Well here's a bit of interesting news, the US Government has approved the League of Legends LCS as a real sport on par with the NBA, NFL, and NHL.

Heres the tweet

Another announcement you all maybe missed. The US Governement recognises the #LCS as a Sport on par with NBA,NFL,NHL so pro's get visas now

— Leigh Smith (@RiotDeman) July 12, 2013

This is pretty big news for Esports and hopefully it sets a serious precedent. It's a huge step forward for the online gaming community. This also means players can now be eligible for Visas.

Here's some background thanks to PWL:

http://www.usimmigrationlaw.net/visas-athletes.htm

Basically, previously the players had to apply for a B-1 (business trip) visa for each individual tournament, or if they were salaried and under contract with Riot they could apply for H-2B (temporary worker), assuming Riot was able to receive certification. In rare cases, it might have been possible to qualify for an O-1 Visa, which basically means you are near the top of the world in your field and have received international acclaim.

Now, all the players will be moved under P-1, which means that as long as they are contracted by the 'league' (Riot in this case), they will be automatically granted the visa, except in extreme circumstances (outstanding arrest warrants, etc). This also applies to any 'essential personnel' like coaches, managers, subs, etc.

What do you think?