{"id":171939,"date":"2021-04-27T06:12:44","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T13:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=171939"},"modified":"2021-04-27T11:22:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:22:59","slug":"streamer-phantoml0rd-wins-case-vs-twitch-over-csgo-gambling-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/streamer-phantoml0rd-wins-case-vs-twitch-over-csgo-gambling-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Streamer Wins Case Against Twitch Over CS:GO Gambling Ban"},"content":{"rendered":"

A former internet celebrity booted from the Twitch platform after a Counter Strike: Global Offensive gambling<\/a> scandal has successfully sued the streaming service for damages.<\/p>\n

\"James
Back in 2016, James \u201cPhantoml0rd\u201d Varga (pictured with dog in screenshot above) promoted a skins gambling site without declaring ownership. (Image: Twitch)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

James Varga<\/a>, known on Twitch as \u201cPhantoml0rd,\u201d took legal action against Twitch in 2018, claiming loss of earnings after the company\u2019s deletion of his account in 2016.<\/p>\n

At the time Twitch pulled the plug, Varga boasted 1.3 million followers, with more than 16 thousand subscribers on his channel.<\/p>\n

But he had recently been exposed as the owner of a skin gambling website called CS:GOShuffle, which he promoted to his followers by betting in real-time through the Twitch live stream.<\/p>\n

\n

According to a dossier of leaked emails acquired by esports journalist Richard Lewis, Varga and his associates were allegedly rigging those games for the benefit of the stream to make it appear easier to win.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When Varga sued Twitch for breach of contract, Twitch countersued, accusing Varga of violating its terms and conditions, which included not using the platform for \u201cscams, misinformation and defrauding others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Legal Vacuum <\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 2016, skins gambling existed in a legal vacuum under the noses of regulators. The trading and gambling of \u201cskins\u201d \u2013 the cosmetic digital items found in loot boxes in the video game Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) \u2013 had quickly become a multibillion-dollar industry.<\/p>\n

Later that year, CS:GO publisher Valve moved to shut down the unlicensed betting craze, and with it CS:GOShuffle, amid claims it was facilitating underage gambling.<\/p>\n

Valve wrote cease-and-desist letters to the biggest operators, warning them they were violating its terms and conditions by appropriating skins for online gambling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The legal battle between Twitch and Varga has done little to clarify the legal status of skins gambling. Ultimately, it boiled down to a contract dispute. A jury in San Francisco found Twitch liable for failing to follow proper procedures for terminating Varga\u2019s contract following his suspension from the platform.<\/p>\n

‘Harmful Content’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Varga\u2019s compensation for this, $20,729, was some way short of the $35 million he had hoped for. But it was a symbolic victory for the former streamer.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Twitch noted the relatively small award reflected the \u201cscope of the misstep\u201d as it related to compensation for revenue losses solely for the duration of the 30-day notice period, which the company neglected to give Varga.<\/p>\n

While we regret the procedural failings related to Mr. Varga\u2019s termination in 2016, he repeatedly violated Twitch\u2019s Community Guidelines and exposed our community to harmful content,<\/strong>\u201d said a Twitch spokesperson.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe absolutely stand behind our decision to terminate his account, and he will not be allowed back onto the service.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A former internet celebrity booted from the Twitch platform after a Counter Strike: Global Offensive gambling scandal has successfully sued the streaming service for damages. James Varga, known on Twitch as \u201cPhantoml0rd,\u201d took legal action against Twitch in 2018, claiming loss of earnings after the company\u2019s deletion of his account in 2016. At the time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":171940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,16693],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStreamer Phantoml0rd Wins Case Vs Twitch Over CS:GO Gambling Ban<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back in 2016, James \u201cPhantoml0rd\u201d Varga promoted a skins gambling site on Twitch platform without declaring ownership. 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