CSGO Lounge Responds to Valve’s Cease and Desist Letter
In response to Valve’s cease and desist letter, the people behind CSGO Lounge have announced that they will not be shutting down. Instead, they plan to acquire gambling licenses in several countries and temporarily disable betting in those areas until the licensing process is complete.
Affected countries include the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Spain, and Turkey.
Withdrawals Still Allowed, Betting on Hold
In the meantime, users in those countries will still be able to withdraw their skins from the site, but they will not be able to place bets until CSGO Lounge obtains a license for their country of residence. CSGO Lounge is also working on new features to keep users engaged during this process.
Potential for Real Money Betting
With the acquisition of gambling licenses, CSGO Lounge may potentially accept real money bets alongside skin bets in the future.
Questions Remain
While CSGO Lounge’s response attempts to address the legality of the skin betting market, it does not directly respond to Valve’s accusation regarding the use of Steam accounts for commercial purposes. It remains unclear whether CSGO Lounge will continue using Steam accounts in their business.
If Valve is not satisfied with CSGO Lounge’s statement, the ten-day deadline given in the cease and desist letter will soon expire.
Despite the controversy, CSGO Lounge’s match betting site has played a significant role in increasing viewership for professional Counter-Strike.