StarCraft Cheating the Biggest Scandal to Hit e-Sports
Korea is being rocked by a scandal of epic proportion involving StarCraft where a number of gamers are being linked to match-fixing, cheating and illegal betting.
A-list StarCraft celebs are accused including savior, Ja Mae Yoon, among others.
PC gaming is big business in Korea.
From GamePron.com:
The teams involved are currently naming and shaming offending members, in some cases forcing the more serious cheaters to retire from the game. Various gamers are also being investigated, with many denying charges before eventually admitting their involvement.
The story has been likened to the 1919 Black Sox scandal, which saw eight members of the Chicago White Sox World Series team intentionally losing several games - giving the series to the Cincinnati Reds. While we're not sure if this new story has quite the same links to the underworld, it's an interesting comparison.
According to Korean sources, the drama all started several years ago - in 2006 - and exploded properly in 2008, when the betting sites started to contact various players inquiring about rigging their matches. Apparently, retired pro gamers, a former pro gamer coach, a former match announcer and a pro gaming scene reporter brought out their address books and contact lists to play a large part in the deals being made. Coaching staff and camp directors are also implicated, allegedly taking money for charging player entry fees.
...even more sinister: E-sports organisers allegedly knew about the situation and had attempted to solve the issue themselves, with the illegal businesses going further underground. A closed conference even saw the organisers discussing the possibility of co-existing with the illegal betting sites.
Criminals names are not released as per Korea's human rights laws.
Gambling911.com Staff
