Valve has updated its tournament regulations to prohibit teams from promoting skins gambling or case opening sites on their jerseys. 

The software company updated the terms of its Limited Game Tournament License and the Tournament Operating Requirements (TOR) to include new restrictions. 

The IP protection restriction says, “Licensee must not distribute or display, including on team jerseys or in any other content that may be visible during the broadcast, any content or material that either violates Valve IP or the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement (for example, game case opening sites or skin trading sites).”

The update forces unranked events to align with ranked events in not featuring any logos, promotion, activations, or advertisements for game case opening sites, skins trading sites, or skins gambling sites.

It appears teams had prior warning to the ban as several omitted their skins sponsor logos from their jerseys for the StarLadder Budapest Major. 

While skins gambling and case opening sites were less present, the tournament did sign up Rollbit as its official sponsor. 

Valve ‘Huge Part’ In Underage Skins Gambling

A new report on skins gambling called on Valve to do more to curb the industry, where underage users are often found to use game items to play casino-style games. 

One user stated, “A lot of the games with tradeable skins are from Valve, so I think they have a huge part in this being possible at all.”

Valve takes a 15% commission on every skin sold through its marketplace. But has already implemented a ban on platforms from sponsoring tournaments. 

It has also issued cease-and-desist letters to 23 platforms that allow users to gamble using items from its games.

While many have ignored the order, the crackdown and a recent Valve update have had a big impact on the industry. 

As a result, SkinBid, a marketplace set up by popular streamer Mark “ohnePixel” Zimmermann, declared bankruptcy at the end of last month. 

Teams With Skins Gambling Partners

Several teams will now have to seek new sponsors as a result of the ban. Team Vitality announced Skin.Club as an official partner last year. 

Additionally, the MongolZ had a sponsorship with CSGOSKINS, visible before some teams removed the logo ahead of the recent change.

Similarly, MOUZ is sponsored by G4Skins and will have to remove the site from its jerseys for upcoming tournaments.