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Police in the Australian state of Victoria have arrested six men aged 19 to 22 in relation to an eSports match-fixing investigation.
Joint-investigation lead by the detectives from the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit and Organised Crime Intelligence Unit began in March 2019 after a betting agency informed the unit about a suspicious activity it spotted at a recent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament.
It is alleged that several players were planning to fix matches and subsequently place bets. It’s believed at least five matches were impacted and over 20 bets were put on the matches by Australian punters.
“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. 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,” explained assistant commissioner Neil Paterson.
“We welcome these arrests which, we hope, will send a signal to the esports community that match-fixing will not be tolerated and that we are taking action that will lead to not only sporting sanctions, but also criminal consequences,” added Ian Smith, Commissioner of the Esports Integrity Coalition.
A statement released by the Victoria Police confirmed the offences could carry up to 10 years imprisonment.
