There is often no better place to start than at the beginning. Rust gambling, also commonly referred to as skin gambling, is an offshoot of eSports betting. More specifically, it was a result of one of the most popular eSports games of all time, Counter Strike: Global Offensive – one of the only video games to successfully carve out something of its own cult following of gamblers.
This was partly due to the revolutionary and (arguably) superior nature of this game itself. But this is also due to the fact that the game came with some pretty interesting ways for players to interact with it, many of which were largely unprecedented prior to the game’s release. The introduction of an online market of skins and customized gameplay modifications was one of them.
Rust betting, though, does not start and end with just CSGO, even if Counter Strike is the game that popularized it. Since then, rust betting has grown into one of the most popular ways for eSports bettors to place bets. Skins and other virtual goods have become a form of currency in and of themselves, which has allowed eSports gamblers everywhere to wager this form of virtual currency against various professional eSports competitions.
In the beginning, however, rust gambling was more or less limited to players trading and selling skins and other virtual goods for CSGO within gaming communities online. Valve, the company that produced CSGO, also runs the widely popular gaming marketplace, Stream, which has been interfaced by third-parties to include trading, buying, and selling of skins for real money from players’ Stream inventories. Valve, it should be noted, has publicly condemned the act of gambling with skins. Fortunately for us, this has not seemed to put a damper on the practice whatsoever.
As an update to CSGO in 2013, Valve added randomized skin rewards, hoping that gamers would, in turn, use them to trade amongst themselves, bolstering the community itself, as well as its interaction with the Stream marketplace. Valve set a number of monetary restrictions on how players could treat skins on the Stream marketplace, but a multitude of websites were created, naturally, to bypass those limitations. From there, it was only a matter of time before some of these sites began letting players gamble on the outcomes of professional CSGO matches and games of chance.
In 2016, an estimated $5 billion in virtual goods were traded and gambled on these rust gambling sites. This has led to a number of these sites, as well as Valve and Stream, to receive a great deal of scrutiny surrounding ethical and legal concerns as they pertained to underage gambling, sports gambling, undisclosed advertising, and the rigging of outcomes. Evidence on all of these fronts came forth in June of 2016, leveled against Valve. This led to 2 formal lawsuits which were filed in the following month.
Valve has since taken steps to stop sites from using Stream’s interface for gambling, but that has not stopped rust gambling – far from it. The actions taken on behalf of Valve was successful in closing down about half of the skin gambling sites on the web at the time. But the others simply got better at operating underground, leading many more to be created in the wake of those that went dark. Today, rust gambling is as action packed as ever.
So, are these rust gambling sites illegal?
As is the case in any question related to gambling, it all depends on where you live. The legal topography, if you will, of rust gambling, however, is much more variant than that of sports betting (probably because of the unique form of digital currency involved and their implication of an underage betting potential). In the United States, for example, where internet gambling is strongly prohibited, the government has been unable to enact much in the way of legal measures against rust gambling.
The Washington State Gambling Commission, however, did try to hold Valve responsible for the many third-party rust gambling sites that were popping up at the time. In October of 2016, the Commission ordered Valve to “immediately stop allowing the transfer” of skins and virtual goods “for gambling activities through the company’s Stream platform.” Valve’s response made it clear that they had no control over or affiliation with these rust gambling sites and did nothing in violation of state or federal law.
Valve did indicate, however, that, in accordance with what they could legally do, they would continue identifying and closing Stream accounts that were being used for gambling, on the grounds that those users were in violation of Stream’s user agreements. Today, this is what Valve continues to do. The Federal Trade Commission is yet to issue an official statement on the status of its investigation into rust gambling accounts.
In Australia, on the other hand, the tendency seems to be more in line with finding a way to legitimize (legally) and, thus, regulate rust gambling. Senator Nick Xenophon planned to introduce legislature in 2016 which would classify games that have virtual economies (such as CSGO and Dota 2) with the option to use real currency to purchase virtual items. Under this would-be law, gaming marketplaces would be regulated under gambling laws, requiring them to enforce age requirements and issue warnings about the dangers of gambling addiction.
Elsewhere around the world, too, the consensus seems to be that gambling is okay (when regulated), but the problem surrounding rust gambling is one of underage gambling. A 2017 study found, for instance, that 11% of all children aged 11 to 16 in the UK had participated in rust gambling at one point. That being said, it seems as if, legally speaking, the world is at a bit of a standstill when it comes to rust gambling.
