- Status
- Judgment entered (judgment)
- As of
- 28 Nov 2017 · read from the court record
- Court
- Federal Trade Commission (administrative consent order) · Regulatory or administrative court
- Docket
- C-4632
- Filed
- 7 Sep 2017
- Type
- Regulator v. operator, loot box and video game gambling lawsuits
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- Estimated, formula shown below
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
The FTC's only action arising from CS:GO skin gambling and its first against individual social-media influencers. Martin and Cassell promoted CSGO Lotto, a site where players wagered skins and the house took an 8 percent fee, without disclosing that they owned it. The consent order (file 162-3184, Docket C-4632, issued 28 November 2017) bars misrepresenting endorsers as independent, requires disclosures and compliance reporting for ten years, and imposes no fine; it terminates on 28 November 2037. The FTC did not address whether skin gambling itself is illegal.
What this case is about
In the Matter of CSGOLotto, Inc., Trevor Martin and Thomas Cassell, Docket C-4632, is a Federal Trade Commission consent order issued on 28 November 2017. The FTC announced the proposed order on 7 September 2017. It is the agency's only action arising from CS:GO skin gambling and its first against individual social-media influencers.
The case belongs to the wider group of Loot Box and Video Game Gambling Lawsuits. The legal theory is Section 5 of the FTC Act, deceptive endorsements.
Martin (TmarTn) and Cassell (TheSyndicateProject) promoted CSGO Lotto, a site where players wagered skins and the house took an 8 percent fee. They did not disclose that they owned it. The FTC also pointed to influencer payments of USD 2,500 to USD 55,000 made without disclosure.
Who is covered
The order binds three respondents: CSGOLotto, Inc., Trevor Martin and Thomas Cassell. It is a regulatory order, not a class action, so no class of players exists and no one needs to join anything.
Readers following the influencer side can find Trevor Martin (TmarTn) lawsuits on the company hub, which lists every case that names him.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. The consent order imposes no fine and no monetary relief (fund: USD 0), and the record shows no claim form and no administrator.
Players who wagered skins on the site are not parties and are not offered refunds by this order. The only burdens the order creates are the disclosure and reporting duties that fall on the respondents.
What the court decided
The FTC issued its Decision and Order, FTC file 162-3184, on 28 November 2017. As of 14 November 2026 the order is the controlling document in the matter and runs until 28 November 2037.
The order bars the respondents from misrepresenting that an endorser is independent. It requires disclosures and compliance reporting for ten years.
The FTC did not decide whether skin gambling itself is illegal. The order deals only with the undisclosed ownership. For other US matters see Gambling Lawsuits in United States.
Why it matters
The order is a first-of-kind precedent. It treats a creator's undisclosed ownership of the site they promote as a deceptive endorsement, and it reaches individuals, not only companies.
It leaves the gambling question open. For how courts and regulators have treated that question, see Are Loot Boxes Gambling? in our guides.
Questions people ask
Did the FTC fine the influencers?
No. The order imposes no fine and no monetary relief. It sets disclosure duties and compliance reporting for ten years, and the order terminates on 28 November 2037.
Did the FTC rule that skin gambling is illegal?
No. The FTC did not address whether skin gambling is illegal. The action rests on the undisclosed ownership of CSGO Lotto by Martin and Cassell, which the FTC treated as a deceptive endorsement.
How much were influencers paid to promote the site?
The FTC's account is that influencers were paid between USD 2,500 and USD 55,000 without disclosure. Martin and Cassell are the two named individuals who also owned the site.
Related cases
- McLeod et al. v. Valve Corporation, CSGO Lotto Inc., Trevor Martin et al. is a related civil case naming the same site, status dismissed.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: Federal Trade Commission
| Defendants | CSGOLotto, Inc.; Trevor Martin (TmarTn); Thomas Cassell (TheSyndicateProject) |
|---|---|
| Claims |
|
Is there a payout?
Estimated payout: see the formula below. Every figure is an estimate until the administrator pays.
Formula
no monetary relief; order runs to 28 November 2037
Deadlines and how to claim
No claim deadline is on record yet. Filing is free. Use only the official claim site named in the court notice. This site hosts no claim form.
Timeline
2 dated steps on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep 2017 | Filed |
| 28 Nov 2017 | Judgment entered |
Documents and sources
2 primary sources (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 0 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision and Order, Docket C-4632, FTC file 162-3184, respondents, terms, 20-year sunset (28 November 2037) | ftc.gov | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| proposed order announced 7 September 2017; final approval November 2017; 8 percent fee; influencer payments USD 2,500 to 55,000; no fine | ftc.gov | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
1 case in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| McLeod v. Valve (2016 CS:GO skin gambling class action) | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (first filed D. Conn.) | Dismissed |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.