New York sues Valve for 'letting children and adults illegally gamble' with loot boxes

New York sues Valve for ‘letting children and adults illegally gamble’ with loot boxes | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Hardware Valve wins lawsuit against Rothschild and associated entities, with a jury agreeing they violated an anti-patent troll protection act Gaming Industry Videogames are ‘losing in the War for Attention’: Analyst says many of the industry’s biggest markets are spending less time on gaming Gaming Industry Nightdive Studios’ Stephen Kick has 8,544 hours in Dota 2, and just clocked his 5,000th win: ‘I think it’s made me a better leader’ Games The best free games on Steam Gaming Industry New Blood CEO Dave Oshry says he’s ‘always loved GOG’ but ‘they need enough people to give a s**t, or how long are they even going to be around’ Gaming Industry Roblox responds to LA County lawsuit, the latest of many alleging the game fails to protect children from predators: ‘While no system can be perfect, our commitment to safety never ends’ Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders promises severe repercussions for cheating after Marathon twisted the knife on its recent woes: ‘Serious infractions now carry stricter consequences’ Games Reddit fined nearly $20 million by UK online privacy regulator for ‘using children’s data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content’ Gaming Industry Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney voices support for $900 million Steam lawsuit: ‘Valve is the only major store still holding onto the payments tie and 30% junk fee’ Card Game Hasbro is being sued by its own shareholders for printing so many damn Magic cards, ‘destroying the long-term value of the brand’ Grand Theft Auto Rockstar prepares for the Roblox-ification of GTA 6 by launching an official mods marketplace, with one bundle costing just under $500 FPS Microsoft nukes popular Halo 3 mod for Counter-Strike 2 from orbit: ‘It was fun while it lasted’ Gaming Industry ‘There’s no reason for Discord to comply in advance’ with social media age verification laws instead of ‘fighting for their users’ says EFF expert Gaming Industry $900 million lawsuit accusing Steam of overcharging gamers in the UK and ‘abusing a dominant market position’ will proceed after Valve loses appeal against it Horror Epic bans indie horror game Horses just one day before launch due to ‘inappropriate content’, despite having approved that content weeks ago PopularNEW: PC Gamer Clips!Arc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutGame Quizzes Gaming Industry Steam New York sues Valve for ‘letting children and adults illegally gamble’ with loot boxes News By Morgan Park published 25 February 2026 The lawsuit aims to “stop Valve from promoting gambling features in its games, disgorge all ill-gotten gains, and pay fines for violating New York’s laws.” When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter New York state attorney general Letitia James announced on X and Bluesky today that the state of New York is opening a lawsuit against Valve for violating the state’s gambling laws through its games.In the brief post, James says Valve has “made billions of dollars by letting children and adults illegally gamble for the chance to win valuable virtual prizes. These features are addictive and harmful.”In a subsequent press release, the attorney general’s office called out Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2 specifically. Related articles $900 million lawsuit accusing Steam of overcharging gamers in the UK and ‘abusing a dominant market position’ will proceed after Valve loses appeal against it Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney voices support for $900 million Steam lawsuit: ‘Valve is the only major store still holding onto the payments tie and 30% junk fee’ Valve wins lawsuit against Rothschild and associated entities, with a jury agreeing they violated an anti-patent troll protection act “An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Valve’s video games, including Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2, enable gambling by enticing users to pay for the chance to win a rare virtual item of significant monetary value. In Valve’s most popular game, the process resembles a slot machine, with an animated spinning wheel that eventually rests on a selected item.”The randomly s