Credit: Riot Games/Sportradar
Mentioned in this article
League/Tournament Brands:
- Data firm Sportradar will monitor global betting for Riot Games’ League of Legends competitions and report and investigate potential integrity concerns.
- The company will also work with Riot to review its policies regarding player integrity and help develop educational training initiatives.
- An LGD Gaming player was recently suspended in China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) for illegal betting and match-fixing suspicions. His manager received a permanent ban.
League of Legends 
creator Riot Games has partnered with sports-centric data firm Sportradar to monitor global betting for the esport and identify potential integrity issues.
The company’s Sportradar Integrity Services division will analyze global betting activity for all Riot Games-held League of Legends esports events, and report concerns to the company. According to a release, Sportradar’s Intelligence and Investigation Services unit can also help Riot with any issues that pop up, such as suspicions of illegal betting and match fixing, plus the company will also review Riot’s current policies and help develop future educational training for players.
“The competitive integrity of our sport is of the utmost importance for Riot Games. As our sport continues to grow, it’s important that we monitor developing trends and ensure we have the necessary mechanisms in place to account for shifts in our industry,” said Riot Games head of esports insights Doug Watson, in a release. “This partnership with Sportradar enables us to protect our players, teams, and competitions and continue to deliver a best-in-class product to our fans.”
Related Article: Riot Games, Nielsen to Offer League of Legends Esports Sponsorship Valuation
Sportradar currently monitors more than 300,000 annual sports matches and works with leagues such as the NBA, NHL, MLB, and FIFA. The company also provides an array of other data-driven products, such as stats, content platforms, media analytics, and even betting platform integration.
League of Legends recently weathered a match-fixing scandal in Tencent’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in China. In June, LGD Gaming player Xiang “Condi” Ren-Jie was suspended for 18 months for gambling on his matches and purportedly throwing a match, while team manager Song “Hesitate” Zi-Yang was banned for life from all League of Legends competition. A coach and player from LGD’s Academy program also received a 10-month suspension, and all were terminated from the organization.
