Although skin gambling is one of the most popular areas in eSports betting, this type of activity is unsafe for various reasons. This is largely due to the fact that most CS: GO skin gambling websites are not regulated. In this regard, you risk getting into a situation where Valve will freeze your Steam account and confiscate all the skins so that you will not be able to get your deposit back. You should be careful with skin betting websites, and if you want to bet on CS: GO or other eSports disciplines, we offer several alternatives – check them out below.
CS: GO Real Money Gambling Websites Will Be Your Best Choice
Speaking of skin gambling, there are several reasons why this market turned out to be so attractive for many bettors:
- Simple registration. To join the CS: GO skin gambling website, you only need to use your Steam URL, no personal data is required.
- Huge selection of gambling options – from match betting to betting just like you do when playing online casino games.
- No regional restrictions – skin betting websites accept players from various regions and states including the USA and other countries that are known for their strict gambling laws.
- No need to make deposits with real money. Skin betting allows you to bypass this sometimes tricky depositing process.
Despite its many benefits, skin betting is an unregulated market which means you are at enormous risk. As far as eSports betting websites are great alternatives to skin betting, they are the preferred option for the following reasons:
- They are committed to keeping your personal and financial data safe.
- They set age limits. By registering your account, you must confirm that you are an adult. As for CS: GO skin gambling websites, they allow even underage players to place bets.
- Functioning independently of third parties such as Valve that is capable of blocking the accounts of skin betting operators.
- A more trusting relationship between the operator and the gamblers. CS: GO eSports betting websites operate under a license, provide 24/7 user support and access to accounts, as well as seamless operation of their services.
- Honest and transparent gameplay. Employees of eSports betting websites do not know the game results in advance. Moreover, they are not allowed to place bets.
The last point is the most important for CS: GO skin bettors so they can often see how the operators allow stakeholder bets. Recently, there was a scandal as it was revealed that Twitch streaming partner CSGODiamonds.com had prior knowledge of the game results. In addition, there is often news that skin betting websites allow their employees to bet, which leads to a conflict of interest.
Valve Is Fighting Against Skin Betting Platforms
On July 19, 2016, news broke that Valve had sent letters to 23 skin betting websites using Steam accounts in which it asked operators to stop providing skin betting services due to the fact that this activity violates the API’s terms of service.
Reasons Why Valve is Blocking Skin Gambling
In the early days of skin betting, when this area was too small to be noticed, many players – including minors – could easily and quickly start placing skin bets using the CS: GO casino code. However, a few years later, when skin betting grew into a huge industry with high traffic, Valve was forced to pay attention to it. Although the Lounge was the first website to receive a letter from Valve, the latter took more action in the wake of several other scandals. As it turned out, the site owners were enriched by the fact that they placed bets themselves using their privileged position compared to ordinary bettors. Notably, the owner of one of the skin betting platforms was directly associated with the CS: GO franchise, which goes against the rules of Valve.
By August 1, 2016, Valve had not only identified illegal websites but also insisted on closing those websites. In addition, Valve was fueled to action by a lawsuit by one of the players, who accused the corporation of participating in the formation of the illegal gambling industry.
Valve Sanctions Targeting Skin Betting Platform
Since Valve launched a campaign against skin gambling websites, the operators were forced to look for an alternative option, which was eSports betting. So, let us trace the history of the confrontation between Valve and the skin betting operators.
- In May 2016, when the CSGOStakes scandal broke out, the platform stopped providing services, freezing its users’ accounts without prior notice.
- A month later, a popular streamer who was broadcasting CS: GO matches stated that the operators of several websites had informed him of the results of the games in advance. According to the streamer, in this way, they tried to expand the audience of viewers.
- A few days later, one of the players filed a class-action lawsuit against Valve. Bettors accused the corporation of being at the origin of skin gambling.
- At the end of June 2016, a large skin betting platform serving the US market ceased to exist as a direct consequence of legal problems that arose.
- In the following month of the same year, it became known that two eSports personalities were the owners of skin betting platforms that they were openly promoting, which was not explicitly stated in the terms of their campaign.
- Valve’s reaction followed almost immediately, demanding that skin betting platforms stop using certain aspects of Steam accounts.
- Almost immediately, several skin betting platforms announced their closure. However, they provided a plan for players to withdraw their balances before the websites shut down completely.
- Later, in July 2016, there was a reaction from Twitch where the streaming platform banned the broadcasting of skin betting games as they violate Valve’s TOS.
- In July 2016, a journalistic investigation was also carried out where indicated that another eSports personality was placing bets despite the fact that he was actively promoting the platform of which he owns.
- At the end of July 2016, Valve sent letters to 23 websites demanding to stop providing skin betting services, but only a few complied.
Thus, despite the active struggle against skin betting platforms, this industry has not disappeared.
What the Legit Skin Gambling Industry Will Face in the Future
Whether the skin gambling will flourish or go away from the face of the Earth largely depends on the actions of Valve. The corporation’s policy in 2016 can be described as moderate, in connection with which many platforms continued to operate. Judging by the farewell announcements of some operators, the fight against skin betting was an expected phenomenon for them, so they had a chance to return after finding loopholes in the legislation.
As the industry strives to be one step ahead, for several years there has been a constant game of cat and mouse where the losing side becomes the winner again and vice versa. For example, CSGOLounge’s business model continues to be viable today. However, this platform has been seen to support fraudsters more than once. Therefore, we do not recommend that you interact with CSGOLounge in order to avoid some risks.
