Moonton partners with GAB, Philippine esports body to combat match-fixing

MANILA, Philippines – Game developer Moonton Games has partnered with the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO) and the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) to battle match-fixing, which is becoming prevalent in the esports industry.

"Game-fixing is a serious matter and one that we need to swiftly act upon. We at GAB furthermore intend to be proactive in addressing this illegal act because it poses a threat to the safety and welfare of professional esports players, most especially the youth. Together with Moonton [Games], we will be addressing these issues and reconvene with other esports bodies and concerned government agencies to ultimately enhance and implement more stringent rules in keeping the integrity of Philippine esports intact," said GAB Chairman Atty. Richard Clarin.

Speaking to members of the media, Moonton league operations lead Matthew Chan, vowed that the game developer is not stopping at the recently concluded investigation of match-fixing in the development league.

"Match-fixing is something we really want to lock down on. We plan to do a lot more initiatives in fighting match-fixing. We are working together with PESO and GAB, and we will be pursuing and doing more of this," said Chan.

One such initiative that Moonton Games along with PESO will be putting into place is a seminar with teams, including managers, coaches and players, on the severity of match-fixing and other forms of cheating and how best to so-called "business opportunities" offered, especially to minor members of the organizations.

"We want to let our athletes know that when they are approached by someone, this is the proper protocol. What happened now, maybe the players didn't know how to handle these kinds of situations. A simple PM (private message). A simple conversation, making money, for these kids, it's a life-changing scenario and they wouldn't know the actual repercussions if they entertained them," said PESO executive director Marlon Marcelo.

PESO has also released their own sanctions to the involved players, with the organization having had debates about the severity and duration of the suspension for the players but eventually decided on a three-year suspension, which mirrors Moonton’s sanction.

"Three years is a lifetime already for the esports industry. There were a lot of talks about how long the bans would be and the severity of the punishment. We should be very strict and make sure that these things do not happen again. At the end of the day, our athletes are also victims.  The biggest thing is we have to be able to catch these bad actors and punish them to the full extent of our laws," clarified Marcelo.