Counter-Strike: Global Offensive  update 1.36.3.1 on the 30/3/2018 brings some smaller cosmetic changes to maps, but it does hold one big mover.

Let me introduce you to the 7 day trade hold, the item/s you receive in a trade cannot be sold or traded for 7 days. This is big for the gambling scene which over the last year and bit have caused a lot of havoc and attention to its morals and Valves stance. Items purchased from the Steam market have had a 7 day restrictions already.

A lot of minors, kids play CSGO and they are drawn in so easy to gambling the games cosmetic items (skins) which whilst arent monetary, they are very very similar.

The effect on the gambling scene could easily be minimised however. This depends on the websites size as a large collection of bots loaded with a large collection of skins can make the 7 day trade ban seem non existant.

Gambling websites that use their own form of virtual currency can survive this, but its the flow on effect that will slow things down. A kid trades for some items to gamble, usually he would go straight ahead and gamble but now he has to wait 7 days.

You have to think that if Valve wanted to kill Gambling they wouldn’t do this, they would mess with their backend and make interacting with bots a real hassle and near impossible. It’d be rather simple and a quick death. But instead they slow down trading.

Effects on the Steam market will be seen, those that do skin trading for profits are going to suffer no doubt. No more or less quick flipping and riding the hype trains. The 7 day trade hold essentially brings things to a snail’s pace.

I believe that this move by Valve is clamping down on scams. Where items get passed through 10, 20 accounts making items untraceable. With a 7 day cool down Valve can “investigate” and get the item back easily and ban the account if feasible.

Good news is if you enjoy CSGO and buy or trade skins to actually use in-game this move wont change much for you. It’s strange isnt it? Valve makes a change where it doesnt effect its core users. Good on Valve.