League of Legends Live Betting: Complete Guide

What is LoL live betting?

Live esports betting (sometimes referred to as in play esports betting) has one main difference compared to regular esports betting: it’s happening live. That means all betting markets are offered between after the start of the match until it ends.

It is far more engaging than a standard pre match bet. It increases your interest in the game as well as providing you some much needed info that you would not have had access to before the match started.

There are plenty of things bettors must consider in terms of live League of Legends betting. You will need to narrow your focus and bet only on a small variety of options. You do not want to spread yourself too thin.

You should make sure you have a good knowledge of hero matchups, teams/players record with heroes and any relevant grabs in the pick phase. This information is not available to bettors before the beginning of the game and it cannot affect pre-match betting.

When you boil it all down to its very basic components, live betting gives you far more information on which to place your bet than any betting that takes place before the match. If you are serious about your betting, you could end up placing bets in the early, mid, and late game of a single match.

Esports Bookmakers That Offer Live Betting

At Strafe, we work hard to make sure that our users always have access to the best information available. Below is a list of the best esports betting operators that offer live betting. Additionally, you can check out our LOL betting guide here.

1.

4.9/5

SI Sportsbook Review

BET $20 GET $200 IN FREE BETS

Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 21+

First deposit only | 21+ & located in VA | Promo code as seen| A qualifying bet is $20 or more | Min odds of +120 or more | Free Bet Tokens credited after bet is settled and expire after 7 days | Free Bet stakes not included in winnings | Please Gamble Responsibly - Gambling Problem? VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500 | Full T&C apply

2.

4.8/5

Bet365 Review

Bet $1 & Get $365 in Bonus Bets

Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 21+

Bet $1 and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+

3.

4.7/5

PointsBet Review

5 x $50Bet Credits

Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 21+

4.

4.6/5

BetRivers.com Review

100% up to $500

Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 21+

5.

4.6/5

DraftKings Review

20% up to $1000

Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 21+

Of course, these operators also offer odds on many other esports besides League of Legends as well as pre match bets. But, if you are serious about getting your bets on in the middle of a game, look no further than these websites.

If you can’t decide on what betting site you want to go with, you should pay attention to the features that they offer. Which website you choose could depend on the odds that they offer. Every site will offer bets on match winners but if you feel confident enough and want to expand your betting possibilities you might have to search a bit harder.

If you are a new bettor, you should check out websites that make the onboarding process as simple as possible as well as offer the nicest looking and simplest user experience.

You should look at the size of the welcome bonus, the deposit methods that are available to you, the LOL promo codes and most importantly, is it available in your country?

Breaking Down the Game — When is the best time to place a live bet?

When you want to place a live bet on a League of Legends match, there are plenty of things you should consider. You will need to narrow your focus and bet only on a small variety of options. You do not want to spread yourself too thin.

Before the proper gameplay even begins you should make sure you have a good knowledge of hero matchups, teams/players record with heroes and any relevant grabs in the pick phase. This information is not available to bettors before the beginning of the game and it cannot affect pre-match betting. So, before any player sets foot on the map, you will have plenty of information upon which you can make an informed decision.

During the game you should be keeping a close eye on the lane matchups or swaps, the impact of early kills/objectives and how swings in gold and experience could change the final result. There are often peaks and valleys in a game of League of Legends. Try to avoid making panic bets early in the game. If a team has good reserves and a well-balanced defensive team, I would advise bettors to wait as long as they can to place a bet. Make sure you can tell how the tide is turning.

If you want to place a bet in the early game, there are a few options for live betting that just won’t be available if you wait around for too long.

First Blood: This is one of the most popular bets available for the game. It works just like it sounds, you place bets on which team you believe will make the first kill of the game. This is a great one to place as it really draws you into the game and it usually resolves itself in the first 10 minutes of the match.

This sets up the rest of the game and is often a good predictor for the overall winner of the watch. The wagering is very straight forward, and it is often a binary A or B choice. You can get a lot more granular on certain sites by selecting individual players. This is a lot harder to do but if you are willing to spend the time with your nose in some stats, it can become a lot easier. Overall, this can be a risky bet but if you make sure to understand the difference between aggressive and LCK play you could make some good bets here.

If you want to wait around and take some more time to make a decision on what to bet on, you can easily find yourself in the mid game. Below is a great mid game live bet.

First to take Baron: Another “First” bet. This option gives bettors the chance to bet on the team you believe will kill the first Baron of the match.

Baron Nashor is a very important global objective for League of Legends games. The buff that it gives can make or break a match in the late game. This sort of bet requires a good understanding of each team's Baron strategies and will take a lot more work than simply looking up stats for previous wins.

In the end game of a match you should look at the map or match winner bets.

You should also be aware of lag. This is important not just for the live feed on the betting site but also the lag of the actual match as it is being streamed. Approach live betting with patience and be aware that the feeds may not update immediately and hold off until you are certain you will get the best League of Legends odds.

Is League of Legends live betting for beginners?

