League of Legends Betting

History and Gameplay

League of Legends (often referred to as LoL) was announced in October 2008 and was well received upon its release in 2009, receiving favourable reviews from major gaming publications such as IGN, Eurogamer and PC Gamer. Online bookmakers began to list League of Legends betting markets in 2011. By July 2012 it was the most played PC game in North America and Europe.

As of January 2014, League of Legends had over 7.5 million people playing concurrently during peak hours. In League of Legends each player controls a character referred to as a ‘champion’, each of which possesses a unique skillset. At the beginning of each match champions start at a low level, slowly gaining experience throughout to reach the maximum level of 18. If a champion is defeated they are revived in their base after a certain amount of time passes.

Players begin each match with a low amount of gold. Throughout the match they can earn more gold by killing non-player characters known as ‘minions’, killing opposing players, destroying enemy buildings and through item interactions or depending on the type of champions, their own abilities.

The reason for League of Legends betting becoming so popular can be put down its dynamic nature. It is by no means a static game, with over 1000 employees working on it full time, adding and removing new features and mechanics to keep the game fresh. For example, the ‘Rift Herald’ an enemy located in the upper side of the River on Summoner’s Rift (the game’s main map) was only introduced in 2016 and had its abilities redefined in 2017.

Understanding the Champions

At the time of writing there are 140 champions to choose from for a League of Legends game, each of which fall into a different category. Bear the following mind when considering your League of Legends betting strategy:

• Fighter | A champion with decent survivability and damage dealing abilities and a regular choice for close-range fighters.
• Marksman | Ranged champions who normally deal physical damage over a longer period of time as opposed to powerful hits in one go.
• Mage | Champions with powerful magic and support skills but who are generally weak when put defensive positions.
• Assassin | Focused on fast kills, these champions are extremely mobile and are best for striking powerful targets.
• Tank | These champions are designed to be difficult to kill and can take swathes of damage on behalf of their team where necessary.
• Support | These champions bolster and heal the rest of their team and are often responsible for viewing the game holistically and keeping an eye on the map.

League of Legends Odds

The sheer amount of variables in a match of should be kept in mind when analysing League of Legends odds. A ‘line-up’ of champions is just as important in League of Legends as the starting squad in a game of football is. Similarly important are the AI elements of the game. Take ‘Baron Nashor’ for example, a neutral enemy located in the upper side of the River. When a team kills Baron Nashor each member is given a boost which makes their nearby minions more powerful.

Many small factors like this can have a huge impact on the game. When considering League of Legends odds there is only one map used in eSports tournaments called ‘Summoner’s Rift’ (unlike CS:GO where there’s more than a few). You can bet on a team not losing a game throughout the series which is normally best of three but can also be best of five. Live odds can currently be found for League of Legends at Betradar sites across the web.

League of Legends Betting Strategy

Ultimately your knowledge of the game will be your biggest friend when it comes to your League of Legends betting strategy. Knowing the ins and outs of each team and the champions that they like to play is key. Also important is having an understanding of which teams tend to fare better in the early or late stages of a game. Some champion abilities are more beneficial in the early part of the game while the benefits for others may become apparent towards the end.

As with all betting opportunities, it’s important to research before parting with any of your hard-earned cash. If you do plan on partaking in League of Legends betting consider the data required to inform your bets. If you focus on watching past matches to get a feel for the game and analyse teams records against one another there’s no reason why League of Legends can’t play a part in your overarching eSports betting strategy.

Many top online betting sites offer free bets to new customers who sign up, so there could be an opportunity to test the water with slightly reduced risk if you choose to avail of one of these offers.

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