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

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."

Comments

We did this to ourselves.

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[SirSlud]

Which I suppose would be fine if gamblers didn't steal from friends and family to feed their vulnerabilities? Gambling isn't just something that only affects those who make the "adult" decision to gamble.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[fustakrakich]

That still doesn't make the casino's fault. The gambler is only person to hold responsible, regardless who his "victims" are.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[fustakrakich]

Discipline is the parents' problem, not Valve's. They can put their allowance money into a piggy bank instead of giving it to the kid. As for adults who can't control themselves, please, don't even go there.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[Archfeld]

It does when the casino is knowingly marketing itself in an area where online gambling is NOT legal. I realize steam reaches an international audience but it primarily a US based venue and online gambling in the US is heavily restricted if not outright illegal, so there is a high degree of fault to be laid at the casinos' feet in this case.

Re:We did this to ourselves.

[fustakrakich]

But in this case online gambling is illegal.

So what? If you gamble online it is also your own responsibility. And no, contrary to your opinion, the casino, Visa, Valve, Steam, YouTube, etc do NOT deserve to be punished (you disappoint me with that attitude). The prohibitionist who wrote the law should be punished. They have no right to dictate what can be served on the internet, nobody does, especially when served from outside your borders. Their sovereignty is outside your jurisdiction. You are free to attempt to block the signal, and I have the right to circumvent it. It is a cat and mouse game, like so many others, that I can only hope the authorities will lose. Above all else it is paramount for the internet to be open, and forced open whenever anyone tries to shut it down. An open freely accessible internet is all that matters to me. So, let's agree to disagree on the matter.

No money was won.

[wardrich86]

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.

Re:No money was won.

[hairyfeet]

As much as I like Steam what Valve has set up is no different than the Pachinko scam the Japanese use to get around gambling laws.

Here is how it works...see if this sounds familiar (Hint its exactly how CS;GO boxes work) you 1.- Pay real money for chips (keys) to play, 2.- You win "prizes" that cannot be exchanged on site for money, 3.- You go across the street to a site that changes those prizes into cash...tada! How to get around gambling laws.

I'm sorry but what Valve and these sites have set up is the classic Pachinko scam, hell Valve even has the chest opening spin just like a slot machine. I don't see how they are not gonna get their asses handed to them in the class action that just got filed, its sooo obvious its gambling its not even funny.

Re: It's because people no longer follow Caveat Em

[tysonedwards]

The problem here is that people with an existing and loyal fan base who trusted and respected them decided to create said gambling platform and mislead their viewers to believe they "found it" versus "founded it" and were using it to win money. As such, there might be a case of fraud (in the literal letter of the law) by anyone who acted upon said claims by these YouTubers.

What even is this

[axewolf]

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?

Re:It's because people no longer follow Caveat Emp

[pete6677]

Wait a minute, so you're telling me that some dodgy, illegal (in the United States anyway) gambling website hosted by a couple of YouTube clowns might not be legitimate? And that I shouldn't just send them my money, in hopes of winning big?

Wow, I learn something new every day!