The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has today announced the suspension of seven Australian Counter-Strike players for twelve months following an investigation into match-fixing and betting in ESEA Mountain Dew League matches, stating that more information is to come in due course.
In a statement released by the ESIC via HLTV, they said “through a joint investigation with ESEA, the esports watchdog association found seven individuals who were involved in placing bets on MDL matches, including in their own games.”
“Additionally, it was discovered that several associates of the offending players also placed bets on matches involving these players, with further details to be revealed at a later date as the betting activities of those individuals are still under investigation.”
Australian CS Players Banned:
ESIC have also stated that they have informed authorities of their investigation and will be passing on all information during their on-going investigation.
Moments after the announcement from ESIC, one of the players facing a 12 month ban, Daryl “Mayker” May, has stated that he has never betted on his own matches and has asked how he is able to appeal said ban. More to come on this side of the story.
News of this follows an investigation held several months ago into another group of individuals found match-fixing within the same Australian Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league. Most of which have been taken to court to face charges.
It’s important to note that not all of the players listed were found to be match-fixing, but rather betting on matches within the league - the report does not specify if they betted on their own matches or not. All of which asks the question of if you can actually bet on matches within your league or not, given that the official ESEA MDL Rules do not clearly state it.
With that being said, the ESEA MDL is a member of the ESIC and is bound by their codes, which can be found here: https://esic.gg/codes/
A discussion has begun on Twitter around this where local professional player, Tom ‘Apocdud’ Henry, asked the question “Is the only rulebook that says not to bet in the same league that you're in the one that ESIC linked? It’s weird that it's not said in the MDL or ESL rulebook as far as I can see.”
Local esports professionals such as Jordan “Elfishguy” May have voiced their opinion on the matter by stating “common sense is if you’re an active player, don’t bet on any Counter-Strike. It shouldn’t really need to be a rule in my opinion”
Many more industry leaders have been expressing their disappointment via social media with the actions made by the players involved with this investigation.
It’s expected that this bombshell of an announcement will circulate for the coming days as those within the community voice their concerns. We will be sure to update this story when more information comes to light from both the players involved and the ESIC.
You can stay connected with updates by following Here’s The Thing on Twitter.
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