Posted in: eSports, Games, Video Games | Tagged: betting, cheating, ECIS, eSports

Quick Thoughts On Cheating & Betting In ESports As ESIC Releases A New Statement

Published Mon, 03 Apr 2017 13:45:20 -0500

We've covered a few stories on cheating and betting on eSports in the past, always citing that there really isn't an overall governing body in charge. There needs to be a system in place to make sure people who do cheat and bet on games are dealt with severely and kicked out of the sport they represent. We even got lambasted for that stance over a recent article we wrote on Allan Cook, where an eSports Insider writer not only gave Cook a pass but said his actions were fine and akin to an owner betting on their own racehorse. It's a pretty short-sighted argument as you have no control in a race with eight different horses, but you can get one of two teams to take a dive. And also irresponsible of them to excuse his behavior by blaming the industry itself, as if to say "You can't yell at this kid for stealing a cookie, it's you didn't put a lid on the jar!"

In response to some recent CS: GO cheating, ESIC released a statement over VAC bans along with an entire thesis on their position towards cheating in general. You can read the entire thing here, but we got one quote to pull from the entire post that sums up the way cheating in eSports should be treated across the board.

Cheating: There is no inherent moral difference between cheating to win (software, ISP attacks or doping) and cheating to lose (Match-fixing). There are, however, differences in the severity and consequences of cheating and differences in the culpability of cheaters. We would hope that it is accepted that a 15 year old cheating with a free download aimbot is not guilty of as serious an offence as a seasoned pro winning prize money matches using cheat software and they do not deserve the same punishment. Equally, a 17 year old semi-pro who deliberately lost an online match to win a few hundred dollars' worth of skins is not in the same bracket as a top professional who throws a match at a major LAN for $10k. Both offences are heinous, but it would be equally heinous to treat them identically. In other words, every case should be treated on its merits using a fair process based on agreed rules.

While the ESIC is working to get developers and publishers on board with drafting a set of cheating rules to be implemented on any tournament that uses their games, it's still in the early phases and has a long way to go toward being a reality. As for our stance as journalists who cover eSports as part of our gaming coverage: a small bit of clarity to those who wish to dismiss our words. We understand that betting is a part of sports culture, we know it will never go away, and we know it will continue to grow and thrive as more games become popular. But when you are a member of an eSports team, there should be a sliver of sportsmanship and integrity within you as a competitor at any level not to cheat or bet on your own tournament and team.

I'm sure right now for those in the game who are really good at betting, it's a nice slice of cake off to the side of being able to play games for a living. But somewhere down the road, a major team is going to get caught in a bad way, and that will be the point of no return. Because it will start a catalyst of suspensions, disqualifications, and stripping of championships. And depending on what country and state you do it in, arrests! Because some places don't put up with it in sporting events. What we're trying to get across here is that betting on eSports is inexcusable if you're involved with it, because you're just opening the door for rigged games to eventually happen, which discredits a sport trying to be taken as seriously as you would the MLB or NBA. Both of those sports had to deal with cheating in very extreme ways, and pushing it off like its nothing is only going to bite everyone in the ass somewhere down the road.

Put an end to it, quickly.

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