Indie dev calls out Valve for using ‘gambling mechanics’ in video games

DayZ creator and RocketWerkz founder Dean Hall has taken aim at Valve for its continued use of an alleged gambling-style monetization in popular video games including its flagship first-person shooter title, Counter-Strike 2.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Hall said Valve isn’t facing enough criticism for a system that, in his view, encourages gambling behavior among players.

“It’s something I think Valve does not get anywhere near enough criticism about,” the 44-year-old indie developer said. “I’m honestly disgusted with gambling mechanics in video games at all—they have absolutely no place.”

His remarks come a few days after a massive CS2 update reportedly wiped billions from the market value of rare skins, reigniting debates about loot boxes, third-party trading, as well as skin gambling promotion.

Dean Hall points out how Valve avoids regulation

While some major publishers have scaled back loot box systems amid tightening regulations, such as Brazil’s recent ban on selling them to minors, Valve has largely avoided legal scrutiny. The company doesn’t sell loot crates directly but instead charges players for the keys needed to open them.

This distinction, Hall argues, is a technical loophole rather than a meaningful safeguard. “My challenge to game developers is that if they think these things are not a problem, they make the data available to universities who are crying out to study this stuff,” he said.

Valve’s monetization model has given rise to a sprawling, player-driven economy centered on tradable CS2 skins, many of which are obtained from randomized loot boxes. These virtual cosmetics can reach astonishing real-world values (the Karambit “Blue Gem” Case Hardened, for example, reportedly costs over $1 million) fueling a gray market of trading and betting.

Though Valve officially forbids third-party sales, its ecosystem has been linked to CS2 gambling sites and even money laundering schemes. Critics say this market encourages risky behavior, particularly among younger players.

Valve’s monetization strategies have been controversial even among its former staff. In 2024, ex-Valve economist Yanis Varoufakis said the company’s loot box-driven markets helped shape a new era of “technofeudalism,” where corporations control digital economies like private fiefs.

Hall’s criticism adds to growing calls for transparency and reform in how games monetize engagement. Whether the industry will move away from gambling-inspired systems or simply refine them further remains uncertain. One way or another, as Hall’s comments make it clear, the debate over gambling in games is far from over.