Counter-Strike: Global Offensive From Valve: In-Game Item Trading Update

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

In 2011, we added a feature to Steam that enabled users to trade in-game items as a way to make it easier for people to get the items they wanted in games featuring in-game economies.

Since then a number of gambling sites started leveraging the Steam trading system, and there?s been some false assumptions about our involvement with these sites. We?d like to clarify that we have no business relationships with any of these sites. We have never received any revenue from them. And Steam does not have a system for turning in-game items into real world currency.

These sites have basically pieced together their operations in two-part fashion. First, they are using the OpenID API as a way for users to prove ownership of their Steam accounts and items. Any other information they obtain about a user's Steam account is either manually disclosed by the user or obtained from the user?s Steam Community profile (when the user has chosen to make their profile public). Second, they create automated Steam accounts that make the same web calls as individual Steam users.

Using the OpenID API and making the same web calls as Steam users to run a gambling business is not allowed by our API nor our user agreements. We are going to start sending notices to these sites requesting they cease operations through Steam, and further pursue the matter as necessary. Users should probably consider this information as they manage their in-game item inventory and trade activity.

-Erik Johnson

Source

Your thoughts? Valve is cracking down hard on gambling.

 

[Typpi]

I think it will be really bad for for csgodouble, diamonds, etc... but sites like opskins and bitskins will be okay.

This seems like they are taking actions towards gambling and not towards 3rd party marketplaces.

Time will tell though because there is some wording about automated trading bots, but people on reddit seem to think this is mostly about gambling sites only.

 

[Chickens]

Thank god

 

[xFiveSevenx]

The only betting I've done is on Professional Matches, and to be honest it isn't worth it. They don't value your items properly and a lot of the time (depending on the odds of the match) they won't even give you your appropriate winnings. Steam is making an aggressive move to stop the unregulated gambling of these sites by not allowing them to use their Trading Platform. We will see in the upcoming weeks what will unfold, but in all honesty I think it's best for the game.

 

[Medviah]

 

[Greg]

I think it will be really bad for for csgodouble, diamonds, etc... but sites like opskins and bitskins will be okay.

This seems like they are taking actions towards gambling and not towards 3rd party marketplaces.

Time will tell though because there is some wording about automated trading bots, but people on reddit seem to think this is mostly about gambling sites only.

opskins uses bots for trading so they will not be ok

 

[Typpi]

opskins uses bots for trading so they will not be ok

Opskins seems to think they're ok because they are not gambling related. They even responded here https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/comments/4sp94j/what_could_this_mean_for_the_future_of_opskins/d5b2cfs

We don't do anything illegal nor do we do anything gambling-related, so we'll continue operation as normal.

I guess only time will tell.

 

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

I believe it's already having the intended effect.

 

[Daa]

Took them long enough.

 

[Xerneas]

Thank god

 

[sweg]

man i was gonna deposit my skins in csgopoor rip

 

[gamed0m]

Doesn't pertain to me at all although many are panic selling their skins thinking that prices will drop down for everything.

Don't know about that personally. I don't think gambling is that influential that it will reduce every skin by a sizable margin but can't really talk on the matter, as I never did gamble seriously.

 

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

I could see it causing a crash. Gambling certainly could have had a hand in dictating the value of certain items, but it wouldn't be as bad. So long as sites like OPSkins continue to function, values of skins shouldn't fluctuate too much.

 

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

Twitch is jumping on it, too, warning streamers that it will ban those who (for some reason) still gamble in CS:GO or break third party ToS agreements.

Today Valve released an announcement clarifying the intended use of Steam’s trading system and OpenID API. Valve specifically notes that using “the OpenID API and making the same web calls as Steam users to run a gambling business is not allowed by our API nor our user agreements.”
As a reminder, per Twitch’s Terms of Service, broadcasters are not permitted to stream content that breaks the terms of service or user agreements of third-parties. As such, content in which the broadcaster uses or promotes services that violate Valve’s stated restrictions is prohibited on Twitch. Our Rules of Conduct lists other examples such as playing pirated games and playing on unauthorized private servers.

https://blog.twitch.tv/twitch-and-t...e-and-user-agreements-b9827599e0fc#.swlomzsl0

 

[Tecmo]

Now someone correct me if im wrong but this is what I understand from this:
Gambling sites require you to sign into steam to play on their site and trade your skins in to bet, valve is shutting them down because of the sign in requirement.
if thats the case, since you dont need to friend someone for a trade why cant you just require the trade URL?
And I heard there also cracking down on underage gambling?

 

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

Now someone correct me if im wrong but this is what I understand from this:
Gambling sites require you to sign into steam to play on their site and trade your skins in to bet, valve is shutting them down because of the sign in requirement.
if thats the case, since you dont need to friend someone for a trade why cant you just require the trade URL?
And I heard there also cracking down on underage gambling?

Signing in through Steam proves that you own the account you're gambling with. It's easy to go to backpack.tf and scrape for trade URLs and put in a random one.

Yes, part of this move is to regulate CS:GO gambling. Right now, if I went to SkinArena or CSGODouble, there is no way to prove to them I am 18 or older and can legally gamble. If Valve could be seen as encouraging these services, they would be in hot legal water. Currently, this is the smartest move they can do. If they were to reintroduce gambling on their own platform or partner with certain sites, Valve could regulate gambling and introduce some systems similar to online, real money gambling sites.

 

[FameLess]

This suck, really guys so many relieved. I want more gambling to do on doubble.

 

[C7R35]

Hmmm.... I only gambled on CSGO Fast I think it was, where you flip a coin and have a 50/50 chance of winning. Turned a $7 pp bizon into $250 of credits in 30 minutes haha.

I just hope it doesn't affect OPSkins as that's my main source for buying and selling skins. The market will take quite the hit and people will lose money, unless they resort to selling 'off the books'.

 

[Dr. Doctor (inactive)]

Another site falls:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY3ltGjUBUo[/ame]

I just hope it doesn't affect OPSkins as that's my main source for buying and selling skins.

OPSkins shouldn't take a hit. People will frantically cash out and sell in a panic, but OPSkins isn't violating Valve's ToS and API agreement with their service. 3rd party market =/= gambling site.

 

[C7R35]

Another site falls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY3ltGjUBUo



OPSkins shouldn't take a hit. People will frantically cash out and sell in a panic, but OPSkins isn't violating Valve's ToS and API agreement with their service. 3rd party market =/= gambling site.

Yea. Hopefully there isn't a panic. Skin prices are going to go down no matter what happens, sadly. Fellas, braces yourselves. A market crash is coming.