League of Legends Worlds 2026 betting odds and markets at Stake

The crowning event of the League of Legends Esports calendar gets underway in the United States this month. The LoL Worlds 2026 tournament features 3 stages and a $5 million prize pool. Get the latest LoL Worlds odds at Stake Sportsbook, and watch free live streams of every match. Betting markets available include outrights, match winners, handicaps and more.

What is the League of Legends World Championship?

The League of Legends World Championship returns to North America in 2026, with the United States as host. The League of Legends World Championship, better known as LoL Worlds, is the most prestigious League of Legends tournament. It concludes the professional LoL season. Riot Games organises the event annually, with top teams from regional leagues qualifying. 19 teams will enter the LoL Worlds this year to compete for the Summoner’s Cup.

Worlds 2026 dates, venues and host cities

The United States is hosting the LoL Worlds, with the Play-In tournament taking place at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, California. The Swiss Stage, Quarterfinals and Semifinals take place in the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. Ultimately, the finals will be held on 14 November at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

How the Worlds 2026 format works: Play-In, Swiss and knockout

The 2026 LoL Worlds consists of 3 stages, beginning with the play-ins. This is followed by the Swiss System, and then the knockout LoL Worlds bracket.

15-18 October - Play-In

4 teams play in the double-elimination bracket Play-In tournament. This stage decides the final team that qualifies for the Swiss Stage. All matches in this stage are played to the best of 5 games.

In game 1, the right of first selection is determined by draw order. For the qualifying match, the winner of the upper bracket has the right of dual selection.

Matches use the Fearless Draft, where teams can’t reuse a champion from previous games in a series. Each team also has 5 pre-game bans.

23-31 October - Swiss Stage

16 teams enter the 5-round Swiss format, with teams that win 3 matches heading to the knockouts. Teams that reach 3 losses are eliminated. All matches are played to the best of 1 game, except for elimination or advancement matches. These are played to the best of 3 games using the Fearless Draft.

For game 1 in a series, the team with the higher regional seed has the right of first selection. If both teams have the same regional seed, the right is determined by draw order.

3-8 November - Knockout Stage

8 teams progress from the Swiss Stage to the knockouts. This is a single-elimination bracket, where matches are played to the best of 5 games. Fearless Draft is in effect here.

For quarterfinal game 1, first selection goes to the team with a better Swiss Stage match record. If the records are equal, draw order is used instead. For the semifinals and finals, a coin flip determines the right of first selection.

Teams qualified for Worlds 2026

The following LoL Worlds 2026 teams will take part in the tournament:

League of Legends Worlds 2026 outright winner odds at Stake

Before the LoL Worlds begins and during the event, you can bet on the outright tournament winner at Stake. Gen.G are the opening favourites, just ahead of Hanwha Life Esports and T1, who are joint 2nd favourites. Bilibili Gaming are 4th favourites, while Anone’s Legend and Dplus KIA are 5th and 6th. Our LoL Worlds 2026 picks blog has more details on each team, including their chances of success in this tournament.

League of Legends bet types explained: match winner, map winner and handicaps

There are lots of betting markets available on League of Legends Worlds that you can wager at Stake. Popular options include:

• Match Winner - Twoway: This is a standard moneyline pick where you select which team you think will win.

• Map Handicap: Places a map handicap on either team, which they need to overcome. So if you bet on a team to win -1.5, they need to win by 2 maps.

• Total Maps: Bet on the over/under line for the total number of maps played during the match. Remember that during the Swiss Stage, all matches except for advancement and elimination matches are played on a single map.

• Match Total Kills: Bet on the over or under line for the total number of kills in the match.

• Wins at Least One Map: Bet on either team to win at least one map during the match.

• Correct Score: Predict the final score of the match, betting on how many maps each team wins.

• Map Winner: This lets you bet on the winner of a specific map during the match. For example, predicting the winner of the first map.

• Prop bets: These offer additional betting opportunities such as betting on 1st Blood, 1st Baron or 1st inhibitor on a specific map.

• 1st to Reach Kills: Bet on the Esports teams to be the first to reach a set number of kills on any map.

• Parlay bets: If you’d like to increase your betting odds, you can combine multiple bets. This increases your potential payout but your risk. Each selection needs to win for your parlay to pay out.

How to bet on LoL Worlds 2026 at Stake

1. Log in to your Stake account and check your available balance.

2. Make a deposit using one of the accepted payment methods if you need to.

3. Search for the team you want to bet on. Or use the menu to look up League of Legends > International > League of Legends Worlds 2026 for live and upcoming matches.

4. Switch to the outrights tab to see the outright LoL Worlds betting options.

5. Open a match to see all available betting options, then select any bet to add it to your bet slip.

6. Enter your stake in the bet slip, check your potential payout and then confirm to place your bet.

Our Esports betting guide and League of Legends betting guide have more details on how to choose your bets and available markets.

How to live stream LoL Worlds 2026 and bet in-play at Stake

While logged in to your Stake account, you’ll be able to follow every match of the LoL Worlds 2026. We’ve got free live streams throughout the tournament, so you never have to miss the action. While you’re watching, make the most of the in-play odds. These odds shift in real time based on the score and current momentum. Take advantage of the line movement to get the best prices on live betting markets.

League of Legends and esports promotions at Stake

Stake offers betting promotions for you to enjoy while betting on League of Legends. Find the latest offers now, and check out the VIP Club if you’re interested in earning regular rewards. Our VIP Club FAQ page has more details on how it works.

As you’re placing bets, it’s important to stay in control and avoid betting more than you can afford to lose. Stake offers a wide range of responsible gambling tools, and we’ve created our responsible betting guidelines for you to follow.