Esports industry is exposed to corruption, says Azam Baki

SEPANG: The electronic sports or esports industry is currently under the scrutiny of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) due to it being exposed to corruption and gambling issues, says Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic).

The MACC chief commissioner said corrupt activities in the esports industry were believed to occur in the form of digital transactions such as bitcoin and cryptocurrency which make it difficult for the authorities to detect them.

“We have yet to have any cases but it’s kind of awareness to us. So we have to be prepared, don’t wait for it to happen,” he told reporters after launching the National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Research Conference here on Wednesday (Sept 6).

In his speech, Azam said the landscape of the sports industry became more challenging when electronic sports became a focus because of the potential and high commercial value the sector is able to generate.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report entitled “Global Report on Corruption: Evolutions in Sport Related to Corruption” in 2021, no legislation or policy framework that regulates the operations of esports operators has caused esports to be exposed to corruption.

The two-day conference organised by the MACC National Governance Planning Division (BPGN) will see the presentation of 10 research papers in various key sectors including public procurement, sports and the informal sector.

The conference is a platform for policy makers and industry players to assess, plan and take appropriate action to help create a Madani society that is free from corruption.- Bernama