ESPORTS SECURE
approach but you would have to sacrifice a lot of other things in the eSports industry. As such I think we are a long way away from seeing an international governing body in my opinion. But that should not and has not stopped the likes of ESL taking the initiative to safeguard the competitions that they oversee.”
the sport to be more vigilant and aware of issues that could affect its integrity.
“Cheating and match-fixing is not unique to
eSports. However, because of the virtual nature of the sport and its reliance on computers and technology, eSports is in a unique position to utilize advanced technologies that can monitor game play and suspicious activity. Combining this with education and human oversight of match play and activity, the potential for cheating and match-fixing can be significantly reduced. “As the eSports industry moves toward more
What about drug use in eSports. What is being
done to address that issue? Do you see this as a factor that could affect the integrity of eSports wagering? Watson: “To be perfectly honest it’s far beyond
what we look at, but anything that attacks or undermines the credibility of the eSports will have a knock on effect on the confidence and that has a knock on effect on whether people want to bet on it. I do know that as of 2015 various tournament organizers have put anti-doping regulations in place and overall it shows a real interest in preventing drug use from becoming a serious issue in the future. “eSports has matured over the past few years to the point that it is now on par with some of the leading major sports in terms of viewership, following and interest. With this increase in popularity, there is a corresponding requirement for
standardized rules and regulations aimed at preventing issues that could affect the integrity of the sport, we are seeing greater communication between publishers, leagues, tournament organizers, third party technology providers and teams. These are all positive steps toward making the sport more transparent and cohesive. “Ultimately, eSports will continue to evolve and
mature and whether or not there will be one or multiple bodies that provide oversight and guidance, the important factor is that the unified goal of all stakeholders is to continue to build trust and integrity in the sport.”
Alex Igelman is a Toronto-based gaming
lawyer and strategic consultant with a focus on gaming, entertainment and eSports. For over 25 years, Alex has successfully guided industry leading wagering and gaming companies and has more recently been actively involved in numerous facets of the eSports industry, including assisting start-ups and other companies interested in the business of eSports.
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