Australian Police have arrested six Australian Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players for allegedly fixing matches during a tournament. This is the first time that the Australian Police launched an investigation into esports match-fixing. Four of the individuals were from Victoria and two others were from Western Australia.
According to Victoria Police, the players are accused of having lost matches on purpose during a CS:GO tournament and profiting by wagering against themselves. Police say that the players made a total of 20 bets over five matches. The value of those bets was not disclosed.
“Esports is really an emerging sporting industry and with that will come the demand for betting availability on the outcomes of tournaments and matches. It’s important that police and other agencies within the law enforcement, gaming and betting industries continue to work together to target any suspicious activity,” Victoria police assistant commissioner Neil Paterson said.
Paterson hoped that the serious nature of the investigation would deter future threats to integrity in the esports world.
“These warrants also highlight that police will take any reports of suspicious or criminal activity within esports seriously, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward,” Paterson added.
By Niji Narayan
Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.