A plaguing problem
Match-fixing has always remained a problem in sports in general, not just Esports. Fixing a match seriously affects the outcome of the competitive scene. It harms the competition and twists the true nature of sports. CS:GO is especially vulnerable to match-fixing due to its heavy reliance on players' performance. We have witnessed some of the most scandalous incidents in the world with this game.
In the recent incident in Australia, the police here arrested 6 men following one allegation of match-fixing. The investigation started in March 2019 after police got some information form a betting agency about suspicious betting patterns. It all happened during one CS:GO tournament but they didn’t reveal the name of the event.
The information has it that the match-fixers had a deal with some CS:GO players to throw matches. Obviously, they would later place a high bet on those matches to make profit illegally from betting sites. At least 5 matches were fixed and more than 20 bets were made.
The suspect
Police issued arrest warrants and caught 6 men, who were all around the age of 19 to 22. Among the suspected match-fixers, 3 were in Mill Park, 1 in South Morang, and 2 in Mount Eliza. However, the identities of those alleged suspect remain unknown.
All 6 men have been interviewed regarding the alleged match-fixing accusation. If confirmed guilty, these match-fixers can spend up to 10 years in prison. Currently, all the suspects have been released and wait for further investigation.
Police in Australia said this was the first time they had to deal with this kind of crime. It may take quite a while for them to confirm the allegation. “Esports is really an emerging sporting industry and with that will come the demand for betting availability on the outcomes of tournaments and matches,” he said.
Match-fixing is both morally and economically bad. People in authority should help to eradicate the plaguing problem to make sports competition clean and fair.
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