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.-
Sumber: The Star
