The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has flagged potential match-fixing and suspicious betting activity involving Oleksandr Shyshko, the chief executive of the CS:GO team Project X. According to ESIC, they have received evidence indicating that Shyshko has an active esports betting account and has made numerous bets on matches involving his own team. ESIC further noted that he placed accurate pre-match bets on the match between Virtus Pro and Akuma in the CIS RMR, which raises additional concerns given that 14 teams in the CIS region submitted a statement claiming that Akuma cheated by acquiring information about opponents’ positions on the game map.
ESIC has referred the evidence collected by its Suspicious Betting Activity Network to Valve, the developer of the game. Their investigation involved a comprehensive analysis of betting patterns, player records, match history, and other pertinent data, leading them to conclude that match-fixing may have occurred.
ESIC commissioner Ian Smith commented, "While ESIC has not undertaken a full investigation into the detail, extent, and validity of any particular instances of match-fixing behaviour and the perpetrators of such behaviour – information on hand would indicate that this is a matter worth investigating further.
"Certainly, if ESIC did have jurisdiction, we would have opened a full investigation based on what we already know. ESIC has therefore referred the evidence available to us to Valve for further consideration." Earlier this year, ESIC imposed a $10,000 fine on the CS:GO team Vitality for unsporting conduct.
