ESIC establishes advisory board with ESL and BLAST executives  

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has established an advisory board to help bolster integrity and ethical practices in the esports industry.

To put its Global Esports Industry Advisory Board in motion, ESIC has appointed David Neichel, SVP of Public and International Affairs at ESL FACEIT Group, and Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST.

According to ESIC, the board will be tasked with providing advice to ESIC CEO Stephen Hanna on industry issues. This includes creating an integrity and fairness framework, setting benchmarks for fair competition in esports, offering strategic insights and liaising with industry stakeholders.

Founded in 2016, ESIC is a non-profit organisation that looks to tackle integrity concerns in the esports industry. Notably, this includes preventing and prosecuting integrity breaches such as match-fixing. Last year, the ESIC suspended Former GODSENT Counter-Strike player Joel ‘Joel’ Holmlund for seven months after the player breached its Anti-Corruption Code.

Earlier this year ESIC also launched an online integrity learning platform FairPlay Academy.

All of ESIC’s bands and suspensions apply to competitions that are members of the commission. This includes some of the biggest tournament organisers like BLAST, LVP, ESL, Dreamhack and Nodwin Gaming, among others. The commission has also partnered with popular sportsbooks such as Pinnacle, Betway, GG.BET and Rivalry.

It has not been revealed how many members will be a part of ESIC’s new advisory board. However, the commission has noted that the board will meet ‘as required’ to discuss ESIC’s initiatives and address ‘strategic challenges’. 

On the appointments, Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, commented: “Both David and Robbie bring a remarkable depth of knowledge and a passion for advancing the integrity of esports.

“Their expertise will be crucial as we navigate the evolving landscape of esports and strive to maintain the integrity that our industry expects and deserves.”