Police uncover game-fixing at Starcraft competition

BUSAN, March 15 (Yonhap) -- Police said Thursday they have arrested an online sports betting operator and booked a pro computer gamer for fixing an eSports match.

The 26-year-old man who runs illegal sports gambling websites proposed to the 24-year-old player that he manipulate the result of a quarterfinal match at the 2017 G-STAR Starcraft tournament in Busan in November, police said.

The gamer intentionally lost 2-0 after receiving 4.5 million won (US$4,225), and the operator raked in 15 million won via his two gambling sites, according to the police.

The two also attempted similar game-fixing at the nation's biggest Starcraft tournament, ASL5, which kicked off last month and runs until March 27, police said.

Police have booked 116 people who gambled on the sites, including seven accomplices of the site operator in the match-fixing.
(END)