In short, as of the time of this writing, it doesn’t appear as if rust gambling is overtly or explicitly against the law in most countries. Some countries (like Denmark and the US, for instance) have gone to greater lengths to prevent people from being able to access rust gambling sites. The Danish government went so far as to identify and ban six rust gambling sites in February of 2018. Still, though, thanks to the best rust gambling sites on the web, the practice is still thriving today.
What makes these the best rust gambling sites?
Well, for one thing, the rust gambling sites that you will find here have not been taken down. That counts for something, right? This is not the core characteristic that makes them better than the rest, but it is worth noting: most of the sites here have been around long enough to establish reputations as being legitimate, safe, and fair rust gambling sites.
In addition to being in good standing, the rust gambling sites that you will find here are designed well. They all offer an excellent user experience. They are intuitive, easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing. Rust gambling sites should make it easy to play games, win awards, track competitions, and place bets. All the best rust gambling sites here do just that.
You also want a rust gambling site with a solid number of user features, right? Random loot boxes, supply drops, and tons of ways to win are a must. The games should be provably fair, fun to play, engaging, and (ideally) lucrative. Every one of the best rust gambling sites provides numerous ways to win, as well as plenty of matches to bet on.
Coverage – that’s another thing. The best rust gambling sites cover all of the big eSports matches. You want a rust gambling site that has a sizeable eSports sportsbook in addition to plenty of games like roulette and random lotteries. With a wide coverage of eSports betting, there are many more opportunities to win and bet skins. Live betting, too, is an ideal feature to look for when you are evaluating the best rust gambling sites … which naturally leads to live streaming, allowing you to watch along with the competition in real time.
Lastly, the best rust gambling sites, in my opinion, also offer an extensive mobile experience that is just as good as that of the desktop one. An app is not going to be common with rust gambling sites, so, making sure that you choose a site with an extremely well optimized mobile site is crucial. It’s 2020, what don’t we do on our phones? Skin betting should not be an exception to that rule.
Most importantly, though, when it comes to finding the best rust gambling site, you need to make sure that you pick the best rust gambling site for you. We all like to bet on different games. Some of us only care about CSGO. Others like being able to bet skins on games like Dota 2 or Overwatch as well. You need to find a rust gambling site that fulfills your individual needs.
Choosing the right rust gambling site is not entirely unlike finding the right community to fit into. Each site has a different demographic of players, fandoms, games, matches, betting styles, skins available, ways to use those skins, etc. Maybe you are more of a trader than a bettor. That’s not a problem, there are plenty of skin betting sites that specialize primarily in trading skins over betting with skins online.
Plus, you are likely to already have a certain selection of skins in your own personal inventory. If you have a bunch of Dota 2 skins, for example, but your rust gambling site of choice only caters to CSGO, you might be on the wrong rust gambling site. Whatever site you choose is going to have its own community. As you shop around, try to get a sense of each site’s culture and whether it is, ultimately, going to be the right fit for you.
Are these rust gambling sites legit and safe to use?
Absolutely, these rust gambling sites are 100% safe and legit. That is the whole point of making a list of the best rust gambling sites on the web. There are plenty, believe me, that did not make the cut, that I didn’t even bother reviewing or linking here. That is because I am, at the end of the day, dedicated to providing players with the best online betting experience possible. The more accountability there is in the world of internet gambling, the better it is for everyone.
Every single site that you’ll find here on my list of the best rust gambling sites has been thoroughly vetted by me, an expert bettor. Each one of the sites here is guaranteed to provide fair bets, high-quality features and services, and an excellent and riveting experience betting with skins. In addition to the performance of each site itself, I also do a deep dive into each site’s history and reputation. If ever there is so much as the implication of a red flag, I am always forthright about that, sure to let you know early on in my review.
These are only the best rust gambling sites that the internet has to offer. They have been around long enough to have proven themselves, they are 100% legit, and as safe as can be. Plus, as an added bonus, the majority of these sites also offer extensive customer support services. So, should you ever encounter an issue or a technical difficulty while betting on game skins, you will have someone there ready to resolve it.
Well, what are you waiting for? Why not go check out these great rust gambling sites today and start betting game skins right now!