Valve defends loot boxes against gambling claims: Compares them to Pokémon cards and Labubu figures

American corporation Valve Corporation has announced it will fight in court against charges brought by the New York State Attorney General, who accused the company of operating illegal gambling through a system of so-called loot boxes. The lawsuit filed in late February 2026 by Letitia James targets the developer's most popular titles, such as Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, and Dota 2. According to the plaintiffs, the mechanism of paid containers with random content constitutes the quintessence of gambling and violates state laws on games of chance. Valve officially responded to these allegations in March 2026, rejecting the prosecution's arguments and preparing to defend its business strategy before the judiciary.

In its defense, Valve compares loot boxes to physical collectible items, such as Pokémon cards or popular Labubu figures. Company representatives argue that purchasing digital loot boxes is not gambling but a form of entertainment and collecting, which has existed for decades in the real world in the form of "blind box" products. Labubu has become a global phenomenon in recent years, and its sales model is based on the buyer's lack of knowledge about which specific design is inside. Valve claims their digital counterparts operate on an identical principle, which excludes their classification as illegal games of chance.

The state prosecutor's office is demanding that Valve be subjected to high financial penalties and pay compensation, arguing that these mechanisms lead to addiction, especially among children and adolescents. According to investigators, the ease of access to microtransactions and the psychological aspects of prize draws are harmful to underage users of the Steam platform. Concurrently with the state lawsuit, a class-action lawsuit with similar content was also filed against the corporation, increasing the legal pressure on the Bellevue-based producer. Valve Corporation, founded by Gabe Newell, has dominated the PC market for years thanks to the Steam platform, but loot box systems in Counter-Strike became a subject of controversy in the mid-2010s. In 2016, the company faced criticism regarding third-party sites using in-game skins for external gambling, which led to a wave of account bans and changes to the terms of service. The current dispute in New York is one of the most serious attempts by US state authorities to regulate this market.

„Loot boxes are quintessential gambling” — Letitia James via Ars Technica

[ {"dataISO": "2026-02-25", "data": "February 25, 2026", "tytul": "New York State lawsuit", "opis": "Letitia James files a lawsuit against Valve for illegal gambling."}, {"dataISO": "2026-03-01", "data": "March 2026", "tytul": "Class-action lawsuit", "opis": "Filing of a separate class-action lawsuit with similar arguments."}, {"dataISO": "2026-03-11", "data": "March 11, 2026", "tytul": "Valve's official response", "opis": "The company announces it will fight in court and compares loot boxes to Labubu figures."} ]

Perspektywy mediów: Emphasizes protecting children from gambling addiction and the need for strict regulation of technology corporations. Highlights economic freedom and the analogy to traditional, legal collectible products available for years.