ESports Integrity Commission suspends seven players for gambling

Seven Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players have been suspended following code violations. The Esports Integrity Commission suspended the players for betting on matches within their own game, with some even betting on games they participated in. 

It is a violation of the Esports code of conduct for any player to bet on a match within their own sport, and so the players have been banned for 12 months from all competitive CS:GO organised games, or games promoted by any members of the ESports Integrity Commission (ESIC). 

The ESIC did not reveal which players placed bets on their own matches and which placed bets on other matches, but added that several of the players placed bets on the matches of other banned players. 

The ESports Integrity Commission reminded its other players that placing bets on games they participate in constitutes fraud and poses a risk to the integrity of the game, just in the same way that professional football players are not permitted to place bets on matches in their league. 

There continues to be a wider investigation into the matter, and the seven players that have been banned may face further repercussions following the completion of the investigation. 

The banned players could be found to have participated in insider betting, or be found to have bet against themselves and purposely flunked the game. If this is the case, it is without a doubt that they will face harsher repercussions. 

As the investigation into the players’ conduct continues, we wonder whether they partook in something more sinister, such as purposefully throwing games, insider tips, or placing bets on behalf of other banned players. If this is the case, the game’s public image will no doubt take a hit. 

While ESports are still a relatively new concept, players and the committees that run them should be held to the same standards as landbased sporting committees and players are, and the standards that online casino sites are held to, and code violations should be punished appropriately. We are glad to see the players facing consequences to their actions, and hope this will be a significant deterrent to other players of the game.