"The lawsuit described the loot box model, which requires a player to open a mystery chest for the possibility of winning rare items, as "quintessential gambling." It argued that people introduced to gambling at an early age are at a significantly higher risk of developing gambling addictions later on, based on research."
"According to the AG's announcement, her office conducted an investigation and had concluded that Valve enabled gambling by enticing users to pay for a chance at rare items from loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2. In the lawsuit, the New York AG stressed that Valve's loot boxes are "particularly pernicious," because the games are popular among children and teenagers."
"Players have to pay for chests or boxes and the keys to be able to open them in Valve's games, and the company has reportedly sold billions of dollars' worth of keys for Counter-Strike alone. The lawsuit said that Valve has made tens of millions of dollars in fees from the sale of virtual items on the Steam Community Market, as well."
New York's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Valve, alleging the company promotes illegal gambling through loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Team Fortress 2. Loot boxes require players to pay for mystery chests with chances to win rare items, which the lawsuit characterizes as quintessential gambling. The AG emphasized this practice is particularly harmful because these games attract children and teenagers, and research shows early gambling exposure significantly increases addiction risk later in life. Valve has generated billions in revenue from selling keys and virtual items, with additional tens of millions earned through Steam Community Market fees. Players can also sell items on third-party marketplaces for real money, which the investigation found Valve facilitates and assists.
Read at Engadget
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