Panel discussion: Esports and Doping

We are excited to present our next panel discussion about esports and doping. Esports, much like traditional sports, face the challenge of doping. In this Short Talk, we will examine the types of doping in esports and the strategies to prevent and address this issue.

What substances are used by e-sports participants, and why? What are the current concerns in the e-sports community about substance use?

To what extent are current approaches to tackling doping in Esports fit for purpose? How should ideally be regulated?

To explore these questions and try to find appropriate answers, we have invited Anne Tjønndal, Andrew Richardson, Ian Smith, and Zsolt Demetrovics to the Short Talk.

Anne Tjønndal is Professor in Sociology of Sport at Nord University (Norway). Anne’s research interests include social inequality, gender and sports including e-sports, and the role of coaches and coach-athlete relationships. She recently edited the book Social Issues in Esports, published by Routledge.

Andrew Richardson is a Research Associate at Newcastle University (UK). As well as his research focusing on physical activity and body image, Andrew’s research has looked at doping and anti-doping policies in esports and he is an Editor of the International Journal of Esport.

Ian Smith is the Integrity Commissioner for the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), a not for profit members’ association that works with esports stakeholders to protect the integrity of esports competition. Ian’s work oversees and enforces the ESIC Programme, which includes an anti-doping code.

Zsolt Demetrovics is a Professor at the University of Gibraltar where he is Chair of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming. Zsolt has research interests in substance use behaviour and behavioral addictions including video game use, and is President of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Addictions.

The event will be held online on April 25th, at 10am BST (London time), 11am CET (Brussels time) and 7pm AEST (Sydney time).