If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Someone is suing Valve for running an "illegal online gambling market", and it's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

That's not how I would have described Valve's premiere eSports shooter, but they make a good case.

counter-strike global offensive

Valve has been accused of knowingly facilitating and profiting from an illegal online gaming market in a fascinating new lawsuit.

According to Polygon's report, the suit argues the trading of weapon skins in bets on Counter-strike: Global Offensive matches is akin to real money gambling; because the skins can be cashed in for money, they act like casino chips.

Update: I thought this was about betting on the outcome of the match, but it's actually about gambling on the contents of the loot crates. You live and learn.

This isn't something you do directly through Steam, but Valve's API allows users to link their accounts to third-party websites where this sort of thing goes on. The suit alleges many of these sites make no age verification attempts, meaning underage players can participate. As ludicrous as it sounds, this is a real enough issue that Bloomberg ran a report describing it as a $2.3 billion business.

Not only has Valve "allowed and been complicit in creating, sustaining and facilitating" this market, it profits from the practice; the company takes a cut of all transactions through Steam's Marketplace.

"Valve owns the league, sells the casino chips, and receives a piece of the casino’s income stream through foreign websites in order to maintain the charade that Valve is not promoting and profiting from online gambling, like a modern-day Captain Renault from Casablanca," the suit argues. Unusually eloquent for legalities, isn't it?

The plaintiff says he himself purchased Counter-Strike: Global offensive skins to gamble, both as a minor and an adult, and lost money. He's seeking unspecified damage, and his lawyers are angling for class-action status, which could be painfully expensive for Valve.

Visit Polygon to view the full complaint and read more about the case.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

In this article

Counter-Strike

Xbox, PC

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac

Related topics
About the Author
Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

Contributor

Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

Comments