Betting websites and esports have a long history of conflicts. From professionals intentionally throwing games in tournaments by betting against themselves to players claiming they were offered large sums of money to fix games, we have seen it all.
This time, League of Legends pro Kim “Olleh” Joo-sung has spoken up about illegal Chinese betting websites that have become a cause of growing concern in the League of Legends scene.
According to the former Team Liquid star, these illegal Chinese betting websites allow users to bet on professional players’ solo queue games for wins and losses, which has led to many pros intentionally throwing games to make themselves some quick cash.
Olleh further claimed that Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the most popular League of Legends player, is the biggest victim of websites like those. Due to his overwhelming popularity as a player and a streamer, an extremely high number of users can be seen betting on his matches to earn money off them.
Olleh then requested Riot Games to take action regarding this issue. “In Korea, Starcraft 1 got literally f**ked up by those people in the pro scene,” the 24-year-old said. “I am worried that the same thing will happen in the League scene.”
Furthermore, the possibility of illegal websites like these existing outside the Chinese landscape can’t be eliminated either. As Olleh stated, should there exist illegal betting websites like these that allow users to bet on professional players’ solo queue games, it might be seriously threatening the League of Legends esports scene in the long run.
Source: InvenGlobal
