Youtubers and kid fans bypassing gambling laws - Valve's CS:GO skins in trouble

[Harry Botter]

Can't watch the video atm but could anyone give me a tl;dr for how you can gamble with csgo skins?

[zenkai]

Irrelevant

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Ethics aren't legal issues, the 2 people being con artists may be deplorable but what really matters is was it illegal

it is relevant, if you gamble with poker chips, it's still gambling

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Well he admitted to the thing being rigged.

[Coombs]

You people don't really believe that video games are created from a sense of passion like they were in the 90's do you? LOL. Game companies hire behavior analysts who do research on addiction, they then create a blueprint for monetizing that addiction and then place pretty colors on the top of it. See all mobile "free to play" games, Destiny does a lot of this, and other "cosmetic" purchases. It would be one thing if you could just buy the cosmetic, but they figured out lets add in RNG to increase sales, and the thrill of the chase. See Overwatch loot crates etc. It's slimy as fuck, and will get even worse before people actually do something about it.

Edit. The best part is the in game currency. If it didn't exist you probably would only buy the certain skins you wanted and be done for a cheap investment. However, you see the currency rise slow, and you get the idea of completing it all, but the currency takes too long and you purchase RNG cosmetics out of impulse. You don't get what you want, and spend more, and more. It is exactly the same as gambling and there is a reason children aren't allowed to do this. Impulse control doesn't even develop in the brain until a person is in their mid 20s. It's ingenious.

[satimy]

it is relevant, if you gamble with poker chips, it's still gambling

Because you can turn the chips in for cash at the casino you use them at. You can't do that on betting websites

[Deleted]

Can't watch the video atm but could anyone give me a tl;dr for how you can gamble with csgo skins?

1. Anyone can buy skins for money on Steam via keys for crates which can then be opened to receive skins OR obtain skins via in-game drops
2. You can trade skins in your inventory directly with others on Steam, including trading bots
3. You can trade inventory items for real money in your Steam Wallet on the Steam Community Market (with restrictions, including maximum value of an item for $400).
4. Third party websites powered by Steam offer bets on professional CS:GO teams with skins, all priced against the Steam Community Market
5. Third party websites offer highly risky jackpots and coin flips, winner type all bets between random people, to win skins. These often have no limit to their total value, i.e. there are jackpots worth $$$$'s.

etc. etc.

It is a whole virtual economy and some people make a lot of money out of it, enough to live from or make it an entire (profitable) hobby where they don't even ever once play the game CS:GO.

This video and thread is not really about that virtual economy, which can be see elsewhere, but about how some people are using it to bypass almost universally applied laws in real life, especially when children are involved.

[Harry Botter]

TY for that makes more sense now.

[kushlol]

special place in hell for rats like this

[lockedout]

I mean poker and blackjack websites are regulated.

Very few actually are.

[Deleted]

Oh, so this explains a lot about those millions of WoW spammers throughout the past couple years, on trade chat, yelling about trading CS:GO skins.

[hachidori]

You people don't really believe that video games are created from a sense of passion like they were in the 90's do you? LOL. Game companies hire behavior analysts who do research on addiction, they then create a blueprint for monetizing that addiction and then place pretty colors on the top of it. See all mobile "free to play" games, Destiny does a lot of this, and other "cosmetic" purchases. It would be one thing if you could just buy the cosmetic, but they figured out lets add in RNG to increase sales, and the thrill of the chase. See Overwatch loot crates etc. It's slimy as fuck, and will get even worse before people actually do something about it.

Edit. The best part is the in game currency. If it didn't exist you probably would only buy the certain skins you wanted and be done for a cheap investment. However, you see the currency rise slow, and you get the idea of completing it all, but the currency takes too long and you purchase RNG cosmetics out of impulse. You don't get what you want, and spend more, and more. It is exactly the same as gambling and there is a reason children aren't allowed to do this. Impulse control doesn't even develop in the brain until a person is in their mid 20s. It's ingenious.

You're getting a Notification because all of that is correct.

[Kuja]

Isn't this this the same with all games where you can buy stuff but don't know what you'll get? Gambling is gambling. Or is it only when you can convert the items to $$$ through 3rd party sites?

[smiteme12]

Why is this an issue? Like who cares? If they are older than 18 they can do whatever they want with their money. If they are younger than 18 maybe their parents should pay more attention to wtf their kid is doing? Do these parents just let them have their CC? If so fuck them. If they give them 20 bucks in steam credits to do whatever they want with them who the fuck cares?

Seems like this is just a bunch of jealous people mad that they aren't making big money from this. I know I wish I played CS GO or DOTA 2 got a bunch of expensive skins to sell but guess what I don't and I don't give a fuck what others do why do you?

[Shadoweye]

Why is this an issue? Like who cares? If they are older than 18 they can do whatever they want with their money. If they are younger than 18 maybe their parents should pay more attention to wtf their kid is doing? Do these parents just let them have their CC? If so fuck them. If they give them 20 bucks in steam credits to do whatever they want with them who the fuck cares?

Seems like this is just a bunch of jealous people mad that they aren't making big money from this. I know I wish I played CS GO or DOTA 2 got a bunch of expensive skins to sell but guess what I don't and I don't give a fuck what others do why do you?

Because it is about people lying and being complete scumbags by getting young kids in gambling and causing addiction. These are the same type of people who have no qualms about selling kids drugs and getting them involved in other illicit activity.

[Coombs]

Why is this an issue? Like who cares? If they are older than 18 they can do whatever they want with their money. If they are younger than 18 maybe their parents should pay more attention to wtf their kid is doing? Do these parents just let them have their CC? If so fuck them. If they give them 20 bucks in steam credits to do whatever they want with them who the fuck cares?

Seems like this is just a bunch of jealous people mad that they aren't making big money from this. I know I wish I played CS GO or DOTA 2 got a bunch of expensive skins to sell but guess what I don't and I don't give a fuck what others do why do you?

A system has been designed to scam younger individuals out of money through means of addiction. Something that when attached to a slot machine or a card game would be illegal to pander to minors. Now it's tied up in a prettier package and bow. This is nothing more than a lottery ticket with a complimentary game included with the purchase. That is why it's a problem.

[Cosmic Janitor]

This is nothing more than a lottery ticket with a complimentary game included with the purchase. That is why it's a problem.

The site in the video is literally called csgolotto .. I mean, the whole valve angle will probably not go anywhere, but giving attention to these scamming shit heads is certainly something worth doing.

[Coombs]

The site in the video is literally called csgolotto .. I mean, the whole valve angle will probably not go anywhere, but giving attention to these scamming shit heads is certainly something worth doing.

These kids are just further exploiting an already fucked up system. Good for them. They are morally repugnant but I would do the same to not have to work a regular job. The real culprit are the developers making the games and monetizing them in such ways. Get rid of that and CS GO lotto dies.

[cFortyfive]

These kids are just further exploiting an already fucked up system.

They are straight up scamming people which is hardly what Valve does. No idea why people have to pretend like those were on the same level.

[cFortyfive]

Sure, but Valve knows all about it but doesn't care because skins sales makes them a ton of money.

Sure they don't but I don't think my post read lord gaben is a saint and monarch of the fair valve paradise.

[Belize]

That's some shady ass shit.