In its own words, CSGOEmpire is ‘the most trusted CSGO skin gambling site’, but how much truth is really in that statement?
In 2016, when CSGOEmpire first started rising, Valve, the developer behind Counter-Strike, was hot on the heels of these ‘skin gambling’ platforms, issuing cease and desist orders. In May 2023, Valve updated its Code of Conduct, targeting Steam users and gambling. However, to date, by some miracle (or something else entirely), CSGOEmpire never ceased trading. Today, we’re here to discuss that fact and to answer the question, is CSGOEmpire legit?
For many, CS2 skin gambling is seen as an easy entry into the betting industry, but it’s studded with problems and risks. Fundamentally, skin gambling is widely unregulated and unsupported, therefore in some cases, users are not afforded the same customer protection that is enshrined in jurisdictional remote gaming (or igaming, online gaming) laws and regulations. Gambling with skins carries with it the inherent danger of being scammed out of your hard-earned CS2 skins.
Let’s break this situation down and determine if CSGOEmpire is legit.
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
When you access the CSGOEmpire website, you’re able to navigate to the ‘About’ page, where the platform is admittedly very transparent. There’s a statement on the page that explains how poor the reputation for CS skin gambling truly is, which could be seen as misdirection. After all, surely a platform such as this one wouldn’t want to turn fans off of it from the word ‘go’, right?
Here’s the statement:
As you may know, CSGO gambling doesn’t have a good reputation. For the most part, CSGO gambling sites have been non-regulated, non-transparent, in many cases illegal, and worst out of all — fraudulent.
Moments before this statement, CSGOEmpire admitted that ‘over 2 billion dollars’ have been wagered through its platform since it was opened in 2016. However, it does then go on to discuss ‘gambling websites that have operated a rigged game for years without getting caught’. That could be a general statement, or it could be foreshadowing. Is CSGOEmpire legit? We’re yet to really determine that fact.
Most people will jump on and throw down a CSGOEmpire deposit out of the excitement of gambling with their CS skins. It’s admittedly a very simple process, albeit an unregulated one, and almost anybody can start gambling with their CS skins in a matter of minutes. There might be a CSGOEmpire referral code or some kind of attractive bonus circulating to draw in fans, but there’s no real way of knowing what’s legit and what isn’t.
Is CSGOEmpire Legit? Let’s Ask the Community
In 2020, CSGOEmpire announced on Twitter that it was now a somewhat regulated platform. There were basic ‘know-your-customer’ processes implemented on the site, the bare minimum for protecting underage gamblers from the dangerous practice. It was a step taken four years after the platform opened, suggesting that for the most part, CSGOEmpire was open to underage gambling.
There are some ratings platforms out there in the community that insist CSGOEmpire is legit. In some cases, these websites offer CSGOEmpire codes, giving gamers an incentive to use the platform. However, the fact still stands that CS skin gambling is unregulated and not promoted in any way by Valve. Within the CS community, CSGOEmpire is placed under intense scrutiny, with many parties opting out of ever having anything to do with the platform.
After all, some of the most valuable CSGO skins are worth thousands of dollars. When you gamble with them on a third-party platform, you’re totally unsafe and at risk of losing them at any given moment. There’s no protection at all, regardless of what the platform itself promises.
If you want to make money and connect it to CS, it’s a much safer idea to use some of the best CS2 betting sites out there. These legitimate, real-money platforms have been established for years and are fully licensed and regulated. They’re the best alternatives you can find to CS skin gambling.
Is CSGOEmpire Fair?
It’s impossible to say if CSGOEmpire is fair, given that it uses in-house algorithms and an unregulated platform across the board. There’s no immediate indication of wrongdoing, but there’s every possibility that something unfair exists under the surface.
What is the Most Legit CSGO Gambling Site?
As we’ve highlighted, there are no ‘legit’ CSGO skin gambling sites, as they’re almost entirely unregulated and unsupported by Valve. If there’s a CS skin gambling site claiming to be totally legitimate, it’s immediately misleading potential customers.
