StarCraft II Match-Fixing In Korea Means Arrests, Bans

Early Monday, South Korean media began reporting that 12 individuals had been arrested in connection with a fixing scandal linked to Prime, a local StarCraft II team. As a result, the players and coach were arrested by police and received lifetime bans from the KeSPA yesterday.

“I believed him until the very end”, Min Chul wrote in a forum post.

Sung “Enough” Jun Mo, a former StarCraft professional player and current journalist, helped broker the deal, according to an official report from the Changwon Regional Prosecution Service. This holds true for a recently uncovered crime syndicate involving multiple players and investors who have apparently been conducting illegal gambling and match fixing.

BBoongBBoong reportedly received around $4,450 to throw his match, while YoDa was reportedly paid more than $26,000 to intentionally lose two matches.

The Korean Esports Association (KeSPA) claims that a few of those arrested are big names like the head coach of Prime, Gerrard, programmer Choi Byeong-Heon, as well as YoDa and BBoongBBoong.

“Since 2010, the association has worked alongside the rest of the industry to fight against the illegal betting that has continued to threaten the foundation of eSports”, KeSPA director Cho Man Soo said. They are two people among a further ten who are part of the elaborate fixing scandal.

According to the investigation, over the course of two matches, a Mr. “H” placed bets of 31.5m KRW ($28,000) and received winnings of approximately 41.5m KRW ($36,790) once results were manipulated.