Official statement from Valve.
We shared with the NYAG that these types of boxes in our games are widely used, not just in video games but in the tangible world as well, where generations have grown up opening baseball card packs and blind boxes and bags, and then trading and selling the items they receive.
You’re right! We should stop that too!
Oh yeah, I completely forgot to mention that part because for some reason I thought everyone knew you can’t open Valve lootboxes without paying for it. That’s a very important distinction to make because if you could open them for free there’s an argument that because you’re not putting money in it’s not legally gambling.
Yeah. a lot of people don’t mention it and I had no frame of reference but I kept seeing comments that sort of alluded to that. I tried to Google it but with the current news cycle that information is buried and I couldn’t find a source. And of course I don’t play those games so I just didn’t know.
Still, thanks again.