G2 Esports has signed a multi-year partnership with the French operator Winamax. It became the organization’s official esports betting partner across the League of Legends team in the LEC and its Kings League Germany project, G2 FC.
According to G2’s press release, this partnership is the first betting or online casino sponsorship allowed by Riot Games since the rule change that permitted sponsors from the gambling, betting, and iGaming industry, conditional upon Riot’s approval.
As part of this collaboration, G2 and Winamax will launch a new weekly LEC-themed podcast called HopEUm, hosted by Trevor “Quickshot” Henry, a former League of Legends shoutcaster. The organization stated that many co-streamers, pro players, and other special guests will make an appearance.
G2’s CEO, Alban Dechelotte, commented on this partnership:
We’re incredibly excited to work with a truly pan-European partner who feels like a perfect fit for G2. Our fans are everywhere, literally in every single country and it means a lot to us to collaborate with a brand that shares that same European DNA. With the launch of HopEUm, we wanted to go beyond a classic partnership and create something that genuinely brings value to our fans and the wider community. This show will, for the first time, capture the point of view of each community across Europe, and we can’t wait to see it come to life.
In addition to the podcast, G2 is teasing various activations, original content made in collaboration with Winamax, and various fan activities across Europe.
G2 Esports is heavily emphasizing that this partnership was made possible with Riot Games’ nod, and the first one in Europe that was able to get this seal of approval. It is unknown what the criteria are for the betters to be allowed to sponsor teams across Europe, and whether the rules are similar in other regions due to the different nature of franchising agreements across the leagues.
G2 Esports is not hiding the fact that this partnership was signed to boost the revenue of the organization, and they even allude to it in their signature tongue-in-cheek manner in the announcement clip.
This announcement happened during quite a difficult time for many esports organizations. Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur has recently commented on the removal of LCK’s prize pool, calling the move “unfortunate,” and explaining how difficult it is for the teams to generate revenue.
