Home Gaming Existing Skin Gambling sites are placing Valve in the crosshairs

Existing Skin Gambling sites are placing Valve in the crosshairs

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Last week the Washington State Gambling Commission ordered Valve to cease all gambling-related skin transfers in an effort to combat the plague of lawsuits now building up against Valve and other sites.

As early as February 2016 the Gambling Commission contacted Valve to try and gauge the then-lucrative industry. A few months later, all hell broke loose people began opening up class-action lawsuits against Valve, which in turn led to the exposure of people abusing the gambling system. What followed next was Valve issuing a cease-and-desist letter to most gambling sites. I say most gambling sites because a new report outlined that a number of gambling sites who received the order from Valve, and some who did not, are still operational. This has placed Valve in a ton of trouble as the Washington Gambling Commission is now putting more pressure on the company, who could face criminal charges.

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The report, compiled by eSports Betting Report, stated that 19 of the 23 sites who were originally name in their cease-and-desist order are still operational using Steam’s trading platform, with a number of them using “skin-to-coin” deposits. Those sites not named in the order are still currently using the Steam platform to promote unregulated gambling, and now Valve is going to face the brunt of it. The Gambling Commission had set a deadline of the 14th of October (today) and it’s unclear whether Valve has addressed this.

Valve have essentially run out of time, and should they not put an end to the gambling plague, they could face criminal charges. This would be a massive blow to the gaming industry as Valve has played a crucial role in both casual and competitive gaming for two decades. There is one site, which was perhaps the biggest, who followed the cease-and-desist letter by creating an eSports gambling site which does not utilise Steam at all. Since the major shut down, CSGO Lounge has moved coin betting and is trying to revive what was once one of the most popular gaming sites around.

Valve has not responded to the deadline, but it’s certain that the necessary precautions are in place. Let’s hope they can shut this all down, for good.

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Last Updated: October 14, 2016

8 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief

    October 14, 2016 at 13:32

    Yet another reason NOT to gamble

    Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    October 14, 2016 at 13:44

    I’m wondering if it’s not a good idea that Valve gets a snotklap for something. They have a very laissez-faire approach to everything happening on Steam, all while taking a cut of everything that goes on. Maybe it’d snap them out of their comfort zone.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      October 14, 2016 at 13:51

      Good idea

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

    October 14, 2016 at 13:45

    Sites like Mr.Skin?

    Reply

  4. Dane

    October 14, 2016 at 14:58

    It’s April 17th, 2017. Valve has been sued over and over again, cases are pouring in and Judge McLovin is not on the offensive. Valve is pried open and money is going here, money is going there. The gambling commission has their balls in one hand and their finances in the other. Dear Overlord Gaben is in his room, crying. “WHY ME?!” he screams. He has had enough.

    It’s April 18th, and Gaben is charging into the office with a fed-up face and a droopy skinned belly. “EVERYONE!” He exclaims, sounding like an off-beat trumpet. “GET IN THE BOARDROOM!” The boardroom is quickly filled with the achne sticks and sweat bowls that make up the Valve corporation. After a minute of silence, the Gabe looks up, ready to let it all out, and let it all out he does. But alas, no amount of screaming can change the unfortunate situation that Valve has found themselves in.

    Another minute of silence passes, and Gaben is growing increasingly unhappy with his hopeless, fickle staff. He eyes out a short and plump ginger tween in the front of the pack, whose facial expressions portray something of an “Oh well…” Gaben proceeds to rip into him in a storm, “What do you even do here?!” “What is your name even?!” “Why is that orange dot on your left arm so much bigger than all of the others!?” “WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO?!” Ol’ Gabey starts to cry again.

    But, in an auto-tuned whimper, the little pizza man replies with a simple 3 words, using only 2 syllables to say them. “Half Life 3?” The eyes in the room widen, and no one says a word. Meanwhile, Gaben is no longer crying, or doing anything really, just staring at the ground. As he looks up, the staff are all scrambling to remember where the emergency exits are. But alas, he doesn’t say a word. The staff calm down as they realize that none of them have lost a head yet as Mr. G stares directly into the boys eyes for a few moments…

    CONFIRMED!

    Reply

    • Dane

      October 14, 2016 at 14:58

      I tried.

      Reply

      • Archdruid Kromas

        October 14, 2016 at 15:49

        I liked it. The imagery was good but the pacing was a bit off. Still worth an upvote or two … but not 3! 😛

        Reply

  5. Archdruid Kromas

    October 14, 2016 at 15:46

    Just remove skins from the game. 😛

    Reply

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