How strong is New York's "illegal gambling" case against Valve's loot boxes
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How strong is New York's "illegal gambling" case against Valve's loot boxes?
Lawyers tell Ars the state has a tough road ahead, even as Valve is uniquely vulnerable.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/02/how-strong-is-new-yorks-illegal-gambling-case-against-valves-loot-boxes/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
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How strong is New York's "illegal gambling" case against Valve's loot boxes?
Lawyers tell Ars the state has a tough road ahead, even as Valve is uniquely vulnerable.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/02/how-strong-is-new-yorks-illegal-gambling-case-against-valves-loot-boxes/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social@arstechnica gambling it ain't. Every time you open a crate you get a thing of value. The players determine the value of that thing. That they deign an item worth ten cents, a buck or a 1k isn't up to valve.
Should any thing that gives a seratonin hit be banned? People get that from shopping a sale, getting their nails done, downhill skiing.If I play the lotto or go put money in a poker game or buy some puts options on NYSE, there's a chance I lose every cent of that. Thats gambling.
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@arstechnica gambling it ain't. Every time you open a crate you get a thing of value. The players determine the value of that thing. That they deign an item worth ten cents, a buck or a 1k isn't up to valve.
Should any thing that gives a seratonin hit be banned? People get that from shopping a sale, getting their nails done, downhill skiing.If I play the lotto or go put money in a poker game or buy some puts options on NYSE, there's a chance I lose every cent of that. Thats gambling.
@Finitum @arstechnica they are illegal in Belgium because considered legally equivalent to gambling, but of course, completely different legal systems
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@arstechnica gambling it ain't. Every time you open a crate you get a thing of value. The players determine the value of that thing. That they deign an item worth ten cents, a buck or a 1k isn't up to valve.
Should any thing that gives a seratonin hit be banned? People get that from shopping a sale, getting their nails done, downhill skiing.If I play the lotto or go put money in a poker game or buy some puts options on NYSE, there's a chance I lose every cent of that. Thats gambling.
@Finitum
#PostOfTheWeek (season 3):
For years now, Valve fans have been making jokes about the company’s slow transition from game maker to glorified digital hat and knife paint marketplace. This week, though, a lawsuit brought by the state of New York argues that Valve’s in-game loot box sales amount to an illegal gambling outfit worth tens of billions of dollars.
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@Finitum
#PostOfTheWeek (season 3):
For years now, Valve fans have been making jokes about the company’s slow transition from game maker to glorified digital hat and knife paint marketplace. This week, though, a lawsuit brought by the state of New York argues that Valve’s in-game loot box sales amount to an illegal gambling outfit worth tens of billions of dollars.@Finitum
Lawyers who have looked into the particulars of the case tell Ars that the state faces an uphill battle in convincing courts that this portion of Valve’s business legally constitutes gambling. That said, there are a few elements of the case that might make Valve legally vulnerable to the state’s arguments. -
How strong is New York's "illegal gambling" case against Valve's loot boxes?
Lawyers tell Ars the state has a tough road ahead, even as Valve is uniquely vulnerable.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/02/how-strong-is-new-yorks-illegal-gambling-case-against-valves-loot-boxes/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social@arstechnica Is this really about gambling though?
To me it sounds like yet another angle of "use ID verification or else..."Just read the claim:
- violent games harm children
- children are exposed to gamblingPersonally, I think it's disgusting how children are used as a trojan horse.
Especially when those changes barely even do anything to protect them more.
