The senator announced the need to impose fines for cheating in esports.

Not so long ago, esports was perceived as entertainment for teenagers, but today it is a large-scale industry with millions of participants and large businesses, Senator Artem Sheikin told Izvestia. In his opinion, the most important thing in esports is trust in the results of competitions.

"The audience should be sure that the winner is really the one whose tactics are more effective, the reaction is more trained, and not the one who uses "cheats". That is why the introduction of fines and administrative liability is a natural step," the expert noted.

He stressed that fines alone are not enough, and administrative measures should become part of a whole system that will include uniform and clear rules for fixing violations, conducting inspections, protecting players' rights and the possibility of filing appeals.

"The rules of fair play should be formed with the participation of the Ministry of Sports, computer sports federations, competition organizers, teams, players and sponsors. The state should set the framework and guarantee the fairness of procedures, and the professional community should develop standards and monitor their compliance," Sheikin added.

In his opinion, it is wrong to limit oneself to punishments only. It is necessary to foster a culture of fair play at various levels, including through the accreditation of tournaments and educational projects for schoolchildren and students.

"Playing by the rules is primarily a matter of respecting yourself and your opponent. This is how a certain "esports ethic" can be formed. If we build such a system step by step, cheating will cease to be a massive problem, and esports will be able to develop as a full—fledged part of the country's sports and digital future," the expert concluded.

Read more about the legislative initiative on the introduction of penalties for cheating at esports tournaments in the Izvestia article:

Cyber purge: fines for cheating in games to be introduced in Russia

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.