Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood is warning that gambling of virtual items within many video games could be exposing minors to online gambling.
Unikrn is partnered with Tabcorp to offer eSports in Australia.
“When my 13-year old son and his friends talk about skin betting it made me seriously uncomfortable. It’s wrong that a 13-year old kid can do this. That alone should be banned and regulated,” Sood said. “The fact is that illegal betting is happening at a rampant rate, and it’s dangerous. Until all sports betting is legalized, there will be sites that spawn up and prey on young people everywhere.”
The post refers to the betting of virtual “weapon skins” in such games as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Sood said companies streaming the games “might be breaking the law”, and are creating an environment that encourages children to become involved with gambling.
In a later interview, Sood said his company is calling for regulation.
“It takes, literally, 10 seconds to connect your STEAM account to any one of these sites and start gambling your items,” he told Examiner.com. “It’s just super easy. It’s absolute madness.
“Unikrn is trying to fix this by bringing in regulators, speaking publicly about the space, educating the market and operating our products in markets where we are licensed and legally allowed to do so,” he said. “Unikrn is partnered with one of the largest and most reputable wagering companies on earth, Tabcorp. Together we aim to bring regulation and responsibility to this space.”
