CS2 tournaments have changed their gambling advertising rules: Valve has announced an important decision

During CS2 matches, esports players have been banned from wearing logos of websites associated with skin gambling (betting on skins — visual designs for characters or in-game items) on their jerseys. This represents a significant change to sponsorship rules for professional players.

As reported by Gambling News, the corresponding amendment to the Counter-Strike 2 Tournament Operations Requirements (TOR) was introduced by Valve. The corporation is not only the developer of Counter-Strike, but also of other popular games and the world’s largest digital distribution platform, Steam.

The change affects all levels of competition — from local tournaments to major international events. The new rule prohibits the display of logos or advertising related to skin betting anywhere during tournament broadcasts, including:

• players’ jerseys;
• sponsor video content;
• stage signage;
• any other on-screen content visible to viewers.

In addition, companies offering services related to Valve in-game inventories (including skin trading platforms or key resellers) are banned from sponsoring tournaments. At the same time, the restriction does not apply to “traditional” gambling companies such as online casinos and bookmakers, as they use real money rather than Steam items and do not violate Valve’s agreement terms, the company said.

Overall, Valve has frequently been criticized for its connection to skin gambling websites. Some critics argue that skin-based gambling in CS2 exposes teenagers to gambling addiction, and that such sponsorships often contribute negatively to this issue.

The policy change has already had a noticeable impact on top CS2 teams — in particular, Team Vitality, MOUZ, and The MongolZ have already dropped their skin gambling-related sponsors. However, the strongest impact may be felt by lesser-known teams that relied much more heavily on such partnerships.