In Australia, the Esports Integrity Commission has formed a partnership with Victoria Police to combat match-fixing within the professional esports industry.
ESIC will provide Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit with real-time notifications of suspicious betting activities.
Victoria Police said that this would enable its detectives begin an investigation as quickly as possible.
In 2013, the Victorian Crimes Act also received a few amendments to include four new criminal offenses directly related to corruption of a betting result. These offences do not specify the type of event, but rather refer to corruption of betting results.
In 2019, the SIIU was responsible for conducting Australia’s first law enforcement investigation on match-fixing within esports. Five men have been charged for offences such as engaging in conduct which corrupts or will corrupt the outcome of a bet and using information about corrupt conduct to make a wager.
The maximum penalty for such crimes is 10 years in prison.
Esports: Vulnerable Targets
Chris Gilbert, Assistant Commissioner for Intelligence and Covert Support Command, stated that esports players could be more susceptible targets due to their demographic than traditional athletes.
Gilbert stated that “they are usually young adults, who may be more vulnerable to corruption by criminals due to the low prize money offered and the lack of attention paid by developers to integrity and education.”
Victoria police continue to focus on the potential infiltration of Esports, by criminal syndicates and other offenders.
We’ve also developed good relationships with other esports stakeholder and betting operators. Together, we will continue to monitor any suspicious activities.
It’s vital that the public understands these crimes are serious criminal offenses with severe penalties. We will treat any report of suspicious activities seriously.
Stephen Hanna’s, ESIC director of global strategies, said: “Collaboration with law enforcement is crucial to ensure a safe and fair environment for fans and competitors in esports.
“Esports are a worldwide industry and require a globally coordinated response in order to preserve integrity. We can protect the integrity and identify suspicious betting activities by working with law enforcement.
We look forward to working with Victoria Police and other law enforcement agencies in the future to protect esports.
