Here is a picture of the New York Attorney General. She is the one leading the lawsuit against Valve regarding the skins market and its relation to gambling.
I'm curious how many people realize how similar skins are to other markets like trading cards. You can get a card graded, similar to a skin’s wear rating (except you don't have to pay extra for the wear rating like you do with a card). You can also get different prints of cards, which is somewhat similar to a skin’s pattern.
Some people argue that skins have no use in relation to gameplay. However, like trading cards, the rarer and more visually unique prints of cards are more valuable with no additive value to gameplay and have their own markets. People also invest in cards the same way people invest in cases or individual skins they believe will increase in price.
If you start putting restrictions or regulations on the skins market, you would logically have to do the same for cards. But then where does it end? How many other collectible markets would be affected?
Meanwhile, the state of New York itself runs the lottery, which is still a form of gambling.
Trust and believe that states and governments already make more than enough money from taxes. The outrageous rise in the cost of living only feeds their percentage-based tax systems even more, increasing how much they collect by a ridiculous amount.
What is the real purpose here? Is it truly in service of citizens? If so, how and who is it serving? And is it worth all the taxpayer money being spent on the Attorney General’s salary, the judge’s time—which also costs money—not to mention the countless other people involved?