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Steam Warns Users Against Gambling Site After YouTube Stars Discovered As Owners 80

Tom Phillips, reporting for EuroGamer: Steam has begun warning users not to use a high-profile Counter-Strike: GO gambling website after its ownership turned out to be two YouTube stars -- who were also using YouTube to promote the site. Trevor "TmarTn" Martin and Tom "Syndicate" Cassell are listed in newly-uncovered business records as the president and vice-president, respectively, of online gambling site CS:GO Lotto. The news of CS:GO Lotto's ownership came as a surprise to viewers who have watched the pair promote the site on their channels, where both YouTube stars can be seen gambling -- and winning big money -- while using it. Neither had publicly disclosed their full roles in the site. TmarTn had not even disclosed his videos as being promotional tools. Attempt to log in to CS:GO Lotto now and you are greeted with the following warning message: "The URL you are attempting to log in to has been blocked by our moderators and staff. This site may be engaged in phishing, scamming, spamming, or delivering malware."
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Steam Warns Users Against Gambling Site After YouTube Stars Discovered As Owners

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 04, 2016 @12:26PM (#52443521)

    When we made it possible for any random douche with a computer and a webcam to become a "star," we opened the door for this kind of assbaggery. Our culture of celebrity was already bad enough until we gave the other 99% of the population the ability to join.

    • by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 04, 2016 @12:47PM (#52443631)

      The problem here isn't the douche with the camera. Focusing on the douche with the camera ignores the bigger problem: the parallel - and thus, unregulated - economy built on top of Steam.

      As with any parallel economy, you have fraud, scams and other abuses. Since the only police is Valve, and Valve has no interest in putting a stop to it because it is massively profitable for them, the abuses won't stop.

      Occasionally, Valve puts their foot down, but, usually, they are more concerned about the attention that this might attract. More attention can potentially mean an official investigation, followed by regulation, and that would hurt Valve's business. So they suppress the more visible cases, while maintaining the status quo.

    • by Megol ( 3135005 )

      Yes because the alternative where incestuous promotion of a select subset of people creates "stars" is better than allowing people producing stuff that others like to become "stars". Because the film star that became one because his mother fucked someone is more genuine than Jane Doe that through hard work have gained a lot of regular followers. Yeah right.

      Have /. become a dumping ground for old grumpy know-it-all's?

  • No money was won. (Score:5, Informative)

    by wardrich86 ( 4092007 ) on Monday July 04, 2016 @12:38PM (#52443577)

    and winning big money

    This is incorrect. They were winning items and skins that had a high face value, but the only way to get cash for them would be to sell them off on other sketchy websites.

    • by fleabay ( 876971 )
      A friend of mine won $1,000,000 playing the lottery, at least that's what he was told. All he got was a piece of paper that he had to take to the bank to get turned into $$$.
      • Right - and there are plenty of legitimate banks that will convert that paper into cash. Furthermore, the sole purpose of that paper is to be turned into cash. Much like poker chips, and casino receipts.
        • Skins look pretty and so some people will pay money for them. They serve no other purpose other than vanity and resale. Pretty much identical in nature to jewellery.
      • A friend of mine won $1,000,000 playing the lottery, at least that's what he was told. All he got was a piece of paper that he had to take to the bank to get turned into $$$.

        And even then the bank only swapped his piece of paper for other pieces of paper which he was told is worth something too.
        It's tortoises all the way down!

    • by vux984 ( 928602 )

      They were winning items and skins that had a high face value

      So... like casino chips, or bitcoins, or bonds...?

      If you win something a high face value that can be easily exchanged for that face value in cash, the it is not incorrect to call it 'winning big money'.

      • That's the thing, though. Trading it for money means bringing in another sketchy third-party site. I'm not saying what they're doing is right, but money isn't really being won. Items with the potential to be sold on sketchy sites for money is what is being won.
        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
          • Heh, some places the Yakuza don't even bother with that whole setup.

            I was in Japan last year and stopped at a Pachinko after several friends recommended trying just to say I did. Holy hell are those places noisy!
              Got a magnetic card with my winnings afterwards and had to go to a sketchy shack right in the parking lot, a shack that only had a slot barely big enough for a hand to fit through. Took the card through the slot, and handed out the money at the same time.

          • There's a few points here, so let me address them separately.

            Regarding Pachinko scams:
            I was thinking about this when I made my comment, but I still feel it's closer than what is happening with the website. There's far less risk of getting screwed out of your money at a Pachinko bar, and I'm thinking there are places very close to the Pachinko bars that are very obvious, and will let you trade your prize for cash. Whereas with the website, I think you have to find a reliable source and hope that the
    • by Luthair ( 847766 )
      Pretty sure Valve offers a marketplace where users can sell virtual items, so not that sketchy (other than the betting site of course)
      • They're sold for Steam Wallet credit, which can't be converted into actual money... just stuff you can use to scoop up other games.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    When I go to the Steam web store, web market, and in-game store, or start TF2, CS, or DotA, I'm not faced with any block, and I don't get a warning about crates and keys obviously being illegal gambling, in part clearly aimed at teens...

    Does this change needs some time to propagate or something?

  • Can anyone provide an objective report of what this CS:GO gambling is and how it hooks into the consciousness of these artificial-stimulation-addicted freaks?

    • by sd4f ( 1891894 )

      There's two components to it, one of which I think is being purposely glossed over because it's valve/steam.

      To begin from the start, valve introduced weapon skins for CSGO which are normally obtained with drops or unlocked from crates/chests which are awarded at random to players. Unlocking a crate/chest requires the use of a key. All keys can only be bought for real money at something like $2.50. I believe they can be traded, but the origin of that key at some point, someone had to pay valve some money to

    • CSGO is an FPS game, (ie shoot the other guys before you get shot). Your in-game gun is a standard bland military looking colour, but you can win or buy 'skins' in-game which turn your gun into something more aesthetically appealing, and make other players jealous of your shiny.
      Players have the ability to sell or trade skins, so there is a real market for them (just like any other vanity object) which fluctuates depending on demand.
      CSGO has a professional players league, so people can bet skins on pro ga
  • Seems like the FCC Endorsement rules ought to apply? https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advic... [ftc.gov]

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