Man gets reformative training after getting e-sports gamer to throw match
A man was ordered on Thursday to undergo reformative training for at least six months after he promised a bribe to an alleged accomplice in exchange for fixing an e-sports tournament match.
Ryan Tan Shern, 21, will be detained in a centre and made to follow a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
He admitted to a corruption charge in January. The case involving his alleged accomplice, Malcolm Chung Wai Kiat, 25, is pending.
Tan and Chung had known each other since 2014, when they used to play video game Counter-Strike together.
In August 2020, Tan borrowed $1,000 from Chung to fund his gambling habit.
In earlier court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Victoria Ting said that Chung kept asking for his money back, but Tan was unable to repay him.
As Tan did not have the means to repay his debt, he concocted a plan for Chung, who was then an active online gamer, to throw an e-sports tournament match to get his money back.
On Sept 21, 2020, Chung, who was then slated to play a match in the Epulze Royal South-east Asia Cup tournament, asked Tan for $400. The next day, Tan came up with the plan for Chung to throw the match.
The tournament was part of the Valorant Ignition Series, which involved online first-person shooter game Valorant, a game that has two opposing teams of five players each taking turns to attack and defend.
At around 6pm on Sept 22, 2020, Tan suggested that Chung, who was then representing RSG Resurgence Esports, throw his team’s match against Team Blackbird Ignis from Japan.
The prosecution said that as part of the plan, bets would be made on Chung’s team losing the match.
Tan also said he could obtain money from his own elder brother to place the bets.
Chung agreed to the plan, as he believed it was the only way to recoup his money, DPP Ting said.
A sum of $3,000 was transferred to Chung’s account after Tan pleaded with his brother for a loan.
According to court documents, Tan and Chung agreed that Chung would place bets with the money and retain a share of the winnings as corrupt gratification.
Chung then logged into his account with an unlawful remote gambling service and placed five bets totalling $3,000, said the DPP.
She told the court that when his own team lost the match, Chung won $7,109 and kept $2,319 for himself.
Tan also told Chung to transfer $3,650 to Tan’s elder brother and $650 to another friend. Court documents did not disclose what was done with the remaining amount.
On June 24, 2021, the chief operating officer of RSG Resurgence Esports lodged a police report after suspecting that match-fixing had taken place.
Offenders convicted of corruption can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000.
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