State of New York vs Valve: Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 Developer Summoned to Court Over Suspected Gambling Law Violation
Valve has found itself at the center of an investigation that could become one of the most high-profile in the US gaming industry.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Valve - the company behind the Steam platform and developer of mega-popular games Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2. The reason for the lawsuit is the use of in-game "loot boxes," which the authorities believe violate state gambling laws and have previously attracted the attention of regulators worldwide.
What is Known
According to the accusation, players are encouraged to spend real money on buying virtual "keys" that unlock a set of rewards, but do not guarantee obtaining the desired item. Rare items can be sold on the Steam Community Market or via third-party platforms for real money, and prosecutors compare the process of opening virtual containers to slot machines, with the process in CS2 even accompanied by a similar visual effect.
The New York prosecutor's office claims that such mechanics are essentially a form of illegal gambling, and their popularity among teenagers and children makes the situation particularly dangerous. The lawsuit states that the company could (and did) earn billions by engaging users in such a "game of chance" without the appropriate license and in violation of state law.
Letitia James demands Valve to permanently cease this practice, compensate affected players, and pay a fine equal to three times the alleged illegal profit.
Valve has not yet released any official comments on the lawsuit.
It is worth noting that according to analysts' estimates, in 2025 alone and only from cases in Counter-Strike 2, Valve earned 1 billion dollars, confirming the scale of gamers' interest in microtransactions.