Integrity Fees in the Esports Landscape

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The concept of integrity fees is a topic that is deeply vexed in sports betting particularly in relation to United States-based pro sports leagues such as the NFL, and the MLB. Despite the fact that the notion or idea of integrity fees has been attracting a lot of attention alongside the proliferation of sports betting in the country, the concept is not entirely new though. In countries like France and Australia, the professional sports leagues have adopted integrity fees – this has ensured that a percentage of the wagers from sports betting operators are turned over to the organizers of the sport. With the professional sports leagues in the United States having lots of trouble with regards to the issue of sports betting, could esports be more welcoming to the idea?
As it stands, there has not been any formal discussion regarding the integration of esports and integrity fees, a basis has already been formed to highlight the potential benefits as esports betting continues to grow.

Protecting the Esports Industry

Unlike traditional sports, cybersports are marred with tons of unique challenges especially when it comes to defending competitive integrity. In essence, they are currently very challenging to monitor in this regard owing to the fact that they are facilitated digitally and relatively younger than other sports. There are, of course, checks and balances that have been put in place to oversee esports betting, but there are still weaknesses in its foundation which makes the need for supplementary support quite vital.
As of now, data monitoring is an effective way of flagging suspicious behavior like match-fixing and additional funding from such things as integrity fees could work towards funding the fight against such vices as match-fixing. The goal, in essence, is to police line movement as well as other like information that would nurture the esports betting ecosystem.

Nurturing the Ecosystem

It goes without saying that competitive integrity forms the core of professional sports betting simply because it serves as a stamp of authenticity for viewers by giving them an assurance that the contests and sports they are watching are fair and real. That said, such kind of assurances are just as important in the esports industry and to make it work in the emerging industry, proper management will be key.
While integrity fees in esports are still a grey area, its inclusion is something that should be given some consideration in the ongoing professionalization of the market and industry. The esports industry and the esports betting sector continue to flourish and become larger every single day and therefore the integrity fees could just be what is needed to tighten up any loose end that could potentially tarnish the reputation that the esports industry has been working so hard to build.