Report: Gambling sites 'thriving' due to use of Steam's Marketplace

gamedeveloper.com:

A new video from People Make Games goes into the gambling industry and its relationship with Valve's Steam marketplace. Similar to Steam's skin betting scandals of 2016, third-party sites are backing bets using items on Valve's Steam marketplace. 

And it's largely doing so, argues People Make Games, due to Valve's reported neutrality on the matter. 

Per the video, entire marketplaces and third-party gambling sites have grown for the sole purpose of selling Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skins acquired from loot boxes for real-world money. These websites piggyback off of Steam's own API, which helps them grow and catch players' attention.

These sites are said to be incredibly "frictionless," and having a Steam account is the sole requirement to join. On these sites, players are able to use skins for games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as chips, which can then be redeemed for real-world cash via the Steam Marketplace.

For young players who want a particular skin, gambling may be an easier way to acquire than spending hours grinding and hoping luck is in their favor. 

The video game industry has a contentious relationship with the gambling world, and comparisons have often been drawn between loot boxes and gambling. Loot boxes have been heavily criticized for encouraging players (particularly those underage) to spend real-world money to buy in-game items. 

As the video further explains, Valve's first foray into loot boxes began with three of its own titles: Team Fortress 2 (2010), DOTA 2 (2012), and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2013). The same year Valve introduced loot boxes to DOTA 2, it also launched the Steam Community Market, wherein players could sell in-game items such as skins or weapons to other players,