Survey: Nearly 80% of Skin-Gambling Participants Show Signs of Problem Gambling

TrustPlay has released the results of a survey of 1,530 gamers about skin gambling. The study was conducted in November 2025 via an anonymous questionnaire that took about five minutes to complete. Respondents came from multiple countries, with most participants residing in the United States.

Who Takes Part in Skin Gambling

Of all respondents, 918 said they had at some point owned tradable or marketable skins*. Nearly half of them — 47.1% — had used these items to place bets on third-party websites.

Among those who engaged in skin gambling, 43.5% reported placing their first bets before turning 18 — most commonly at age 16, with the youngest reported age being 13.

Parents and Awareness

Among respondents who gambled with skins while underage, 76.1% said their parents were unaware of their betting activity at the time. About half said their parents still do not know. Of those whose parents were aware, 75.7% said the adults approved of their participation.

Market Scale and Website Traffic

A 2016 estimate valued the skin-gambling market at $7.4bn. That same year Valve issued cease-and-desist letters to 23 websites, though many continued operating. No comprehensive market estimates have been published since, partly because sites operate across jurisdictions, accept cryptocurrency or skins instead of traditional payments, and do not disclose financial data.

A 2025 UK government report identified more than 50 active sites which collectively generated 6.9m visits in February alone. Some of these platforms recorded higher traffic than licensed British bookmakers such as Betway and Betfred.

How Users Get Involved

Many respondents said they first learned about skin gambling through streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. The study cites data showing that more than 120 Counter-Strike streamers received sponsorship offers from such websites in 2024, with monthly payouts reaching up to $200,000.

Financial Impact

Most skin-gambling participants reported losing money: 72.2% ended up in the red, with an average loss exceeding $1,100.

Among them, 9.0% lost more than $5,000, and some reported losing over $10,000. Only 14.8% said they ultimately made a profit.

Indicators of Problematic Behaviour

According to TrustPlay, 79.4% of skin-gambling participants showed at least one behavioural marker associated with clinical criteria for problem gambling, including:

• attempts to chase losses (47.7%);
• feelings of anxiety or guilt related to gambling (43.0%);
• escalating to higher-value skins (30.8%);
• irritability when trying to stop gambling (21.5%);
• borrowing or selling belongings to continue gambling (14.0%);
• hiding gambling activity from relatives or close contacts (14.0%).

Who Should Prevent Underage Participation?

Respondents were also asked who they believe bears primary responsibility for preventing minors from engaging in skin gambling. Game developers ranked first at 30.7%, followed by parents (21.2%), the gambling sites themselves (19.5%), government regulators (14.1%) and players (13.7%). Fewer than 1% said no action was needed.

Gambling Park previously reported on research showing that involvement in skin gambling is linked to higher risks of developing gambling addiction among young people.

* A cosmetic item that changes the appearance of a weapon or equipment without affecting gameplay, and that carries real market value.