Six arrested in Australia over alleged online gaming match-fixing

[The Buzz]

In what is Australia’s first police investigation into esports match-fixing, six people from Victoria and Western Australia have been arrested for allegedly losing matches on purpose on the popular, first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Police allege the men arranged the outcomes of matches during a tournament, and placed bets on their own matches and now face up to 10 years in prison.

From The Guardian:

Competitive gaming, or eSports, is a multimillion-dollar global industry and most large betting agencies, like Australia’s Sportsbet, run markets on tournaments. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, also known as CS:GO, is a first-person shooter and popular tournament game that pits two teams of players against each other.

Victoria police assistant commissioner Neil Paterson said it was important to crack down on illegal betting rings in the booming eSports scene.

“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. “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 allege that 20 bets had been placed over five matches but did not disclose the value of those bets. The investigation began in March 2019 after a tip-off from a betting agency.

Read the article here: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...g-match-fixing

[drifter8]

MIllenials started fixing games. The start is made

[Cash Bonus]

What did these people expect to happen? The law was eventually bound to catch up with them.

[MMM]

there are plenty much fixing stories in football that were discovered years later and football current level of legislation is much higher than counter strike. i am sure there is plenty much fixing going on and will be at least until this thing is more settled.

[drifter8]

Anyone remebers Brus Grobelar or even in minor football leagues it is happening a lot of mess. If you look at some soccer games in Asia and for example score is 1-0 in the 85th minute ot time and over 2.5 goals line is 1.67. Strange, I do not think so.

Anything can be corrupted or a matter of fixed gaming or matches , which have to end with the exact outcome.
There are plenty of sports with fixed outcomes and winners like : tennis, basketball, chess, football and many more.

[antonio_moreau]

"The gamers face up to 10 years in prison, under the offences of engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome, and use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes." OMG... 10 years!

[Former Member 14]

The law was eventually bound to catch up with them.

They only got busted because of a tip-off from a betting agency.

Which btw Sportsbet.com.au was mentioned in the article. There's more than few betting agencies operating in Australia, so why pick Sportsbet?

If it was Sportbet.com.au, they're located in Melbourne (Victoria). Ironically the same state as the cops.

I recall a few years back that Sportsbet stole, robbed, thieved rightful earnings from most, if not all of their small affiliates, when, they were unable to meet retroactively imposed quotas. If it was SportsBet who called the cops, maybe someone should have a word in Victoria police assistant commissioner Neil Paterson ear about the thieving antics of SportsBet Australia.