YouTube's Biggest Stars Are Pushing a Shady Polish Gambling Site (thedailybeast.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Daily Beast: Untold riches are promised on Mystery Brand, a website that sells prize-filled "mystery boxes." If you buy one of the digital boxes, some of which cost hundreds of dollars, you might only get a fidget spinner -- or you might get a luxury sports car. For just $100, users can win a box filled with rare Supreme streetwear. For only $12.99, they can win a Lamborghini, or even a $250 million mega-mansion billed as "the most expensive Los Angeles realty." Or at least that's what some top YouTubers have been telling their young fans about the gambling site -- with the video stars apparently seeing that as a gamble worth taking, especially after a dip in YouTube advertising rates.
Over the past week, hugely popular YouTube stars like Jake Paul and Bryan "Ricegum" Le have encouraged their fans to spend money on Mystery Brand, a previously little-known site that appears to be based in Poland. In their videos, Paul and Le show themselves betting hundreds of dollars on the site for a chance to open a digital "box." At first, they win only low-value prizes like fidget spinners or Converse sneakers. By the end of the video, though, they have won thousands of dollars worth of tech and clothing, like rare pairs of sneakers or Apple AirPods. If they like the prize, the YouTube stars have it shipped to their house. The gambling site doesn't list the owner or location where it's based, although the site's terms of service say it's "subject to the laws and jurisdiction of Poland." To make matters worse, users of the site might not even receive the items they believed they have won. "During using the services of the website You may encounter circumstances in which Your won items will not be received," the terms of service reads.
Also, while the ToS say that underage users are ineligible to receive prizes, many of the YouTubers promoting the site have audiences who are underage. "[Jake Paul], for example, has acknowledged that the bulk of his fanbase is between 8 and 15 years old," reports The Daily Beast.
Over the past week, hugely popular YouTube stars like Jake Paul and Bryan "Ricegum" Le have encouraged their fans to spend money on Mystery Brand, a previously little-known site that appears to be based in Poland. In their videos, Paul and Le show themselves betting hundreds of dollars on the site for a chance to open a digital "box." At first, they win only low-value prizes like fidget spinners or Converse sneakers. By the end of the video, though, they have won thousands of dollars worth of tech and clothing, like rare pairs of sneakers or Apple AirPods. If they like the prize, the YouTube stars have it shipped to their house. The gambling site doesn't list the owner or location where it's based, although the site's terms of service say it's "subject to the laws and jurisdiction of Poland." To make matters worse, users of the site might not even receive the items they believed they have won. "During using the services of the website You may encounter circumstances in which Your won items will not be received," the terms of service reads.
Also, while the ToS say that underage users are ineligible to receive prizes, many of the YouTubers promoting the site have audiences who are underage. "[Jake Paul], for example, has acknowledged that the bulk of his fanbase is between 8 and 15 years old," reports The Daily Beast.
we're going to the dentist today.
Both Jake Paul and Ricegum are scumbags.
There is NO WAY this could POSSIBLY be a scam! There is no way the people who got a Lamborghini for $13 are actually paid actors!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Online gambling is already illegal in the US, why is it not illegal to run ads for it? YouTube should be pushed into adding a clause to their terms of service that prevents anyone from running ads or sponsors for things that are otherwise illegal.
How does one gamble on polish?
How shining something could be? Or how shady/...I get it!
"I bet you can't see a neutral gray card after that polish!"
Youtube needs to make an example of these scumbags. Getting kids to gamble is lowest of the low.
Remember those shady penny auction sites where you could supposedly buy a TV for 10 bucks, but had to pay for each bid and basically never won anything? This sounds really similar...
$13 what about $0.75 CAR CAR CAR slots?
Shady? It's not like a bunch of Pollocks run it ... oh, wait
Yet more YouTube "stars" that I've never heard of before this article.
Now instead of blowing the remaining balance of the last working credit card people have on stupid digital loot boxes that are full of worthless digital items you can blow it all on digital loot boxes that are full of real world worthless items. Jokes on them though, even if you win that mansion or sports car you can't use it without an internet connection.
YouTube is predatory on children. There are is a lot worse than this going on. At least children will have a hard time coming up with big money to blow on these gambling schemes, however, some of the other cr*p they run across is absolutely diabolical.
=^..^= all your rodent are belong to us
You wot mate?
My favorite YouTube star is creimer.
No need for the word "shady". That's implied by the word "gambling"
I see that The Daily Beast watches pewnews as well.
...loot boxes without the game part!
Hehehehehh...heh....ehh...::raspberry of disapproval and woe::
The gaming commissions of individual states would take issue with this, as you need to be a licensed gambling establishment in most states to advertise gambling services. At least in the states where such is allowed. There are about 10 or so states which do not allow any online gambling or advertisement thereof (or both.)
But to boot, there's Federal fun to go along with this:
The Interstate Wire Act
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
So these boys are about to find themselves in a LOT of hot fucking water for what they're doing.
Why just Polish gambling sites? Are German sites inferior?
You get these guys, they build big on a platform.
Then you start fucking with their money...
So they turn to alternative methods of securing funding.
Occasionally, you get some of them falling for shit like this.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
For money they'll promote anything.
I'll ante up two turtle waxes and a simoniz
This is the essence of loot boxes in games, just with larger prizes.
And you expect me to trust some unknown "Youtube star" ?? And an an internet firm in Poland?
Man, there _is_ one born every minute!
He called them out for being a scam in a recent video: https://youtu.be/b_gitOw1TZU
Strike 3 for JP?? advertising a gambling site to his acknowledged 8-13 year old audience?
Jack of all trades,master of none
Pretty sure Pewds is still the biggest by every metric, and he is the one calling it out, not shilling this shit site.