Video Game Developer Valve faces Lawsuit Over ‘Unconscionable, Illegal’ Online Skins Gambling

Valve, the developer of one of the most popular online games; Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is being sued over involvement in the controversial online gaming gambling market called skins betting.

Lawyers representing Michael John McLeod, a Connecticut man filed a lawsuit in the US last week accusing Valve of allowing and/or supporting illegal gambling through it’s STEAM Marketplace.

“Valve has knowingly allowed an illegal online gambling market and has been complicit in creating, sustaining and facilitating that market,” the suit states.

To understand better here are some explanations. Skins are weapon colours that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gamers can use in-game or trade with others. Just like chips in a casino, players can also use the skins as currency in games such as roulette on unregulated third-party websites.

Most gamers will say that is common in games. Magic Rush: Heroes, a mobile game have a “spin the wheel” feature, other games have some sort of casino game to give out rewards, besides there are even casino games. THE ISSUE here is gamers can actually cash out their skins for money at any time through another third-party website if they do not want to use them in-game.

That is where the lawyers come in. The lawyers allege that by allowing gamers to use their Steam accounts on these sites, Valve is complicit in the gambling.

This might be a great blow to the popular action game. Let us hear your views in the comment box below.