FBI is investigating match-fixing in Counter-Strike

The FBI is officially involved in the investigation for match-fixing and illegal betting in Counter-Strike. Illegal betting became particularly famous in Australia, with tournament organizers and police trying to overthrow the "system". However, the FBI’s intervention was urgent, because the problem was spread around North America.

Ian Smith, the commissioner of Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) revealed that they had to work with Victoria Police in order to deal with the match-fixing and the manipulation of outcomes in Australian Counter-Strike.

“There is an ongoing investigation amongst a relatively small but significant group of players over a long period of time, organized match-fixing in North American MDL. It’s what I would describe as classic match-fixing — players being bribed by outside betting syndicates in order to fix matches, rather than players just doing it off their own bat opportunistically, and it’s been going on for longer, it’s much more organized. So again, to some extent, we’re working with law enforcement and the FBI, who only recently have had a sports betting investigative unit within the FBI. They’re good, but they’re inexperienced because sports betting has never been a big thing in America until recently, so everybody’s kind of finding their feet on that one,” Smith said.

It remains to be seen what the future holds with the investigation of the FBI but also whether they will continue to gamble illegally and set up matches, as happens repeatedly in the world of sports.