CS:GO Skin Gambling Now Prohibited — But Are CS:GO Players For It?
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is known for a few things — being over 10 years old, mechanical, advanced gameplay, and gambling. You can’t talk about CS:GO without mentioning skin gambling. And now, for the first time ever, Valve may be cracking down on this lucrative side of the CS:GO community.
CS:GO and gambling have a storied history together. The game has come under fire multiple times for content creators promoting skin gambling sites to unknowing young audiences. You’ll also see headlines about skins selling for thousands quite often.
But now, for the first time ever, Valve seems to be addressing gambling head-on.
Valve Cracking Down on Skin Gambling in CS:GO
A recent Steam update included a new policy that immediately caught the attention of CS:GO players. On the bottom of the page, a section read: “Examples of prohibited [commercial activity] include posting advertisements, running contests, gambling, buying or selling Steam accounts, selling content, gift cards, or other items, and begging.”
The update? Including the word “gambling.”
With all this gambling drama around CS, there is a huge recent update from Steam…
— xMercy (@xMercy_CS) May 10, 2023
For the first time, they added “gambling” as bannable.
That means they could start banning users that interact with gambling sites API.
Simple and easy way to end this cancer.
GG WP? pic.twitter.com/PKlqPzPsZf
Any players’ whose IPs are associated with third-party gambling websites will be banned from CS:GO — at least in theory.
“Now, about what is actually going to happen or not, I have no idea. I am just speculating about what COULD happen in regards to gambling,” said CS:GO skin collector xMercy.
CS:GO fans were surprised to read all of this since the main sponsor of the Paris Major is a betting site. One player noted that Valve just released a $2 Anubis gambling box. Meanwhile, Pick’Ems are another form of gambling throughout the event.
A player responded that this is different, however. While those are regulated by Valve, third-party sites are not directly related to CS:GO and can be a bit “shady” and can have illegal practices.
In general, players were disappointed in the gambling crack-down. CS:GO players fondly remembered their time using sketchy gambling sites and trading skins. It’s been a big part of the CS:GO culture despite being a bit sus.
On the other hand, players were relieved to see Valve cracking down on “beggars.” Finally.
What Is CS:GO Skin Gambling?
Skin betting is the most popular form of CS:GO betting. Basically, esports viewers would place bets on the outcome of matches using skins as currency. There are also websites dedicated to allowing players to gamble on slot-like devices with the chance of winning a rare or valuable skin.
Both of these things would be considered against Steam’s policy, although it’s unclear how strict the punishments will end up being if implemented.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!