A study at the University of Nevada Las Vegas has found that fans of eSports competitive video gaming have mixed feelings about cheating—an issue that will need to be addressed if casinos are going to embrace betting on eSports matches.
The report, titled “eSports consumer perspectives on match-fixing: Implications for gambling awareness and game integrity,” found that fans of the games aren’t very concerned about “match-fixing,” where competitors actually “cheat to lose.” However, eSports fans believe cheating to win is actually a much more detrimental threat to the game.
The study comes as many eSports leagues and ventures are grappling with how to ensure game integrity.
Brett Abarbanel, director of research of the UNLV’s International Gaming Institute said she hopes the study will lead to dialogue and education within the eSports community.
She told CDC Gaming Reports that efforts by eSports player to lose a competition on purpose is the most serious risk to the legitimacy and growth of the industry.
“Match fixing is less of a concern in lounges and the arena spaces,” Abarbanel said. “As the activity grows, the eSports community itself need to address this issue.”
In the executive summary of the report, Abarbanel and co-author Mark Johnson of the University of Alberta in Canada said they examined “perceptions of gambling awareness, integrity and eSports gambling to assess esports consumers’ awareness of and attitudes towards gambling-related match-fixing.
“Results indicate that esports viewers are not deeply concerned by match-fixing,” the authors wrote. “In addition, spectators typically view gambling as a cause of corruption among competitors, but also understand and accept some elements of the practice.”
