Is Elo Boosting in League of Legends Legal? (And What Riot Can Punish)

Most people ask “is elo boosting legal?” but they’re usually mixing two questions:

• Is it illegal under real-world law?
• Is it allowed under Riot’s rules (and will your account get punished)?

This guide is about that difference, what Riot considers “boosting”, and how Solo vs Duo changes the risk profile.

Quick answer: in many regions it’s not “illegal” in the criminal-law sense, but it can still violate Riot’s rules and lead to account penalties. If your goal is to climb while minimizing account-sharing risk, Duo is usually the first option to evaluate for most players today overall.

Is elo boosting “illegal”?

In most places, paying someone to play a video game for rank progression isn’t a criminal offense by default. The bigger issue is usually not “the police”, it’s the contract you accepted when you created the account and queued ranked games.

That said, laws vary by country, and account sharing can intersect with local rules in ways that have nothing to do with Riot. If you care about the strict legal angle for your jurisdiction, you need local legal advice.

Is elo boosting allowed by Riot?

Riot’s position is straightforward: if someone else plays ranked games on your account, it can be treated as boosting and can be punishable.

Riot also groups “rank manipulation” behaviors into the same bucket: actions that artificially change rating outcomes instead of earning them normally.

If you want the primary source, Riot explains how they define boosting and what punishments can apply in their support article: MMR / Elo Boosting - Rank Manipulation.

Why does Riot treat boosting as a serious issue?

From Riot’s perspective, boosting isn’t just “someone got a higher badge”. It affects the ladder and other players.

The core reasons they call out are:

• It breaks matchmaking integrity: an account may be placed into games where the owner can’t keep up, which harms the experience for teammates and opponents.
• It devalues ranked achievement: players who climb normally are competing for the same rewards and status.
• It creates security risk: account sharing is how many accounts get stolen, sold, or recovered by third parties.

Whether or not you agree with those points, that’s the rationale behind the enforcement posture.

Wondering what Riot considers “boosting”?

The common definition is simple: a booster logs into a different player’s account and plays ranked games to change the account’s rating. That’s why account sharing is the core risk factor for traditional Solo boosting.

There are other manipulation patterns too, like intentionally losing to lower rating and then using that lowered rating to push another account unnaturally. The mechanics vary, but the underlying theme is the same: outcomes that distort the ladder.

What punishments can happen if you get caught?

Punishments depend on severity and frequency, but the typical consequences described by Riot include:

• Temporary account suspensions
• Honor penalties
• Losing eligibility for ranked rewards
• Escalation for repeat offenses

Even if you don’t care about the rules, the practical risk is simple: you can lose the account progression you paid for.

Does Solo boosting carry more risk than Duo boosting?

Usually, yes. Here’s the clean way to think about it:

• Solo boosting requires account access. That’s the primary risk vector.
• Duo boosting keeps you on your account. You’re still trying to climb faster, but you aren’t handing your login to someone else.

If your main concern is reducing account-sharing risk, start here:

• DuoQ Elo boosting
• LoL Boosting FAQ

Can you get banned for Duo boosting?

Duo doesn’t automatically make you “safe”, because Riot can still punish behavior they consider manipulative. But Duo removes the biggest obvious red flag for many players: giving someone else direct access to your account.

If you want to compare the two models clearly, use our guide: Elo boosting in 2026: prices, timeframes, Solo vs Duo.

What are the real risks besides bans?

Even before you talk about punishment, there are practical risks that matter more than most people admit:

• Account security: giving credentials to anyone is a real risk, even if the seller looks “legit”.
• Rank instability: if your account is boosted far beyond your level, your next games can be miserable and you can drop quickly.
• Reputation/social risk: people report suspicious behavior all the time, especially if friends notice you playing “offline” while games are happening.

If you’re still learning ranked fundamentals, you may get more long-term value from Duo than Solo because you’re actually playing and adapting in real time.

What happens after a boost if your skill doesn’t match the new rank?

This is the part most sites don’t explain clearly. Ranked isn’t a trophy shelf; it’s a matchmaking ladder.

If your account ends up in a tier where the owner can’t consistently perform, the account often gets stuck in a loop:

• You queue into higher-level games
• You lose more than you win
• Your MMR starts falling
• LP gains shrink and losses grow
• The account slides back toward its real level

If you want to understand why this happens, read: What is Elo in League of Legends (and how does it work?).

Is boosting the same thing as coaching?

No. Coaching is usually guidance: you play your account and someone helps you improve. Boosting is usually outcome-driven: the goal is to change the rank/MMR results, often by someone else playing.

If your goal is “reach a rank and also get better”, Duo can sit in the middle for many players because you’re in the games and can learn stable win conditions live.

If you still want to boost, what’s the “least-bad” approach?

If you’re optimizing for lower account-sharing risk and better outcomes:

• Choose Duo if you want to stay on your account
• Keep your goals realistic (small pushes are more stable than huge jumps)
• Don’t stack restrictions that create weird patterns and force unnatural behavior
• Use clear expectations and a simple brief (server, roles, champions, schedule)

What if you already did Solo boosting and you’re worried now?

If you shared your account credentials with anyone, your immediate priority should be account security, not ranked strategy.

Practical steps that reduce your exposure:

• Change your password and make sure it’s unique
• Enable multi-factor authentication on your Riot account if you haven’t
• Review connected email security and recent access
• Avoid additional third-party sharing, even if someone promises “support”

These steps don’t guarantee anything about enforcement, but they do reduce the most common real-world risk: losing the account.

If your goal is pure endpoint speed and you accept the account-sharing tradeoff, Solo can be the direct route:

• SoloQ Elo boosting

If you’re early in a split or you want to stabilize after a bad streak, these are often more coherent purchases than a big jump:

• Placements
• Win boosting

FAQ

Is elo boosting illegal or just bannable?

For most players, the real issue is that boosting can violate Riot’s rules and get the account punished. Whether it’s “illegal” under local law is a separate question and depends on jurisdiction.

Does Riot actually ban boosted accounts?

Riot explicitly states that accounts involved in boosting can be eligible for punishment. The practical probability varies, but the consequence is real: you can lose access, rewards, or the entire account.

Is Duo boosting allowed?

Duo is still an attempt to climb faster, but it doesn’t require handing your login to someone else. That’s why many players treat it as the lower-risk option.

What should I do if I just want to understand how “Elo” works?

Start with: What is Elo in League of Legends (and how does it work?).

What if I want the fastest realistic climb path?

Compare SoloQ vs DuoQ, then read the LoL boosting FAQ before you decide.

Can I get punished if I play on my account but queue with a booster?

Rules and enforcement can change over time, but the main difference most players care about is whether anyone else is playing on their account. If you want to minimize account-sharing risk, play on your own account and use Duo or coaching-style approaches rather than handing over credentials.