The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has declared that its comprehensive inquiry into alleged match manipulation in the Mountain Dew League (MDL) esports competition is nearing its conclusion, asserting that they have undertaken 15 probes into the matter.
MDL, a collaborative endeavor between esports organization ESL and beverage brand Mountain Dew, is a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament that presents amateur players with an opportunity to establish their presence in the competitive landscape.
However, over the past year and a half, ESIC has indicated that they received suspicious wagering alerts through their global integrity monitoring system, prompting their investigation into the issue.
Providing an update, ESIC stated that they have conducted “extensive investigations” into accusations against numerous parties and have collaborated with pertinent anti-corruption advocates to gather evidence and evaluate claims.
The ESIC is employing diverse investigative tools and communication methods to link bettors who have placed suspicious and unusual wagers with MDL players and teams that might be involved.
The ESIC reports that with approximately 15 investigations nearing conclusion, they will issue a formal announcement detailing the findings within the next four weeks.
The ESIC declared: “Investigations into match manipulation are intricate endeavors that demand substantial collaboration from various international parties, including wagering providers, government agencies, law enforcement, and industry participants.”
“Moreover, as decisions in such cases often coincide with potential criminal responsibility, the ESIC has taken additional measures to ensure that all facets of the investigative process are handled with appropriate care and attention.”
This update follows the banning of three Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) team coaches this week for misconduct. They were discovered to be exploiting a game glitch to gain an unfair edge during matches.
ESL and another esports tournament organizer, DreamHack, declared the bans after the ESIC finalized its investigation.
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