Valve Stands Ground Against State Commission’s Allegations Of Facilitating Gambling
Earlier today, Valve responded to the Washington State Gambling Commission’s allegations of facilitating online gambling through the use of Counter Strike: Global Offensive skins.
In a press release dated October 5th, the WSGC ordered Valve to “immediately stop allowing the transfer of virtual weapons known as “skins” for gambling activities through the company’s Steam Platform.” The state regulatory body further ordered Valve to, “explain how it is in full compliance with Washington’s gambling laws,” threatening them with civil or criminal action if they do not respond by October 14th, which was later extended to October 17th upon the gaming corporation's request. In a letter to the Commision, Valve’s legal counsel, Liam Lavery writes:
“As we have explained on multiple occasions, Valve is not engaged in gambling, or the promotion of gambling, and we do not “facilitate” gambling. The operation of Steam and CS:GO is lawful under Washington law. We were surprised and disappointed that the Commission chose to publicly accuse valve of illegal activity and threaten our employees with criminal charges. There is no factual or legal for these accusations.”
The letter also states that, “Valve has no business relationship with such gambling sites,” that, “Valve does not promote or encourage Steam customers to use such gambling sites,” and that, “Valve does not receive revenue from these sites.” Furthermore, the gaming giant challenged the Washington State Gambling Commission to cite “a specific criminal statute or regulation” that they believe the company is in violation of.
Check back with us for updates on this matter as they unfold. In the meantime, take a quick glimpse at the life of an elite CS: GO player in the video below, or read through the full letter on PvPLive.
