Plaintiffs Appeal Summary Judgment in Long-Running Case Against Video Game Giant

In the case against Valve Corporation (“Valve”), the company behind the popular “Counter-Strike” video game, Plaintiffs are seeking to appeal the district court’s decision granting Valve’s motion for summary judgment. Should Plaintiffs lose their appeal, it would mark the end of the case, which has been a highly contested matter.

The case was first filed in 2016 with allegations that Valve allowed players to obtain virtual items while playing Counter-strike, and then supported their gambling of those items on third-party websites. In the case against Valve, the Plaintiffs include minors who had played the video game and gambled the items, and their parents who paid for the minors’ online activities. 

Although the appeal is still pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, an unsuccessful appeal could be a major blow to the trend of similar cases brought against video game companies alleging that they are exploiting minors through practices that foster online gambling. Should this happen, it could be time for new laws aimed at regulating the specific practices at issue in these cases. 

The case is Galway, et al. v. Valve Corporation, Case No. 22-35105, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.