ESL PARTNERS WITH CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN OPERATOR 1XBET

Esports tournament organiser ESL has announced a partnership with 1xBet, covering the ESL Pro Tour CS:GO and ESL One Summer and Winter Dota 2 events. 

The partnership will see 1xBet serve as official global betting partner of ESL through to IEM Katowice 2022, with both parties collaborating to “enhance the overall experience for esports players and fans.”

Regarding the partnership, Director Global Brand Partnerships at ESL, Jasin Haasbach, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with 1xBet for the first time in what is a truly global partnership. Here at ESL, experiences are at the heart of what we do and we have no doubt this landmark partnership with one of the global leading sportsbooks will improve the ESL Pro Tour CS:GO experiences for players and fans around the world.”

While 1xBet spokesperson, Alex Sommers, added: “There is no better way to start 2021 than to further build on the successful launch of our already extensive esports offering. We are very happy to have secured this exclusive landmark partnership with the global category leader in the space

“The ESL Pro Tour circuit is the ultimate professional CS:GO competition, and we’re thrilled to become the first-ever global betting partner here. There is no doubt our partnership with ESL will allow us to expand our esports footprint within the global esports community.”

1xBet is no stranger to esports partnerships, having a deal in place with Ukraine-based esports organisations Natus Vincere and HellRaisers. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Hmm… those familiar with 1xBet’s reputation might question this one.

In 2019, the UK-facing website of Russia-based 1xBet was taken offline following a widely-publicised Sunday Times investigation that raised serious questions about compliance and legality. A subsequent UK Gambling Commission investigation led to 1xBet losing its license, and the operator’s Premier League football club partners Tottenham, Liverpool, and Chelsea, were forced to cut ties with the company under threat of possible prosecution. 

According to Wikipedia, in early 2020 the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Bryansk Region released the names of the suspected creators of 1xBet (Sergey Karshkov, Roman Semiokhin and Dmitry Kazorin), as defendants in a criminal case related to a scam involving embezzlement and unlawful practice. All three now have Cypriot citizenship, and are thought to have fled to Cyprus to avoid prosecution. The UK has also put them on the international wanted list. 

Despite this, 1xBet continues to sponsor major sports clubs, including FC Barcelona, and operates from Russia, Malta, Cyprus, and Nigeria. In 2020 it won Esports Operator of the Year at the SBC Awards.