The Champion’s LoL Betting Guide for 2022
Written by, Toni Maglovski
Updated November, 22, 2021
Betting sites have only recently begun adding esports in their playbooks, and one of the first games they chose to allure bettors of the new age is the massively popular League of Legends.
Our up-to-date LoL betting guide covers the game basics before providing you with various insightful tips and tricks on placing the perfect bet.
Time for the epic play!
League of Legends Champion Classes
Before delving into League of Legends betting, you should familiarise yourself with the game fundamentals, including the various champion classes and their strengths and weaknesses. As of November 2021, the game’s 157 champions are placed into the following five categories:
- Assassins—as the name suggests, assassins use burst damage to quickly kill off high priority targets before escaping with the help of their enhanced mobility.
- Mages—champions that cast powerful spells to subdue or damage enemies while relying on large mana pools instead of basic attacks.
- Fighters—extraordinarily versatile and resilient champions that excel in close-range combat by both dealing and taking a large amount of damage.
- Marksmen—these champions secure their kills by shooting from afar through basic attacks, and their abilities complement typically complement this purpose.
- Tanks—as you might surmise, tanks are difficult to kill since they exist to take the brunt of the enemies’ focus and damage while aiding their allies with crowd control abilities.
- Supports—the support class has one purpose: assist their teammates in securing kills and objectives with abilities that heal, shield, and buff their allies.
When you bet on LoL esports, you place your fate in professional players to compose a team in which individual champions contribute to a great team chemistry. Remember, poorly composed teams perform poorly, thus reducing your chances to win your bet.
Top LoL Betting Tips
To improve your chances of winning a League of Legends bet, take note of the following valuable tips and tricks.
Staying Up to Date With the Competitive Scene
Watch as many games as possible to gain insight into the current state of the competitive scene. Simple enough, right? The best punters who bet on LoL keep a watchful eye on the latest results, roster changes, match history between rivals, the condition of key players, etc.
Understanding the Meta
To keep the game fresh, the developer keeps on tinkering with it even 12 years after release. Meaning, the metagame (the way champions, items, and playstyles work together) is in a state of constant flux. Well, bettors familiar with the latest changes can bet on the team that adequately adjusts their playstyle based on the latest meta.
Focusing on the Team Playstyle
Keep track of the style of play of teams that you follow since different types of playstyles guarantee more or less consistent results. For example, early-game aggressive teams might quickly overwhelm turtling teams aiming for long games if they do not defend properly.
Choosing the Right Match Format
What about the match format? Well, to eliminate lucky occurrences, such as underdogs beating much stronger opponents, you should always bet on longer League of Legends matches. For instance, while any team can cause an upset in a best-of-one, stronger opponents should ultimately prevail in best-of-three or best-of-five matches.
LoL Betting Markets
While not as comprehensive and varied as football markets, betting in LoL still offers plenty of bet types to satisfy even the most demanding punters.
Moneyline
One of the first and simplest types of bets is the moneyline bet, which involves picking a side they expect to win the match. The odds are adjusted depending on the current form of both teams. Naturally, betting on the stronger team pays out much less than betting on the underdog.
Handicap/Spread
Unlike the standard moneyline wager, spread betting involves using handicaps to level the odds between unevenly matched teams, so bookies get action on either side. In such cases, stronger teams are expected to win by a certain margin, while weaker teams will be given an advantage. The most common spread bet in LoL esports betting is the -1.5/+1.5 games bet.
Totals
When betting totals, punters simply choose if the outcome of the total of points or games in a match, etc. will be under or over a marker set by the betting house. For example, you can bet that a game will last at least three games or be done in two since the total is set to 2.5.
Prop Bets
The proposition bets in LoL are perhaps the most unique and unpredictable wagers out of all. Different sportsbooks may also offer wildly diverse prop bets. For example, while some bookies may allow you to bet on the number of kills, who destroys the first tower, etc., others may let you wager on who slays the dragon or the baron first, and more.
Most Popular Pre-Match Bets
If you decide to bet on League of Legends, you can choose many different pre-match bets depending on your bookie, in addition to the standard match winner wager.
For example, most sportsbooks allow you to bet on which team gets the first kill in a game; some bookies even offer you the granularity to pick the individual player that will get first blood.
Similar to first blood, you can wager on the first Baron Nashor kill as well. This NPC character buffs the team that kills him and will shift the balance of power, so teams always contest the kill.
Many players also bet on the duration of a match, which may last from 15 minutes to over an hour. Bookies will allow you to either place a totals bet (does the match last shorter or longer than a given marker?) or choose the exact interval (between 20 and 30 minutes, etc.).
How to Bet on LoL Online
Placing a bet on League of Legends is a fairly straightforward process of a few simple steps:
- Pick an online sportsbook that offers LoL esports betting.
- Check our list of the best new UK betting sites.
- Make an account and place a deposit via your preferred payment method.
- Choose a site that offers the best esports odds, bonuses, and withdrawal options.
- Choose the games, the bet types, and the amount you are wagering.
- Review your potential winnings and keep track of your betting slip.
- Watch a live stream of the games, or simply check if you have won afterwards.
Note: Depending on the sportsbook you choose, you might have access to different types of betting on League of Legends, including totals, spread, prop, map, and futures bets.
Before You Log In
Since League of Legends attracted the attention of the most popular online bookies, various pundits, players, and other interested parties started applying their knowledge of the game to place informed and winning bets. We hope our brief yet informative guide has encouraged you to try your luck in League of Legends gambling too. Although, once you get familiar with the current state of the game and consider our little tips, it won’t be pure luck only!
Frequently Asked Questions And Their Answers
Is betting on League of Legends online legal?
Of course! If you are over 18, you can rightfully bet on LoL and other esports in the UK, provided your chosen bookie includes these titles in its offering.
How can I get better at LoL betting?
In addition to reading our LoL betting guide, get inside information and learn the latest meta by watching professional LoL games or by playing the game yourself.
Should I use cryptocurrencies for League of Legends betting?
Sure, if the betting site allows it. While similar to gambling with fiat currency, using cryptocurrency offers certain advantages like increased anonymity and faster withdrawal times.
I always had an appetite for learning new things and random facts about almost everything, which is why when I got offered the job to work as a content writer at Don't Disappoint Me I took it without hesitation. Writing on a daily basis took my love for words and research to a whole new level, and made me realize that this is a career I would love to pursue. Although I spend most of my time researching my next piece, you can also find me on the football court, in the gym, or at home with a book in my hand.