The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued P Category Visas to Competitive Electronic Gamers.  Riot Games, a video game publisher, lobbied the USCIS to redefine the term "professional athlete" to include these competitive gamers. They demonstrated  how gamers practice 10 to 12 hours a day, building stamina and advanced skills in order to improve their craft. Riot Games lobbied for this status just in time for the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as well as two other venues during the first week of October. National and international gamers showcase their gaming talent at the LCS in hopes of winning a $1 million prize. 

Foreign gamers often face difficulty in finding ways to stay in the U.S. through work permits for multiplayer tournaments. Professional athletes can qualify under O-1 visa, in which they must prove an extraordinary ability in their field, or, a P-1A visa, which covers sports teams and athletes.  

To secure visas for event participants, Riot Games had to establish not only that gamers are professional athletes dedicated to the sport, but also that the video-gaming industry has made significant contributions to the economy and will continue to do so in the future. Referencing the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League, the company argued that viewership was comparable to major broadcasting sports events. As a recognized sports league, LCS garners well-known corporate event sponsors. In addition, over 32 million gamers pay to play every month. As a result, the tournament brings in enough money to issue a $1 million prize out of an $8 million dollar prize pot.