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Five Australians Charged For Match-Fixing In International Counter Strike eSports League

Five Australians Charged For Match-Fixing In International Counter Strike eSports League

Up to $30,000 had been allegedly earned through the illegal activity.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

People might not think too highly of professional video gaming, however there can be some serious money made and huge scandals unfold.

Police in Victoria, Australia have charged five men with trying to fix matches in an international eSports league.

Detectives launched an investigation last year after reports had surfaced that players were deliberately losing games on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments in the ESEA-Mountain Dew League, allowing people to bet with corrupt information.

Valve/Hidden Path

Authorities told the ABC that as much as $30,000 could have been made during this illegal operation.

Police swooped on several properties last week and arrested five men.

A 20-year-old was charged with two counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome of an event or event contingency, two counts of use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes, and possessing cannabis.

Four others, three aged 20 and one aged 27, have been charged with using corrupt conduct information for betting purposes offences.

The penalty for this type of crime isn't small. Some of the charges can land you in jail for up to 10 years.

Valve/Hidden Path

Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson said last year that it's shocking to see people of such a young age allegedly get involved in dodgy practices.

"We've got young men, typically 19- or 20-year-olds, who have no history with police," he said. "They're [allegedly] getting involved in [corruption] offences... at quite a young age that have serious consequences for them.

"The sheer volume of young men involved in gambling, both in high school and in universities, is at epidemic proportions.

"What I'm not seeing is anyone doing anything particularly about that."

It's the first time charges like these have been delivered in relation to eSports in Australia.

Featured Image Credit: Valve/Hidden Path

Topics: News, Australia