Valve - In-game Item Trading Update

[Lithium 302]

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet - News - In-Game Item Trading Update

"In 2011, we added a feature to Steam that enabled users to trade in-game items as a way to make it easier for people to get the items they wanted in games featuring in-game economies.

 

Since then a number of gambling sites started leveraging the Steam trading system, and there’s been some false assumptions about our involvement with these sites. We’d like to clarify that we have no business relationships with any of these sites. We have never received any revenue from them. And Steam does not have a system for turning in-game items into real world currency.

 

These sites have basically pieced together their operations in a two-part fashion. First, they are using the OpenID API as a way for users to prove ownership of their Steam accounts and items. Any other information they obtain about a user's Steam account is either manually disclosed by the user or obtained from the user’s Steam Community profile (when the user has chosen to make their profile public). Second, they create automated Steam accounts that make the same web calls as individual Steam users.

 

Using the OpenID API and making the same web calls as Steam users to run a gambling business is not allowed by our API nor our user agreements. We are going to start sending notices to these sites requesting they cease operations through Steam, and further pursue the matter as necessary. Users should probably consider this information as they manage their in-game item inventory and trade activity.

 

-Erik Johnson"

 

TL;DR - Valve is shutting down gambling sites using steam items.

Thoughts?

[Owl 192]

Interested to see how this effects csgolounge, definitely one of the more honest "gambling" sites (and probably the only one that I would miss)

[xGShadowSpy 108]

If they were gonna do this they should make their own official gambling/betting site. It wouldnt be a bad idea on their part since its in such demand, then again i cant see them doing that.

[virr 808]

Should have been done earlier. Not only is it highly illegal, it promotes underage gambling and attracts scummy people.

[Egossi 1017]

Papa bless h3h3, csgo gambling has always been "gambling for children", something little kids can sink a lot of money into often without their parents permission, i'm glad they're being shut down.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Guest (see edit history)

[LucehMcellion 16]

This may just be my stupid coming out, but does this shutdown have any impact on trading sites such as tf2 warehouse and scrap.tf ? I really dont have any knowledge on the cs:go scene, so this would be nice to know, as i frequent tf2 warehouse.

[virr 808]

This may just be my stupid coming out, but does this shutdown have any impact on trading sites such as tf2 warehouse and scrap.tf ? I really dont have any knowledge on the cs:go scene, so this would be nice to know, as i frequent tf2 warehouse.

 

I think they are shutting down sites which uses bots to trade items. Im not familiar with the sites you mentioned but if they use bots to trade they are gonna get shut down or they need to change their system in some way

[Lithium 302]

Right now, it seems like trading sites haven't been targeted, solely gambling sites. Their statements do seem to imply that trading sites are under the restriction as well, but none of the sites targeted by the cease and desists were solely trading sites.

[LucehMcellion 16]

Right now, it seems like trading sites haven't been targeted, solely gambling sites. Their statements do seem to imply that trading sites are under the restriction as well, but none of the sites targeted by the cease and desists were solely trading sites.

Well, i guess all we can do is hope for the best then.. I just hope warehouse doesn't go down cuz dang man, i get all of my tf2 stuff there, even just bought a The Surgeon's Side Satchel to complete this set of mine..