Match Fixing in Counter-Strike is Becoming a Rising Issue

Gambling is certainly not a new miracle within the greater sports world, and certainly non even a rarity in the relatively new microcosm that is eSports. Specifically, one tin can easily bet real money on Counter-Strike matches by visiting the official CS:GO Lounge website and perusing through the available listings. At that place is even an entire subreddit dedicated to betting, CS:Become betting, which even includes a beginners guide to betting in the eSports universe. Information technology'due south rather telling, so, that at that place are also some instances of lucifer-fixing in guild to increment the odds of large payouts.

Major Counter Strike eSports Match was Reportedly Fixed - Valve Issues a Statement on the Topic, Warning to Ban Those Involved in Betting on Matches

Just recently, on Jan 16th 2022, The Daily Dot reported that a rather high profile (for eSports) match between 2 top American teams was actually a fixed friction match with a predetermined effect. iBUYPOWER played confronting NetcodeGuides.com, and supposedly were a ameliorate prepared and college skilled squad. But the lucifer was far from a closely played back and forth, instead erupting into a comical bear witness of increasingly bad decisions on iBUYPOWER's part. They ended up losing 16-4. The gameplay exhibited in the lucifer was absolutely atrocious and did non seem to be indicative of their actual level of skill.

Even though this was attributed to many differing elements, such as the fatigue brought on by a time zone modify, it was still rather fishy. The Daily Dot plain received screen grabs from a conversation from ane of the players in the match where he essentially stated that the match was fixed, and that iBUYPOWER was going to willfully lose.

Foreign because that bets in excess of $1000 are not unusual.

Valve, so, has recently issued a statement on their Counter-Strike blog that urges pro Counter-Strike players to not bet. In fact information technology outright bans pro players and anyone associated with setting up an event from betting on matches.

"Professional players, teams, and anyone involved in the production of CS:GO events, should under no circumstances gamble on CS:Go matches, associate with loftier volume CS:GO gamblers, or evangelize data to others that might influence their CS:Become bets."

It's telling that Valve has had to put restrictions on the betting system in place. But I recollect it begs the question of whether or not it should even exist further regulated by the diverse governmental agencies that practice so. Betting is becoming a popular activity with the money being transferred increasing most every season. It would behoove them to put tighter controls in identify to not only satisfy regulators, but as well to satisfy the relative sanctity of the esport. Conviction tin be lost and thus money lost. Counter-Strike and it'southward professional player base of operations is withal remaining popular, so it stands to reason to nip the consequence in the bud before it has a take a chance to exit of control.

Too, the fact that that iBUYPOWER was so unimaginative as to lose by such a high margin shows the lack of motivation to really pull off such a heist. If they were actually serious most fixing matches, information technology may have been a good idea to at least put on a good testify. But, I do not condone cheating in that way. Still, I'd think that a little more ingenuity would have been put in play.