New York Attorney General's Office
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'People Enjoy Surprises' — Valve Is Trying to Dismiss New York's Counter-Strike Loot Box Lawsuit
Valve is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General, which alleges that loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2 constitute illegal gambling and pose a risk of child addiction. The company argues against the claims made in the legal action.
Valve moves to dismiss gambling lawsuit against Counter-Strike 2 cases
Valve has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General, which accuses the company of promoting unregulated gambling through Counter-Strike 2's in-game item cases, particularly to minors. Valve argues that punishing them would set a dangerous precedent, comparing the cases to collectibles like baseball cards and questioning the AG's interpretation of gambling laws. The lawsuit seeks damages and a ban on selling cases in New York.
Evening Legal Briefs
OpenAI is reportedly under criminal investigation regarding ChatGPT's involvement in a shooting incident. Separately, the New York Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against two prediction markets for alleged illegal gambling activities.
New York Attorney General sues two prediction markets on illegal gambling allegations
New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued Coinbase Financial Markets and Gemini Titan, alleging they are operating unlicensed gambling operations and violating state laws by allowing bets on games involving New York college sports teams. This action follows similar moves by other states, though the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has asserted federal authority over prediction markets.
Developer sues publisher after leaving backers waiting over two years for promised physical editions
Valve has responded to a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General regarding lootboxes in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2. The company stated it does not believe these lootboxes constitute illegal gambling for minors and expressed disappointment that the lawsuit proceeded despite Valve's efforts to educate the Attorney General's office since early 2023.
Valve argues mystery boxes are 'widely used' in the tangible world
Valve is arguing against the New York Attorney General's lawsuit that claims its games promote illegal gambling through loot boxes. The company asserts that these mystery boxes are widely used in both video games and the physical world, comparing them to baseball card packs and blind boxes. Valve also stated that it does not cooperate with gambling sites and has locked over one million Steam accounts involved in such activities.
Valve has "serious concerns" with New York Attorney General's loot box lawsuit
Valve has expressed serious concerns regarding a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General accusing the company of promoting illegal gambling through loot boxes and item trading. The company is pushing back against these allegations.
Loot boxes are used not just in video games, argues Valve
Valve has responded to the New York Attorney General's lawsuit, arguing that loot boxes in their games do not constitute illegal gambling and do not encourage minors to gamble. The company stated that they have been educating the NYAG about their virtual items since early 2023 and that loot boxes are also prevalent in physical collectibles like baseball cards and Pokémon packs. Valve also defended their item transfer system, stating it benefits consumers by allowing them to trade unwanted items, and expressed concerns about the invasive technologies required to verify user locations and ages.
Valve responds to New York Attorney General lawsuit
Valve has responded to allegations from the New York Attorney General, stating they disagree with claims of violating state gambling laws. The company intends to contest the lawsuit in court.
Valve Addresses Lawsuit by New York Attorney General, Says it Will Wait for a Court’s Decision
Valve has responded to a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General regarding loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. The company argues that these items are comparable to trading cards and that players are not required to purchase them. Valve expressed concerns about proposed changes, particularly regarding the transferability of digital items and invasive data collection, and stated they will await a court decision.
Valve speaks out about New York loot box lawsuit in rare attempt at damage control, saying ‘it would have been bad for users and other game developers’ to preempt situation
Valve has publicly addressed the lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General regarding loot boxes, describing them as gambling. The company stated that the AG's proposed changes to its business operations would have negatively impacted users and developers on Steam, affecting privacy and the ability to trade in-game items.
Developer sues publisher after leaving Kickstarter backers waiting over two years for promised physical editions
Valve has responded to a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General, disputing claims that loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2 constitute illegal gambling. The company stated it has been educating the NYAG about its virtual items since early 2023 and believes the transferability of digital items is a consumer right. Valve also addressed separate legal proceedings initiated by the Performing Right Society over alleged unlicensed use of music on Steam.
Valve comes out swinging against New York lawsuit with rare public statement: 'The type of deal that would satisfy the NYAG would have been bad for users and other game developers'
Valve has publicly responded to a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General, defending its practices regarding in-game loot boxes and stating they do not constitute illegal gambling under state law. The company highlighted its efforts to combat fraud and theft related to virtual items and expressed concern that the AG's demands would negatively impact users and other developers.
Valve defends loot boxes in response to New York's lawsuit
Valve has responded to a lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general accusing the company of promoting illegal gambling through loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. Valve defended its use of mystery boxes, comparing them to physical trading cards and emphasizing that the items are purely cosmetic and transferable, arguing that removing transferability would harm consumers.
Valve says loot boxes are just like "Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, and Labubu" as it pushes back against New York lawsuit, claims it's being pressured to "collect more personal data" for "additional age verification"
Valve is pushing back against a lawsuit from the New York Attorney General's office that claims its loot boxes constitute gambling. The company argues that these "mystery boxes" are akin to collectible card games and has expressed concerns about demands for increased personal data collection for age verification. Valve states it will comply with any future legislation but intends to fight the current lawsuit.
Valve Addresses New York Loot Box Lawsuit: "We Refuse To Do That"
Valve has publicly responded to a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General, which claims that the company's loot box mechanics constitute illegal gambling. Valve denies these claims, arguing that loot boxes are akin to physical collectibles and that players are not required to engage with them. The company also stated it refuses to remove item transferability or implement invasive user data collection as demanded by the Attorney General.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Has Its Own Page on Steam Again — but There's a Catch - IGN
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been relisted on the Steam store, though it remains unlisted and unsearchable. While servers and matchmaking are not available, thousands of players are still engaging with the 14-year-old title. Separately, the New York Attorney General's office is suing Valve, alleging that games like Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2 facilitate illegal gambling through the sale of virtual items.
