SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
This week via their respective Facebook pages both CSGO Lounge and Dota2 Lounge announced that they would be shutting down their skins betting functions with immediate effect.
Both companies operate under Lounges, which itself is mostly owned by ESForce Holding, a company owned by Russian investor Alisher Usmanov who has been heavily involved in the esports scene in Eastern Europe.
CSGO Lounge, which was the largest skins wagering site, announced in its post that it would continue to operate but as an “entertainment and information platform” with new yet to be revealed features forthcoming.
You can see the full post below:
With no answer in the statement many players were left wondering whether they will be able to withdraw the remaining skins in their accounts. A similar statement on Dota 2 Lounge’s Facebook said: “At the moment we are working on a solution for items withdrawal, please stay tuned for an update on this topic.”
The message of intent in these posts came as a something of a surprise to many after Lounges applied for a formal gambling licence on August 1st.
The fall out from Valve’s two cease and desist letters has been non stop and the repercussions should continue for some time. CSGO Lounge was just one of 42 sites that the game’s developer sent out with many opting to bow out quietly rather than defy and fight the order.
