Ilya “Ganginho” Chernychenko, a former Sangal and TNL player, has been banned for three years by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) after a thorough investigation into corruption and betting infractions.
According to a report, proof of 390 Counter-Strike wagers was made using accounts directly connected to Ganginho that have generated winnings totaling approximately $20,000. In his betting activities, the Ukrainian placed “significant bets” on TNL games, which he played from May to October 2024.
“It was a great time that gave me a lot of great people,” he stated in his retirement post on X back in October. “But life is so fast that you can’t dwell on one thing, and you need to be able to take the next step.”
The reporter further stated that this period will restrict him from taking part in ESIC-partnered events, not only as a player but as a coach, caster, and any related positions. His involvement in professional CS2 events will be limited to non-ESIC events, but they are few and far between, which essentially concludes his career.
A three-year hiatus is a death sentence for a CS career, and while it is technically not impossible to make a comeback, we have not seen anyone revive their career following a ban of this stature.
ESIC’s imposing strict restrictions will build on the integrity of the existing community, given the rise of dubious players in recent times. With strict guidelines for players, the community will be clean moving forward. From the coaching scandal to gambling, ESIC’s continuous efforts have made sure the esports environment remains as clean as possible, and as things stand, they are doing a stellar job at it.