Counter-Strike pros banned from betting on ESports matches

Excitement in the esports scene: Several professional players of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) were banned for violating the betting rules. What had happened? They had bet on their own games, which calls into question the integrity of the ESports competition and is also prohibited. The incident emphasises the need for stricter controls and regulations in the ESports community. The specialists at TestCasinos.org have addressed the issue and shed light on it.

Recent incidents in which Counter-Strike professionals were banned from betting on games

ESports betting is very popular, but is also subject to strict regulations and proper laws. This is especially true for professional players. It doesn't matter whether you are an esports player or a professional footballer, for example: it is simply forbidden to bet on your own matches or the competition you are taking part in. This is closely monitored by umbrella organisations, associations and even the police and has been the downfall of various professional Counter Strike: Global Offensive gamblers in the past.

In Australia, for example, several Counter-Strike players were even arrested for CS Go betting. Although the first illegal betting activities at professional tournaments were detected almost four years ago and penalised, in some cases for several years, professional players are still betting illegally on their own games or competitions today. Strangely enough, they repeatedly refer to sheer ignorance and say that this rule is unknown. Which is hard to believe.

In April of this year, for example, the professional gokushima was banned for two years worldwide by the CSGo ethics committee for match-fixing and illegal betting and excluded from all tournaments. Gokushima was a member of FORZE's CS2 roster, but played his last professional match on 27 March 2024, the day he received his ban from the ESports Integrity Commission (ESIC).

Banned players

Numerous professional players are currently banned from all competitions and tournaments because they have violated applicable laws and manipulated by betting on their own matches. In the following overview, we present some of the players banned for illegal CS Go betting. Surprisingly, the offenders include not only lesser-known players but also seasoned professionals who should know better.

Jayden "foggers" Graham

After Jayden Graham was originally suspended for 48 months in 2021, he has been active for the Arcade Team since this year. With a win rate of under 50%, he does not currently stand out from his team.

Erkhan "gokushima" Bagynanov

Gokushima has a win rate of just under 60% and has shown strong performances recently. All the more tragic that he has now taken himself out of the game with the attempted manipulation. It remains to be seen when he will be able to play again.

Sam "Tham" Mitchell

Due to his suspension, Tham has not been active since the beginning of 2023. However, his previous performances were also rather modest, as was his prize money.

Samuel "samy" Jarvis

Samy has not been active for over 4 years, partly due to his suspension. His social media channels are also no longer active - his professional career seems to be over.

Daniel "deezy" Zhang

Deezy had his prime mainly in 2018 and 2019. He played his last match in 2020 and has not appeared since.

John "wots" Zhu

Wots had some respectable successes in 2020, but then he suddenly went quiet. More than 4 years have passed since his spears and he has completely disappeared from the scene.

Daryl "mayker" May

Daryl May enjoyed some success as a player and was extremely active in 2020 and 2021. The attempted tampering and the resulting ban ended her previously promising career.

Matthew "jam" Castro

With the record-breaking 60-month ban, things have also gone quiet for jam - at least as far as professional playing is concerned. However, he is still very active in the scene and on his social media channels.

Wilson "willyks" Sugianto

Willyks was extremely active until 2020 and celebrated several successes. His promising career ended silently with the lockdown.

Impact on the teams and reactions from the community

Reactions from the community to these sanctions have been mixed. Some welcomed the harsh penalties and saw them as absolutely necessary to ensure fairness in the game. Others, on the other hand, felt that the measures were too strict. Despite these differing opinions, however, there is a consensus that steps need to be taken to keep the esports landscape clean and honest. The incentive to play worse, perhaps on purpose, in order to win a lot of money is too great.

What many fans don't realise is that as tragic as the ban may be for professional players, the damage to the image of esports itself and especially the team concerned is enormous. There are also financial losses. This is because match-fixing and illegal esports betting are things that massively deter sponsors and allow them to terminate existing contracts by special cancellation. With far-reaching economic consequences.

Final thoughts

The recent and recurring bans of Counter-Strike pros for ESports betting expose a serious problem in the gaming community. These actions are clear evidence that integrity in esports is a top priority. Players like Jayden "foggers" Graham and Erkhan "gokushima" Bagynanov, who were banned for years for breaking the rules, show that even established professionals are literally playing with fire and ruining their careers for supposedly quick money.

What's more, this whole issue is absolute poison for sponsors and media partners. One thing is clear: these incidents emphasise the need for strict rules and detailed controls to ensure that esports remains a fair playing field for all.