The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced on Friday the first round of results from an investigation into match-fixing and betting in ESEA’s Mountain Dew League (MDL), sanctioning seven players in the Australian division of the league with 12-month bans.
Through a joint investigation with ESEA, the esports watchdog association found seven individuals who were involved in placing bets on MDL matches, including in their own games. Additionally, it was discovered that several associates of the offending players also placed bets on matches involving these players, with further details to be revealed at a later date as the betting activities of those individuals are still under investigation.
In its statement, ESIC mentioned that it had referred this matter to law enforcement due to the nature of the offences. Meanwhile, the organisation urged professional players to avoid placing any bets on a game that they earn an income from in order to preserve the integrity of the esports landscape.
The bans will have effect across ESIC’s members, which include ESL, DreamHack and BLAST, with the esports watchdog group calling on non-member tournament organisers to honour these sanctions.
The following seven players have been slapped with 12-months bans by ESIC:
Stephen “stvn” Anastasi
Corey “nettik” Browne
In closing, ESIC stated that it is still in the process of probing further breaches of their Anti-Corruption Code within MDL in both Australia and North America, including match-fixing behaviour. However, due to “significantly more complex” nature of these offences and the fact that it is working with law enforcement, ESIC says that it will require more time to provide further updates on the course of the investigation.
