The case regarding Counter Strike Global Offensive’s Lotto lawsuit has been settled with the FTC.
Last year, two YouTubers by the name of Trevor Martin and Tom Cassell, better known as TmarTn” and “Syndicate” respectively, were indicated by Valve with a cease and desist letter due to their promotion of CSGO Lotto on their respective YouTube channels. Both Martin and Cassell, who have a combined subscriber base of close to 10 million viewers, failed to disclose that they were both founders of the CSGO Lotto, which was revealed by several other YouTube channels.
The scandal would see both men be the primary target from Valve, who vowed to eliminate gambling and Lotto sites that would be involved in their games, including Counter Strike. Valve has been struggling with online gambling for a long time, including issues with the Washington Gambling Commission. As a result of this action, the Federal Trade Commission filed a suit against both Martin and Cassell regarding their involvement with the CSGO Lotto, and the failure to enclose their role as the Lotto’s founders to the general public until the scandal broke.
CSGO Lotto is one of many sites that allow players to bet real world money or skins for a chance at winning virtual Counter Strike: Global Offensive Skins. The skins – which can be earned in the game by paying $2.50 for an unlock key that grants a random item – are often sold for large sums of money, sometimes upwards of $10,000 dollars. The winner, selected by a roulette wheel spin, receives a specific item gambled upon, while the website itself takes a cut of the bets.
