CS:GO skins

In the game CS:GO, there are millions of different skins

The gaming world is no longer on the fringes of society today. On the contrary, it is slowly making its way into the consciousness of the general public: esports with its popularity is becoming unmissable, more and more people watch it every year, and the offers of bookmakers now include many bets on video game matches. Specifically, the game Counter Strike: Global Offensive has come to the forefront as the flagship of the professional gaming scene. The growing popularity did not leave the development company, Valve Corporation, indifferent. In 2013, they introduced a revolutionary solution to monetize their own game – they released the first paid crate with cosmetic weapon modifications (skins). You could get the crate for free, but the key to open it was for a fee. Fans followed the example of their favorite players and influencers and began opening boxes like crazy. The world of CS:GO was forever changed.

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What are skins? Why are they so popular?

Game cosmetic modifications are just a graphical element that does not affect the power or usage of your weapon. They only change the visual model of weapons and gloves, so why are some so expensive? That’s a good question with a simple answer. Collecting fascinates human generations for countless years, and it is no different here. That is why common skins are traded at prices not reaching one euro, and on the other hand, the rare pieces are worth thousands of euros. It’s the rarity of the skin that determines its price.

CS:GO skins showcase

How does the official CS:GO skins market work?

Valve Corporation founded the most popular and most used gaming platform in the world: Steam. You can buy almost all game titles from the comfort of your home using a credit card today. This accounts for its success: everything in one place and simple. The community market is inherently linked to the Steam platform. On it, you can sell (or buy) game skins for games like DOTA 2, Rust, or CS:GO. Valve takes a small amount from each completed sale. This market operates on classic economic rules of any market system:

1. where there is demand, there is supply
2. the item is priced at what the buyer is willing to pay

The price is therefore determined by the community that revolves around game skins. And do not be mistaken, many times a collector/investor may not even be a player. The main pitfall of this game market, however, is the fact that all funds used for purchase must be stored on the Steam wallet and cannot be transferred to your real bank account. Essentially, they can only be managed within the market environment on Steam. The reason why we do not see a similar market environment for games like League of Legends is because this game is not on the Steam platform and its developer (Riot Games) does not allow the transferability of purchased skins, nor does it have a functional community marketplace.

Steam account necessity

To even access any skin, you must own an account on the Steam gaming platform. An email is sufficient to create it, but for security reasons, we recommend adding a phone number and downloading the app to your phone. The app environment (computer and mobile) is user-friendly and anyone can orient themselves after a short time. Changing the ownership of skins happens through trade offers on Steam. All the websites mentioned below use bots for automation and instant availability of transactions. You usually just have to approve it.

Secondary market and unofficial skin sites

During the peak glory of CS:GO skins, other platforms began to emerge, whose purpose was especially to free themselves from the official Steam platform and the possibility of using the currency from the Steam wallet. We are talking about millions of cosmetic additions known around the world. Different gambling sites and projects dealing with skin exchanges without an intermediary or opening exclusive unofficial crates were created. Given the increase in minors who began to move in this gray economy and participate in gambling, Valve Corporation distanced itself in an official statement and began to take legal steps to close most of these websites. At the same time, it meant a significant outflow of money for this company. Among the newly created websites, many scams also began to emerge, which had you send your skins and did not credit any balance on their site. There was nothing that could be done even with the help of Steam support, as the trade was done under the principles of the community market and you approved it. The legal and moral storm soon passed, influencers and known players stopped promoting these sites. They recorded a decrease in active members and only a few survived. The face of this part of the world of CS:GO skins was changed, but it endured.

Exclusive skin crates

Websites like Hellcase deal with creating their own crates. They can be opened only on their site, and the price of each box then depends on its content – the more expensive the content, the more expensive the key. If you like the adrenaline of opening crates, you will probably very much enjoy this type of site. The content here is indeed much more enticing than that of the official crates from Valve. A crate full of knives? No problem. But we must not forget one main fact, and that is: these sites are created primarily for the profit of their owners. They operate on a simple principle of gambling: the probability of each opening of their crate is set so as to favor the website (you get a skin whose price is lower than the price of the crate).

Casinos and bookmakers

Very few internet casinos and bookmakers from the peak glory of CS:GO skins remain. Among the most famous today are CSGORoll and CSGOEmpire. A deposit can be made using skins, or by paying with real money. The games on these platforms are very specific, they are not traditional slot machines. You can find, for example, coin flip against another player, classic crash or roulette. They usually also offer the opening of their own crates. The selection is then made by choosing the corresponding skins, which are sent to you in a trade offer on Steam.

Secondary marketplace

Many individuals (or companies) have managed to accumulate a significant amount of skins and these are offered on these websites (e.g., Skinbaron). Thus, you can buy a skin (it can also be exchanged for another skin of equal value), which is not available on the official community marketplace of the Steam platform. This eliminates haggling with private traders, everything happens automatically through bots. In addition, they offer one of the most important functions in the entire industry: buying your skins for real money. This opens up the possibility of monetizing your skins. Of course, this can be achieved by arranging with another trader, but there is always the risk that you will not receive your money/your skins.

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CS2 and skins

In the autumn of 2023, a new version of the game was released: Counter Strike 2. However, all skins are transferred to it, so you do not have to worry about them losing their value. On the contrary, we dare to say that the prices of skins will soar – the return of inactive players and the influx of new ones means greater market liquidity. No one wants to run around with a basic graphical visual of the weapon.

In conclusion

We can look at the world of Counter Strike: Global Offensive from many angles. For potential appreciation of financial resources, apart from betting on esports, game skins can serve us. However, they should be approached as other collectibles: their price fluctuates and sometimes it is not easy to find a buyer. It is also advisable to conduct at least minimal own research beforehand.

2️⃣ Are there scam sites around CS:GO skins?

Yes, therefore we recommend reading reviews on each site you plan to use – occasionally, another scam attempt may appear. Consider mainly the traffic, length of operation, and opinions of other people.

3️⃣ Is it worth using sites like Hellcase?

With the help of these websites, you can quickly get to better and more expensive skins, but there is a risk of loss – as with gambling.

Peter Broz

Article author – esports expert
Email: peter@slothbet.com

I came into contact with playing computer games long before a billion-dollar business with professional teams emerged around them. Although I never reached the professional level, I still have many acquaintances among the top esports players today. At SlothBet, I will primarily contribute to the esports section.

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