2 e-sports players charged with match-fixing, gambling during tournament

SINGAPORE: Two men related to professional e-sports had been charged on Fri (Aug 5) with gambling and repairing a match during an online tournament.

Singaporeans Ryan Tan Shern, twenty, and Malcolm Chung Wai Kiat, twenty-four, allegedly committed the offences during a 2020 tournament featuring the game Valorant, the Tainted Practices Investigation Agency (CPIB) said within a statement.

On Sep 22, 2020, Tan allegedly promised a payment in order to Chung as an inducement to fix the outcome of a Valorant match on the Epulze Royal SEA Cup tournament.

The match from the first-person shooter sport was played between the teams Resurgence and Blackbird Ignis.

The bribe was allegedly in the form of incomplete winnings from bets placed on the match through an illegal online gambling website, CPIB said.

Bronze and Chung face one count every for an offence punishable under the Prevention associated with Corruption Act. Additionally they face one rely each for an offence punishable under the Remote control Gambling Act 2014.

On Fri, Tan informed the court that he is certainly attending a support group for those with betting addiction.

Both men have been offered bail of S$5, 000 each, and can return to court the following month.

“Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards problem, ” CPIB said.

“CPIB is not going to hesitate to take strict action against any kind of parties involved if evidence of match-fixing via bribery is established. ”

Those found guilty of a corruption offence face up to five years in prison, an excellent of up to S$100, 1000, or both.

Those convicted associated with unlawful gambling face up to six months in prison, a fine of up to S$5, 000, or both.