I completely understand the reasoning behind this change, and I can appreciate why Torn wants to draw a clear line around third-party casinos, bookies and gambling services.
From Torn's perspective, I can understand the concerns around RMT, scams, lack of oversight and the possibility of external gambling services operating under the Torn name or using Torn currency without Torn having any control over what happens.
I don't have an issue with Torn wanting to protect its players from genuinely dodgy operators.
Where I do think there is room for discussion, though, is what happens to the legitimate services and, perhaps more importantly, whether Torn's own casino and bookie systems are good enough to replace what players are currently using outside the game.
DEFCON's point about Nexus Raffles is a good example of the other side of this.
Nexus wasn't created because someone wanted to exploit players. It was originally created because there was already a problem with scams and questionable third-party games. The idea was to build something transparent, using Torn currency and items, with published odds, logs and safeguards.
From what DEFCON has explained, Nexus deliberately tried to distinguish itself from the sketchier services. There were measures such as limits on how much of a raffle one person could own, transparency around odds and the ability for players to opt in or out of different types of games.
So I think there is an important distinction between:
"third-party gambling exists and some of it is dangerous"
and
"therefore every third-party gambling service is inherently the same."
I understand why Torn can't realistically police every external service and why exceptions can create loopholes. I also understand the argument that if raffles or bookies remain permitted outside Torn, casino operators could simply change their model and continue operating.
But that does mean legitimate services get caught in the same net as the bad ones.
And that brings me to what I think is the bigger question.
If we're closing the external alternatives, can Torn improve its own alternatives?
If Torn is going to say that players shouldn't be using external bookies because Torn provides its own bookie, then surely it makes sense to look seriously at why players are going elsewhere in the first place.
For example, accumulators are a massive part of real-world sports betting. If Torn's bookie doesn't offer the same sort of betting options that players can find elsewhere, it's hardly surprising that some people will look outside Torn for them.
Would it be possible to expand the Torn bookie so that it can offer accumulator bets?
Likewise, the roulette system could do with some attention.
At the moment, there are limitations around placing multiple bets and different amounts on the same number. These things may seem relatively minor, but when you're trying to recreate a proper bookie/casino experience, those limitations become frustrating.
If Torn wants players to stay within Torn, then making the official systems more competitive with the external alternatives seems like a logical step.
And then there's Blackjack.
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I'll be honest here: some of the results from the blackjack bot can feel absolutely ridiculous.
When you see things like the bot seemingly throwing two aces of the same suit, it immediately creates a perception problem. Whether that's actually a bug, an RNG issue, a visual issue or simply an extremely unlikely result, the player shouldn't be left wondering whether the system is behaving correctly.
If the casino is going to be the official and trusted place to gamble Torn money, then transparency around the RNG and verification that these systems are functioning correctly is extremely important.
I'm not saying "the casino is rigged" as a factual claim. I'm saying that when the outcomes look strange to players, Torn should understand that perception and transparency matter enormously.
I think Nexus actually demonstrates another possibility
Rather than simply killing the concept of item raffles completely, why not consider bringing a controlled version of them into Torn itself?
DEFCON made a particularly interesting suggestion here.
Imagine an official Torn raffle system where:
- Torn controls the RNG.
- All prizes remain within Torn.
- There are published odds.
- There is a maximum number of entries per player.
- There are different raffle tiers.
- Raffles can run daily, weekly or monthly.
- Players can enter using Torn currency or eligible items.
- Everything is completely auditable.
That could actually solve many of the problems that the new rule is trying to address.
A newer player could potentially spend the equivalent of a Xanax and have a chance of winning an item they otherwise couldn't afford.
At the same time, Torn would have complete control over the system, the RNG and the prizes.
It would also remove many of the problems associated with external services.
I think there is a bigger opportunity here
If Torn is closing down the external market because it doesn't want unregulated gambling associated with the game, then perhaps this shouldn't simply be viewed as:
"These services are no longer allowed."
It could instead be:
"These services aren't allowed because Torn is going to provide safer, properly controlled alternatives."
That would be a much more positive outcome for the community.
I completely accept that Torn cannot allow every external casino or bookie to operate simply because some of them claim to be legitimate. I also accept that protecting players and keeping Torn separated from RMT and unregulated gambling is important.
But there are genuine players who use these services because they offer things Torn currently doesn't.
So if the door is being closed on external bookies, raffles and casinos, I'd really like to see Torn look at improving the systems it already provides.
Give us better betting options.
Look seriously at accumulators.
Improve the roulette interface and betting functionality.
Audit and, where appropriate, explain the casino RNG.
Look at whether official item raffles could be introduced.
Essentially, if the argument is that players shouldn't need to leave Torn to gamble with their Torn assets, then I'd like to see Torn become good enough that they genuinely don't need to.
I think that's the constructive conversation worth having.
And ultimately, that's where I think DEFCON's Nexus post is important. It shows that not everybody operating one of these services was trying to exploit the community. Some people were actually trying to solve problems that already existed.
If Nexus has to disappear, I'd much rather see the good ideas behind it absorbed into Torn than simply disappear with it.
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