[Polygon] Police reportedly investigating organized crime link to Australian Overwatch Contenders team

[Deleted member 18944]

An Australian Overwatch Contenders team is under investigation for alleged links to organized crime, Australian news site ABC reported yesterday.

Police in Victoria, Australia's Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit told ABC that "betting anomalies" were reported for an Australian Overwatch Contenders team's matches. There are eight teams participating in the Australian Overwatch Contenders event — Athletico, Ground Zero Gaming, Legacy Esports, Melbourne Mavericks, Mindfreak G, Order, Sydney Drop Bears, and Warriors — but the team under investigation was not named.

"There is no test of a fit and proper person to be engaged as an owner of an esports team," Victoria assistant police commissioner Neil Paterson told ABC. "We are seeing people encroach on that area that have reputations that [mean they] probably [...] shouldn't be involved in this part of esports.

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https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/24/20881592/overwatch-contenders-australia-match-fixing-investigation

 

[Parenegade]

AU Contenders is low on the tier list of OW esports that I really have to wonder who is betting on them...

If this were OWL it'd be an actual esports scandal with major repercussions. If this were KR, NA, or CN Contenders it would be a big deal.

But AU Contenders? Eh...

 

[Antrax]

Australian esports seems to be kinda sketchy. In LoL, one of the shadiest situations in awhile was on an OPL (Aus league) team.

 

[Nome]

Australian esports seems to be kinda sketchy. In LoL, one of the shadiest situations in awhile was on an OPL (Aus league) team.

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Esports are sketchy everywhere ;)
Maybe not always organized crime sketchy, but there are some very "colorful" characters involved.

 

[Alucrid]

AU Contenders is low on the tier list of OW esports that I really have to wonder who is betting on them...

If this were OWL it'd be an actual esports scandal with major repercussions. If this were KR, NA, or CN Contenders it would be a big deal.

But AU Contenders? Eh...

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yeah but which one is sponsored by mcdonalds?

 

[someday]

AU Contenders is sponsored by McDonalds and as far as I can tell, is one of the few regions that plays on LAN. I don't watch it much but it's supported better than other regions.

 

[Parenegade]

Esports are sketchy everywhere ;)
Maybe not always organized crime sketchy, but there are some very "colorful" characters involved.

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I mean there's sketchy activities and people in any sport or esport.

 

[Antrax]

Esports are sketchy everywhere ;)
Maybe not always organized crime sketchy, but there are some very "colorful" characters involved.

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Well yes, but I follow quite a lot of esport scenes and I feel like so many of the criminal stories are coming from Russia (which isn't super surprising given the lack of oversight there in a lot of scenes) and then AUS, which I can't really explain.