Live betting may not be for everyone, Live betting options provide you with a whole host of information that you did not have before the match began but you need to be able to understand what you are watching before you can place an informed bet.

If you are just starting out in your betting career, there are a few easier bets that you could place before you jump straight into the deep end.

You could try your hand at some LOL handicap betting, many sports books will offer handicaps on various League of Legends events. This helps to level the playing field in matches with a clear favorite. This means that you can safely bet on either team with relatively even odds.

To do this, the bookmaker or online betting site will give points to the underdog and take them from the favorite. This prevents a one-sided betting scenario and prevents the match from becoming stale.

League of Legends matches are typically held in a best of three format. The spread is set at +/-1.5. This means that the team that is favored at the beginning of the match will have 1.5 points subtracted from their score at the end of the match, while the underdog will have 1.5 point added to theirs.

If you want to stick with pre match betting, you should make sure that you do your research beforehand. It requires a lot more information beyond simple odds. If you take your time and understand the two teams facing each other, you will have a better chance at winning your bets.

All you really need to do is stay up to date on the League of Legends competitive scene. If all you have to go one is team names, you will be out of luck and out of cash pretty quickly.  You should be able to check up on the latest results, roster changes, match history, upcoming tournaments and, even more important in 2023, delays. Make sure you stick with Strafe for the most up to date info on League of Legends.

When you come to place a bet, there are four major types of betting when it comes to League of Legends:

Match Winner:

This has to be the simplest bet to understand. All you need to do is bet on the winner of the match, sit back and root for your team.

First Blood:

You place bets on which team you believe will make the first kill of the game. This is a great one to place as it really draws you into the game and it usually resolves itself in the first 10 minutes of the match.

Match Duration:

Since the game is objective based you can bet on the time it will take for the game to end and one team to complete the objectives. One game could last from 115 minutes to an hour.

First to take Baron:

Another “First” bet. This option gives bettors the chance to bet on the team you believe will kill the first Baron of the match

Six alternative bets for League of Legends betting beginners:

1. Handicap/Spread
2. Match Winner
3. Map Winner
4. Outright Winner
5. First Blood
6.  First Baron

Our number one bookmaker for LoL live betting

One of the best esports betting operators that offers live betting is GG.bet. As you could probably surmise from the name, this operator began as a solely esports focused site. If you are a regular reader of esports news or simply have a passing interest in the scene it is very likely that you will have heard of them.

Sports Bonus

4.9/5

Sports Bonus

4.9/5

BET $20 GET $200 IN FREE BETS

T&Cs apply, 21+

Copy

Get Bonus

They are a big name in the League of Legends live streaming and gambling business. They have a wide and extensive coverage of many esports markets, especially League of Legends, they often offer seasonal bonuses for all of their customers.

Their site offers many live betting options that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, as well as provide in-browser betting live streams so that you can watch the games and bet on them without leaving the website. Some esports betting sites only provide an updating score card, but by using the sites in built Twitch streaming service, you can have far more up to date information.

Now, the thing you are really interested in, the bonus. While their welcome bonus may not be the best in class, they do offer a bonus of 100% for up to €50 — though this may change depending on where you’re playing from.. Not crazy but it is very simple to claim.

Key takeaways — 5 tips to improve your League of Legends live betting

Before the proper gameplay even begins you should make sure you have a good knowledge of hero matchups, teams/players record with heroes and any relevant grabs in the pick phase. This information is not available to bettors before the beginning of the game and it cannot affect pre-match betting. You should be able to check up on the latest results, roster changes, match history, upcoming tournaments and, even more important in 2023, delays. You can check out our League of Legends betting tips right here.

Live betting may not be the best choice for new bettors. It certainly gives you a bunch of information that you didn’t have before the match began, but if you don’t know what is going on or can’t understand the information that has been provided to you, you could easily make a poor and uninformed decision.

Make sure you stay up to date. Like I mentioned before, if you don’t know what is happening in the League of Legends competitive scene, you will not be able to place informed live bets. It’s as simple as checking out the game on Twitch. At any given moment there will be thousands of gamers streaming League of Legends. Make sure you check out the tournament schedules and watch some pro level games. The skill that goes into competitive esports is crazy and if you are up to date on the changes in the scene you will have a better chance when it comes to betting on the esport. Check out websites like ours or Lolesports.com and Liquipedia.net for up-to-date League of Legends competitive information.

Make sure you pick the bookmaker that is right for you. There are plenty of traditional sports books that also offer odds on esports events. If you want a more focused approach to esports betting you should look at betting operators that are esports only or began with an esports focus. If you are new to betting or just esports betting, it is worth taking you time and finding the bookmaker with the best onboarding process for new users.

Understand what live bet you want to place during the game. If you are betting in the early game, you should try to bet on something like First Blood, the first kill of the game. If you are betting in the mid game, you should bet on a mid-game objective like Baron Nashor. If you are betting in the late game, you will have more information to place a bet like match or map winner.

League of Legends Live Betting FAQ