(Image credit: Valve)

Australian police have arrested six Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players during an investigation into suspicious betting activity in an esports league. It's alleged that the six men, all between 19 and 22 years old, arranged to lose matches in advance and then placed bets on those matches.

At least five matches were affected during an unnamed CS:GO tournament, and more than 20 bets were placed on those matches by Australian punters. The six men, four from Melbourne suburbs and two from Mount Eliza, Victoria, face up to ten years in prison. They have been released pending further inquiries.

The investigation began in March after a tip-off from a betting company, and detectives continue to work with a number of betting companies, including Sportsbet, in relation to the case.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson said: "Esports is really an emerging sporting industry and with that will come the demand for betting availability on the outcomes of tournaments and matches.

"These warrants also highlight that police will take any reports of suspicious or criminal activity within esports seriously, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward."

Thanks, Kotaku.