Several arrests and lifetime bans have been dolled out in Korea in connections to allegations of match-fixing and gambling in the professional StarCraft scene.
According to Team Liquid,The Changwon Regional Prosecutor’s office officially announced the arrest of team Prime head coach Gerrard ( real name Park Wae-Sik) in addition to players YoDa (real name Choi Byeong-Heon) and BBoongBBoong (real name Choi Jong-Hyuk).
They weren’t the only ones caught up in the crackdown, either. According to Team Liquid’s report,”Brokers and ‘financial backers’ were also arrested, including former pro gamer and esports journalist Enough (Seong Jun-mo) who acted as a broker. The two financial backers–who paid brokers to attempt to fix matches–were gangsters with ties to organized crime.”
Five matches were allegedly fixed, all occurring in professional sanctioned matches. 4 of said matches were played by YoDa and the other by BBoongBBoong. YoDa was allegedly given over $26,000 to throw the matches while BBoongBBoong was given $4,450.
The Korean Esports Organization (KePSA) has issued an official statement that both players will receive lifetime bans from professional play.