Counter-Strike 2 is not only a popular game, but also a popular category on Twitch. A study found that almost half of all top streamers in the CS2 category are sponsored by skin gambling sites. This is actually prohibited by Twitch’s guidelines.
What is skin gambling? In Counter-Strike it is possible to purchase different skins for weapons. They are usually hidden in loot boxes that can be bought with real money. The frequency of the skin determines the value at which the skin can be resold.
Some websites are online casinos where these skins can be used as currency and won at the same time. On third-party sites, these skins can then be converted into real money in sales. Since only skins and no real money can be won at online casinos, they are legally in a gray area.
Danger: At MeinMMO, our expertise lies in video games and entertainment and we are not lawyers. We can only give opinions or obtain our statements from other sources.
When Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was updated to Counter-Strike 2, there were some changes. We present them to you in the video:
Counter-Strike 2 ushers in a new era – The most important changes in the video
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Skin Gambling on Twitch
Advertising of Skin Gambling on Google: Barron’s magazine conducted research into these online casinos on CS2 and the extent to which they placed ads on Google. Placing the ads on Google resulted in a total of 56 million page visits.
What is the situation with skin gambling on Twitch? As part of this research, Barron’s also took a look at Twitch streamers in the CS2 area. The study found that a total of 120 of the top 300 streamers in the CS2 area are sponsored by such a gambling site. That’s 40%.
This is particularly dangerous for a younger target group, as children are exposed to gambling far too early. At the same time, it is presented to them as something harmless and can develop a gambling addiction as a result.
What is Twitch doing about it? Twitch’s guidelines state that promoting and sponsoring skin gambling is prohibited. Twitch does not officially comment on these conditions on their platform, but seems to simply allow these violations to happen. Users of the platform can, however, report such streams.
Counter-Strike 2 is one of the biggest games ever. Since the release of CS:GO in 2000, the game has enjoyed a large player base while also holding its own in the e-sports scene. Counter-Strike was originally created by two students, one of whom says he is glad he sold it.