As for the future of skin betting, the industry is likely to become legal in some countries, including the European Union. However, given the peculiarities of the local legislation of countries such as the United States, the operation of the platforms will be minimally difficult there. Faced with many problems between 2016 and 2021, the skin betting industry is now regulated by the relevant authorities in some countries. Therefore, the ability to make skin bets legally depends on which country you are in.
How Did CS: GO Skin Gambling Come About?
Weapon skins were introduced in the wake of the popularity of CS: GO, one of Valve’s standout titles. So, members of the CS community were able to develop items and add them to the game based on the results of the vote. To get a new item, the player must open the case by paying $2.5 for the opportunity to do so. Ultimately, the price of skins came to be dictated by the market considering characteristics such as appearance, rarity, usefulness, and wear. Thus, Valve encouraged online gambling through the introduction of virtual items. As many players follow CS: GO matches on Twitch, the demand for in-game items has gradually grown. So, let’s find out how skin betting platforms came to be and evolved.
CS: GO Lounge
Introduced to the world in 2011, CS: GO Lounge became one of the first platforms to conquer the community. It attracted professional gamers so that bettors could place bets on them. As for odds, they are set taking into account the total number of bets on a particular team. A little later, many other skin betting websites appeared, which became one of the most important stages in the development of the modern world of eSports betting. By following community news and analyzing match results, you can reduce the impact of luck on your betting success.
Jackpots
Introduced in 2015 by Skin Arena, CS: GO jackpot games intrigued everyone who hunted for valuable skins that could be obtained for little money. They use a game model where players can add skins to a pot. Since the winning odds depend on the number of skins the bettor deposited, the players with the most resources dominated. With victories being awarded primarily to the wealthiest players, the game’s jackpot quickly faded towards the end of 2015. The minimum bet starting from $ 5 and up is another reason why many players have lost interest in these platforms.
Blackjack
Also available on the Skin Arena website, CS: GO Blackjack has become one of the gambling games to use skins as in-game currency. Although blackjack was inferior in popularity to jackpot games, it was still in high demand in mid-2015. Much like it was with jackpots, high minimum bets are one of the reasons why this market has ceased to be attractive after some time after its introduction.
Coin Flip Platforms
Having become one of the simplest forms of CS: GO gambling, coin flip games were first introduced in 2015 by CSGOWild. Despite the fact that this platform was launched at the peak of the popularity of CS: GO jackpots and blackjack, it not only managed to stay afloat but also developed rapidly, as the operator set a more democratic size of the minimum skin value. Along with an excellent referral system, this website was able to easily beat the competition from CSGODouble and other platforms.
Roulette
Bursting into the market at the end of 2015, CS: GO roulette games were designed to outperform jackpots and blackjack. Despite the fact that roulette is an RNG-based game of chance, many players have started using various betting systems in an attempt to beat the game. CS: GO roulette is a great example of how professional gamblers love to apply a responsible approach to gambling.
Dice
Popularized in early 2016, CS: GO dice is another example of how CS skins can be used for gambling. Having a good understanding of the market, the platforms introduced dice exactly when the interest in roulette and blackjack began to fade away. Taking into account the peculiarities of this game, you can adjust the odds, criteria for winning, and the number of bets that you place.
These platforms will be popular as long as the demand for CS skins gambling is high. As controversy arises from time to time regarding this form of gambling, their future seems uncertain. Probably, in the future, we will see many more complex gambling games featuring skins.
CS: GO Skin Betting – How Does It Work?
While playing CS: GO and some similar games, players can use virtual items such as avatars, weapons, or equipment. These virtual items are called “skins”. CS: GO developers have suggested several ways how players can acquire skins:
- Find them randomly during matches.
- Receive them in the form of rewards as part of various promotions.
- By trading items with other players.
- Purchase items on specialized websites.
Skin Betting Features
So, skins are used to change the appearance of the heroes of the game, as well as like weapons and other game items. However, let’s forget about how they are used in practice in the game. Instead, imagine that the skin is some kind of valuable unit, like virtual coins or chips used in online casinos.
Like virtual casino coins, CS: GO skins can be exchanged between players and the house. This feature makes the skin the currency used for betting in various gambling games. So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use CS: GO skins for gambling:
- Instead of funding their gaming account with real money, skin bettors deposit skins as gaming currency on skin betting websites.
- They can play any gambling game that accepts skin bets (or money that can be obtained by exchanging skins).
- In case of a win, skin bettors can request a cashout by asking the platform to pay out the number of skins won.
Having received additional skins in his/her Steam account, the player can:
- Just store skins without using them in any way.
- Use skins for their intended purpose in the game – change the appearance of a character, change weapons, etc.
- Trade skins with other players.
- Exchange skins for real money using specialized trading platforms.
It is noteworthy that not all games allow you to exchange skins and transfer them between accounts. So, CS: GO and Dota 2 are unique titles that make it possible.
Final Thoughts
So, in the CS: GO world, skin gambling still exists and thrives. Instead of placing real money wagers, players can gamble and win skins with a fairly high value. When you join new skin betting websites, it doesn’t hurt to do a little research to find out if they offer the gambling games you want to play. Since skin betting is a very competitive environment, many sites offer bonus codes that you can use to get free skins or bonus coins to place your bets. Also, make sure that the platform you choose offers the best deposit and withdrawal options and 24/7 support to make you feel like you are in a comfortable and secure environment.