'League of Legends' now a professional sport

Quick, what do NBA superstar LeBron James and multiplayer online battle game "League of Legends" player Danny "Shiphtur" Le have in common? Both are considered professional athletes in the United States.

The US Visa Bureau now considers "League of Legends" a professional sport, according to a report on tech site The Verge.

"(T)he first person to benefit will be Canadian player Danny 'Shiphtur' Le, who was temporarily unable to compete this spring because of work permit problems," The Verge reported.

It quoted the Nick Allen, e-sports manager of LOL's publisher Riot Games, as telling Gamespot last July 11 that US immigration services had been convinced to recognize LOL as a professional sport and simplify the visa process accordingly.

E-sports VP Dustin Beck confirmed the change to Polygon, The Verge added.

"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," he said.

Also, Beck said this could let non-American players join US teams. "It's like David Beckham coming to LA Galaxy," he said.

The Verge said the visa Beck referred to is likely the one for "internationally recognized athletes." If so, the visas allow players stay for up to five years in the US.

Also, it noted a history of considering non-athletic games as sports, such as chess.

"Riot's move opens the door for other e-sports players to get similar treatment, as long as there's a group or company willing to lobby as hard for them. Others, meanwhile, point out that there are still plenty of non-Americans in gaming who find it difficult to get into the US," it added.

P-1 visas

A separate report on British Broadcasting Co. said players have been issued with P-1 visas, intended for "individual athletes."

It added LOL has more than 40 million players worldwide, with the biggest tournaments "attended by tens of thousands of fans and receive coverage on dedicated TV channels."

Winners of the League of Legends Season 3 World Championship starting in September will take $1 million (£662,000) in prize money, it added.

Long process

Beck said convincing US Immigration and Citizenship Services to allow LOL players to get pro sports visas was "a long process" where they had to prove LOL can offer people a chance to make a living as professionals.

"A lot of people have been dismissive of it because they don't understand the scope of this. Our viewership numbers are stronger than 80 or 90 percent of the sports covered on ESPN," he said. — VC, GMA News