Two men charged over match-fixing in e-sports tournament

SINGAPORE - Two men who were allegedly involved in e-sports match-fixing were charged in court on Friday (Aug 5).

Ryan Tan Shern, 20, and Malcolm Chung Wai Kiat, 24, were each handed a corruption charge.

They also face another charge under the Remote Gambling Act as the gratification was said to be in the form of partial winnings from bets placed through an illegal online gambling site.

On Sept 22, 2020, Tan is said to have promised gratification to Chung as an inducement to fix the outcome of an e-sports match in the Epulze Royal SEA Cup tournament.

The match involved Singapore team Resurgence and Japanese side Blackbird Ignis, which were competing in the first-person shooter video game Valorant.

In a statement, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said it will not hesitate to take stern action against any parties involved if evidence of match-fixing through bribery is established.

​The court heard on Friday that Tan attends a weekly gambling support group meeting and also sessions at the National Addictions Management Service at the Institute of Mental Health.

He and Chung will return to court on Sept 1.

If found guilty of corruption, they can each be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to five years or both.

If found guilty of unlawful gambling, they can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months or both.