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YouTuber Stephen “Coffeezilla” recently released a video investigation on unregulated Counter-Strike 2 gambling.
Popular YouTuber Stephen “Coffeezilla” recently uploaded a 40-minute-long video titled The Dark Side of Counter-Strike 2 where he discussed a major problem involving the trading of their skins, essentially opening up a self-sustaining and self-regulated world of gambling.
For those wondering, the only way to officially sell or purchase CS2 skins is through the Steam Community Market. The prices are, of course, determined by the rarity of the skin. Some skins even go for tens of thousands of dollars, as noted by Stephen.
However, Coffeezilla listed various third-party gambling websites that essentially allow users to use these CS skins and trade them for currency. The creator further criticized that these online casinos are mostly unregulated and rarely ask for identification – meaning that these websites are accessible to minors. He said:
“With Counter-Strike, there is an underage gateway to all of this because all you need is $2.50 to get your first skin through Valve (CS’s developers) and you don’t even need to show ID. Even worse is when you go from the game to the Casinos, which are hosted on third-party websites, most don’t ID the players either and if they do, it’s after you have gambled thousands of dollars.”
What Did Monarch, Owner of Counter-Strike 2 Skin-Betting Website, Say About the Issue?
Coffeezilla also discussed Monarch, the founder of a CS2 skin betting website called CSGOEmpire. While Coffeezilla made it clear that he does not endorse Monarch’s methods, he acknowledged and appreciated Monarch’s understanding of the issue surrounding underage gambling.
Coffeezilla played a clip of Monarch discussing the situation, where he stated:
“I’m just disgusted about this whole loop. I think that the default case system on Steam is pretty f**king horrible. The way how there’s no KYC (Know Your Customer), it’s such a powerful tool for getting children and even adults (to gambling).”
However, Coffeezilla also pointed out that Monarch’s website, CSGOEmpire, is not entirely free from this issue. He noted that the platform does not require identifications of the users withdrawing via skins, highlighting that Monarch is still contributing to the problem.
Coffeezilla also addressed the issue of influencers and YouTubers being paid to promote these websites. He stated:
“It’s been that way since 2016. Influencers are the main lifeblood of these casinos. Fast forward eight years, later, it’s just different influencers, and different casinos.”
Coffeezilla even confronted some of these YouTubers, including Grim, Juicy, and ElderBreaks, all of whom are gambling streamers or YouTubers. Interestingly, all three claimed that they don’t support gambling, but they indicated enjoying it due to the monetary value it brings. Speaking about the situation, Coffeezilla said:
“The fact of the matter is that these people with their mouths, ‘I feel terrible, I feel bad,’ but when it comes to changing, they never do. Even when they directly scam people, they will still find a way to rationalize it.”
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