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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| YouTuber pleads not guilty to video game gambling offences | YouTuber pleads not guilty to video game gambling offences |
| (3 days later) | |
| Two men have appeared in court and pleaded not guilty after they were previously charged with offences under the Gambling Act. | Two men have appeared in court and pleaded not guilty after they were previously charged with offences under the Gambling Act. |
| Craig Douglas and Dylan Rigby made their pleas at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Friday. | Craig Douglas and Dylan Rigby made their pleas at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Friday. |
| The pair were charged on 16 September with promoting a lottery and advertising unlawful gambling. | The pair were charged on 16 September with promoting a lottery and advertising unlawful gambling. |
| The case has been adjourned until 6 February 2017, when the court will hold a hearing expected to last a week. | The case has been adjourned until 6 February 2017, when the court will hold a hearing expected to last a week. |
| Mr Douglas is a prominent gamer and has a YouTube channel under the pseudonym Nepenthez which has more than 1.3 million subscribers. | Mr Douglas is a prominent gamer and has a YouTube channel under the pseudonym Nepenthez which has more than 1.3 million subscribers. |
| Douglas is also charged with inviting children to gamble by advertising a gambling website connected to the football video game Fifa. | Douglas is also charged with inviting children to gamble by advertising a gambling website connected to the football video game Fifa. |
| The sites gave players the chance to win the virtual currency used in Fifa. | |
| This is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind involving betting on video games. | |
| How does Fifa gambling work? | |
| EA Sport's Fifa video game has its own virtual currency that is used in-game. | |
| A number of third-party websites let players transfer their Fifa coins to bet on virtual football games, play slot machine-style games or enter a lottery with a jackpot prize. | |
| Any winnings can then be transferred back into the main Fifa video game. | |
| Since Fifa coins can be purchased with real money, critics argue that they have a real-world value and therefore betting with them may constitute unlicensed gambling. | |
| What is skin betting? | What is skin betting? |
| Skins are collectable, virtual items in video games - such as modifications that change the appearance of weapons. | Skins are collectable, virtual items in video games - such as modifications that change the appearance of weapons. |
| Sometimes skins can be earned within a game, but they can also be bought with real money. | |
| Some games also let players trade or sell their skins - and rarer ones can attract high prices. | |
| A number of third-party websites let players gamble with their skins for the chance to win more valuable ones. | |
| Since skins won on such a website could in some cases be sold and turned back into real-world money, critics suggest betting with skins may constitute unlicensed gambling. | Since skins won on such a website could in some cases be sold and turned back into real-world money, critics suggest betting with skins may constitute unlicensed gambling. |