Manipulating match outcomes for financial gain through betting markets, illegal gambling, or deliberate losing.
Supporting Academic Articles
Esports consumer perspectives on match-fixing: implications for gambling awareness and game integrity
Brett Abarbanel, Mark R. Johnson
International Gambling Studies, 2019, Vol. 19, No. 2, 296-311
Target: Match-fixing including betting against own teams, illegal gambling influence, throwing matches for skins
Aim: Abarbanel, B., & Johnson, M. R. (2019). Esports consumer perspectives on match-fixing: implications for gambling awareness and game integrity. International Gambling Studies, 19(2), 296-311.
Recommendation: (Abarbanel & Johnson, 2019)
A Model of the Threats that Disreputable Behavior Present to Esports Sponsors
Bruno Duarte Abreu Freitas, Ruth Sofia Contreras-Espinosa, Pedro Ãlvaro Pereira Correia
Contemporary Management Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2021
Target: Toxic behavior, sexism, illegal gambling, match-fixing, cheating, cyberattacks, doping
Aim: Freitas, B. D. A., Contreras-Espinosa, R. S., & Correia, P. Ã. P. (2021). A model of the threats that disreputable behavior present to esports sponsors. Contemporary Management Research, 17(1), 27-64.
Recommendation: (Freitas et al., 2021)
Ethical Judgments of Esports Spectators Regarding Cheating in Competition
Mark R. Johnson, Brett Abarbanel
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol. 28, No. 6, 2022
Target: Cheating to win, cheating to lose, match-fixing, doping, hacking
Aim: Johnson, M. R., & Abarbanel, B. (2022). Ethical judgments of esports spectators regarding cheating in competition. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 28(6), 1699-1718.
Recommendation: (Johnson & Abarbanel, 2022)
Esports Governance: An Analysis of Rule Enforcement in League of Legends
Renkai Ma, Xinning Gui, Yubo Kou
ACM CSCW Conference 2022
Target: Multiple violations: betting, toxicity, procedural failures, cheating in competition and everyday play
Aim: Ma, R., Gui, X., & Kou, Y. (2022). Esports governance: An analysis of rule enforcement in League of Legends. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW2), 1-28.
Recommendation: (Ma et al., 2022)
The dark side of esports – An analysis of cheating doping match-fixing and their countermeasures
Timo Schöber & Georg Stadtmann
International Journal of Esports
Target: SOFTWARE CHEATS: Cheat programs enabling players to see through walls automatic weapon aiming and firing at opponents in split seconds cheat codes providing unfair advantages like additional resources gold or currencies wallhacks showing enemy locations through walls aimbots for automatic targeting ESP (extrasensory perception) hacks providing information not normally available. NETWORK ATTACKS: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting opponents' online connections flooding with unnecessary traffic causing jerky gameplay and lag giving unfair advantages. DOPING: Use of performance-enhancing drugs particularly Adderall (amphetamine-based ADHD medication) providing stimulant and euphoric effects allowing extended gameplay sessions up to 12 hours with enhanced focus and concentration. Physical substances purchased online costing approximately $865 for 100 tablets. MATCH-FIXING: Teams betting against themselves with betting providers then intentionally losing matches to collect betting premiums exploiting the fact that esports betting volume ($13 billion in 2020) was 107 times higher than prize money distribution ($122 million). ROBO-DOPING: Manipulation of virtual equipment like Cameron Jeffers using manipulated improved virtual bike called Robo-Drive in British cycling esports championships. ACCOUNT MANIPULATION: Players using accounts of other weaker players to participate unfairly in competitions identity fraud in competitive settings.
Aim: Schöber T. & Stadtmann G. (2022). The dark side of esports – An analysis of cheating doping match-fixing and their countermeasures. International Journal of Esports.
Recommendation: (Schöber & Stadtman, 2022)
Security issues in online games
Jianxin Jeff Yan and Hyun-Jin Choi
The Electronic Library Volume 20 Number 2 2002 pp. 125–133
Target: Comprehensive taxonomy including collusion, password compromises, virtual asset trading cheats, service denial, social engineering, software modification
Aim: Yan, J. J., & Choi, H. J. (2002). Security issues in online games. The Electronic Library, 20(2), 125-133.
Recommendation: (Yan & Choi, 2002)