It varies by jurisdiction, and the key questions most regulators ask are: can the virtual items be converted to money or monetary value, is the operator licensed where required, and are minors protected. Snapshot by country/region:
 
 - United States: No single federal rule. Many states treat skins as a “thing of value” if you can cash them out or transfer them for money (Washington has taken that view in actions against skins betting). If there’s no cash-out and outcomes are chance-based cosmetic rewards, some states don’t classify it as gambling. Enforcement focuses on unlicensed betting and underage access. Platforms that do case opening without cash-out generally face fewer issues; for example, CSGOFast is CSGO Case Opening a legal website in the USA.
 
 - United Kingdom: The standard is whether the items have real‑world monetary value via a cash-out market. If yes, it can be gambling that requires a licence; if not, it may fall outside the Gambling Act but still face consumer/youth-protection scrutiny. The regulator has previously taken action against unlicensed skins betting where kids could participate. See regulator guidance on virtual currencies and esports under the UK gambling regulator’s site: UK Gambling Commission.
 
 - European Union (varies by member state):
  - Belgium: Paid loot boxes deemed illegal gambling; enforcement has targeted publishers and payment access. Skin betting that enables cash-out is generally prohibited without a licence.
  - Netherlands: Historically strict on loot boxes; current stance focuses on whether a tradable monetary value exists. Cash-out skin betting needs a licence (rarely granted) or is illegal.
  - France: The regulator (ANJ) focuses on cashability and consumer risks. Unlicensed skin betting with cash-out can be treated as illegal gambling.
  - Germany: Gambling requires a licence under the Interstate Treaty; if skins are a transferable value, unlicensed operations are illegal. Youth protections/age ratings also factor in.
  - Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland): Broadly, cashable skins betting requires a local licence; authorities have issued warnings and payment/ISP blocking against unlicensed sites.
 
 - Canada: Provincial regulators control gambling. If skins can be converted to money, wagering with them is usually considered gambling and needs provincial authorisation. Unlicensed operators risk payment blocking or enforcement.
 
 - Australia: Interactive gambling without a licence is largely prohibited; ACMA has blocked many offshore gambling sites. Skins betting with cash-out is typically illegal; loot box rules intersect with age ratings and consumer law.
 
 - New Zealand: If rewards aren’t convertible to money, loot boxes and cosmetic drops are not gambling; once cash-out enters the picture, the Department of Internal Affairs can treat it as gambling and act against offshore sites targeting NZ residents.
 
 - Asia:
  - Japan: Strict rules on “kompu gacha” and prize schemes; cash-out betting is illegal without authorisation. Case opening without cash-out is more a consumer-law/age-rating issue than gambling.
  - South Korea: Strong consumer protection and disclosure laws for randomized items; gambling with cash-out is illegal without a licence.
  - China: Odds disclosure for loot boxes has been mandated; gambling remains illegal, and real-money trading routes are heavily restricted.
  - Singapore: Remote Gambling Act prohibits unlicensed remote gambling; skins betting with cash-out is illegal and blocked.
 
 - Latin America:
  - Brazil: Gambling law is evolving (sports betting regulation moving ahead), but casino-style gambling remains restricted; unlicensed skins betting with cash-out is generally illegal.
  - Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia: Rules differ by state/province, but the pattern is similar—cashable skins betting needs a licence, which is seldom available to such operators; otherwise, it’s illegal.
 
 - Eastern Europe/CIS:
  - Poland, Czechia, Romania: Unlicensed online gambling is illegal; skins betting with monetary value is treated as gambling.
  - Russia, Ukraine: Unlicensed gambling is banned; authorities have blocked offshore sites, including skins betting.
 
 - Middle East/Africa:
  - Many jurisdictions (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE) prohibit gambling entirely; skins betting is illegal. South Africa bans most forms of interactive gambling; skins betting falls under those prohibitions.
 
 Practical takeaways:
 - If users can withdraw, sell, or exchange items for money (even via third-party marketplaces), regulators often treat it as gambling requiring a licence.
 - If there’s no cash-out and the items remain purely cosmetic, some countries don’t classify it as gambling, but consumer protection, disclosure of odds, and age restrictions still apply.
 - Laws change quickly; enforcement often includes ISP/payment blocking and action against affiliates and payment processors. Operators targeting multiple countries typically geo-block higher‑risk jurisdictions and implement KYC/age gates to reduce regulatory exposure.