have some experience with LoL before getting started. Why not take the time to watch a few matches before getting into more complex markets?

Betting on League of Legends: Bet types

As with other esports that you can bet on at Bitsler Casino, our LoL betting section lets you place bets on outright winners, totals, and handicaps. Handicap betting essentially lets you access better odds for teams that might not necessarily be the favourites to win in a given match.

However, you can bet on more than just a straight outcome. Look deeper into LoL betting through our sportsbook and you will find an option to bet via parlay.

Parlay betting is much like an accumulator. You need to place bets on two or more outcomes and the odds will combine to boost your potential prize win.

However, parlay betting comes at a risk. You’ll need all of the matches you bet on this slip to convert – meaning that if one loses, you lose the entire slip.

For punters just getting into League of Legends betting, there’s the standard single-bet play, which many prefer to stick to when getting started. Rest assured that we provide you with as much detail as we can on the matchups we host markets and odds for so that you’re adequately informed!

LoL betting on Bitsler

The difference in betting on League of Legends at Bitsler compared to other casinos and sportsbooks is the fact that you can exclusively use cryptocurrencies to get behind your favourite teams and players.

Bitsler is crypto-first by design. We let you leave fiat money and traditional debit cards behind so that you can bet on esports such as LoL without having to link your activity to your bank. It’s a great way to help make LoL betting more private.

What’s more, we accept a range of different coins, converted fairly, for deposit and withdrawal. For example, you might wish to open your wallet to play with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Ripple or Dogecoin. We support more than 25 different cryptocurrencies at present – take a look at our complete list for further details.

Simply deposit with your choice of coin via your account and place bets on LoL through the sportsbook. You can do so via mobile or desktop as you prefer – there’s no need to feel restricted to one particular device.

Let’s break down how you can start betting on LoL markets through Bitsler as soon as you’re ready.

How to place bets on Bitsler

To start betting on League of Legends through Bitsler, head straight to the ‘Esports’ section once you’ve logged into your account as usual. Then, as you scroll or swipe down the menu on the left-hand side, you’ll see League of Legends as one of the choices available.

To launch the LoL side of the sportsbook, tap or click its name, and you’ll then see a new window or display of different markets and odds pop up to the right. If there are games and competitions available, you can filter through in-play markets and upcoming matches.

While you’re here, you can also choose how you’d like to bet on LoL matches. You can choose between Winner, Total, Handicap and All markets from a dropdown box. You can then explore different matches and markets that apply to these filters.

Look through the matches available and choose odds in a match that appeal to you. You might find, for example, a bet on T1 to win at 2.1 decimals.

Then, enter in how much you’d like to bet from the coins in your wallet, making sure to deposit before you do so.

Place your bet, and wait for the match to play out. You can also follow the LoL live score if you wish and get into in-play betting. Once the match finishes, Bitsler will credit your wallet with the credit you’re due if you win in your chosen market!