G2 Esports Signs Deal with French Betting Platform Winamax

G2 Esports, one of Europe’s most prominent esports organisations, has announced a multi-year partnership with French betting operator Winamax. 

The deal will see G2 promote Winamax primarily through its League of Legends European Championship (LEC) team and its King League Germany squad. 

Winamax becomes the first betting sponsor to be approved by Riot Games in the region, following the gaming company’s decision to allow gambling companies to sponsor Valorant and League of Legends teams from last year. 

In a press release, Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2, stated, “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.”

Expect ‘Plenty of Chaos’ In New Podcast

The team said the deal will launch a new League of Legends podcast titled HopEUm. The show will unite co-streamers, pro players, and special guests from across Europe to break down everything that happened in the LEC. 

The team said to “Expect hot takes, deep dives, and plenty of chaos.”

Dechelotte added, “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.”

The podcast launch date has not yet been announced. 

Winamax Could Showcase Esports On TV Channel

To date, Winamax has primarily focused on soccer sponsorships. It has deals with four professional French clubs: RC Lens, Strasbourg, Stade Rennes, and HAC. 

Previously, it partnered with the French esports organization Solary, but the deal lasted only one year. Last year, it signed a deal with esports publication Sheep Esports, signalling continued interest in promoting esports. 

The company launched its own TV channel last year, which is available on its website, Twitch, Facebook Live, YouTube, Periscope, and Molotov TV. The channel is likely to feature some of the original content that G2 said the partnership will create. 

The deal follows MIBR becoming the first Valorant team to partner with a betting company. We could see an increasing number of LoL and Valorant teams joining forces with gambling companies in the near future.