Rogue gaming sites let children gamble crores

Samuel Osborne

Thousands of children are betting millions of pounds on the outcomes of matches played by professional video gamers on unlicenced gambling websites. The teenagers are using “skins” as a virtual currency, which can be won or bought in game and act as cosmetic upgrades to a player’s character, such as camouflage for a gun or a new suit of armour.

More than Rs 44,000 crore worth of “skins” were bet globally in 2015, The Times reports. The virtual currency is then bet on the outcome of matches between gamers in “eSports” competitions in games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2 and League of Legends. The Gambling Commission, UK, has expressed its concern and published a consultation paper outlining, which activities need to be licenced and which do not.

Legal action has been taken in the US against Valve Software, who made Counter-Strike, and several other websites, alleging that Valve made profits from transactions related to gambling.

The case also accuses British vlogger Tom Cassel, known by his username “Syndicate,” of “actively promoting [CSGOLotto] as a gambling service, including to minors”.

Last month, CS:GO Lounge closed its virtual betting after a cease and desist letter.

— The Independent