We reported yesterday that TMarTn and Syndicate had been discovered to be the owners of CSGO Lotto, a Counter Strike: Global Offensive skin gambling website. This story is developing and today, Trevor Martin (aka TMarTn) has offered an apology on YouTube saying, "I am sorry to each and every one of you, who felt like that [his ownership of CSGO Lotto] was not made clear enough to you". This was after stating that his ownership had been a matter of public record since the company's founding.
Update: The below video, since publishing this article, has been removed. Much of what it conveys, and the overall sentiment, is similar to what you will find below in the letter from the CSGO Lotto lawyers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyGQV2i9eU His video also focused on the fact that many had discussed the COPPA compliance section of the site, which stated that they don't knowingly collect information on those under 13 as "proof" that they promote underage gambling. He stated that their terms and signup both stated you have to be at least 18 years old to use the service. This was listed in the sign-up terms and had a checkbox at the end according to Martin's video, although it may be worth noting that age-gates, in general, are required to have age neutral verification and not just a checkbox. That is why you see those drop-down menus for the user's year of birth on many sites.
Additionally, a statement has been released to various sites by CSGO Lotto's legal team, which echoes much of Martin's statements. Here is the letter according to PCInvasion:
First and foremost, Trevor Martin values the support of his YouTube followers, and he is focused on publishing entertaining content for them.
The ownership interests in CSGO Lotto have been public record since the company organized in December 2015.
It is important to understand that winners on the website are randomly determined by both algorithms and computer code. The odds of winning games played at CSGO Lotto are not more or less favorable to any players. The company has fail-safe measures in place to prevent any person and any player from independently changing or manipulating the outcomes of any games played.
CSGO Lotto finds it deeply troubling that statements against both the company and its owners are not supported by facts and lack a serious understanding of “gambling,” as that term is legally defined. In this way, CSGO Lotto is materially different from its competitors who operate other game play websites that may, in fact, cross the line of legality.
There is also considerable misinformation concerning allegations that CSGO Lotto encourages minors of age 13 to participate in its games. This stems from a misunderstanding of the company’s privacy policy. The policy references minors aged 13 and under due to the company’s compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Contrary to what has been suggested, the company does not condone the usage of its website by minors under 18 years of age and, indeed, players must certify their age at the outset. Furthermore, statements released by the company on prior occasions are consistent with the company’s continued efforts to ensure that it does not collect the personal information of any minor.
-Coleman Watson, Esq. Watson LLP
If you want to hear from other lawyers, offering their perspective on the matter, Bryce Blum, Ryan Morrison, and Jeff Ifrah held an AMA on the CSGO subreddit regarding the topic earlier today. This focused on the legality of CSGO skin wagering, potential punishment, and more.
Yesterday PsiSyndicate revealed that he had accepted payment for doing videos promoting another skin gambling site, SteamLoto.
We will continue to follow and keep you up-to-date on this developing story.
Quick Take
This really misses a lot of the salient points that are ongoing, and generally speaking they have promoted themselves as a gambling site, hence the name CSGO Lotto. You know, lotto as in lottery, which is essentially a form of gambling. This is a developing situation, but it just looks worse every time you look at it.
Also, that apology felt like the fakest one this side of the FineBros. Note that he doesn't apologize for promoting it or anything else, just if you felt confused essentially and acts like it's partially your fault. He misses the fact that by many laws he was not compliant in disclosure as is required for videos that are promotional.
