Professional e-sports players will now find their entry to the United States easier, as
League of Legends' publisher has convinced US immigration
services to recognise the game as a sport.
The US offers professional sportsmen and women the ability to
stay up to five years in the United States. It's the visa that let
David Beckham join LA Galaxy. But non-American e-sports players
have been having difficulty joining US teams due to visa
restrictions.
That appears to be about to change, as Riot Games has persuaded
the US visa bureau that League of Legendsis a professional
sport, allowing Canadian player Danny "Shuphtur" Le
to compete in the country.
It's not the first time that the bureau has bent the rules to
encompass games as well as sports - chess is the best-known
example. But allowing League of Legendsplayers to receive
the same visas as traditional athletes will make things easier for
the burgeoning e-sport.
Riot Games' VP of e-sports, Dustin Beck, told Polygon: "This is a watershed moment. It
validates e-sports as a sport. Now we have the same designation as
the NBA or NHL or other professional sports leagues."
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