Overview
- On March 11, Valve issued a public statement disputing that loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2 constitute illegal gambling and said it will challenge the claims in court.
- The company stressed the items are optional and cosmetic, defended users’ ability to trade and sell digital goods, and cited anti-fraud efforts including more than one million account locks and trade protections.
- A proposed federal class action filed March 9 in the Western District of Washington by Hagens Berman for players Alexander Flauto and Jackson Meyer alleges Valve’s system meets Washington’s gambling definition and seeks restitution, disgorgement and injunctive relief.
- Plaintiffs contend that resale on the Steam Community Market and third-party platforms gives items real monetary value and argue casino-style visuals and “near miss” effects encourage spending, particularly by minors.
- The Washington case follows New York Attorney General Letitia James’s February 25 lawsuit, as Valve separately rolls out an X-ray scanner in Germany that reveals case contents before opening.