YouTuber Exposed for Misleading Viewers Releases Apology Video, Deletes It After Negative Response
Martin says he wasn't happy with it and deleted it.
On July 5, YouTube star Trevor "TmarTn" Martin was revealed to have been promoting a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin gambling website called CSGOLotto in his videos without disclosing he owned it. Following the backlash, Martin published an apology video but took it down just a few hours later after receiving an overwhelmingly negative response from the community.
The video, which has been archived and is available to watch below, has been described as a non-apology and criticised for its lack of sincerity, as well as a failure on Martin's part to acknowledge and take responsibility for his action. The allegations levelled at Martin include a failure to disclosure his involvement with the website and enabling minors to engage in illegal gambling.
In the video, Martin stated that his stake in CSGOLotto has always been on record.
"My connection to CSGOLotto has been a matter of public record since the company was first organised in December 2015," he said. "However, I do feel like I owe you guys an apology. I'm sorry to each and every one of you that felt like that was not made clear enough to you."
In many of the offending CS:GO skin gambling videos, Martin doesn't explicitly disclose he is owner of CSGOLotto, the website he used to gamble and win money on. Instead he promoted the site as just a user.
"We found this new site called CSGOLotto," Martin said in one video. "We were betting on it today and I won a pot ... it was the coolest feeling ever."
In his apology video he continued on to emphasise CSGOLotto has been in compliance with the law.
"I do not condone minors under the age of 18 to use CSGOLotto," he continued. "This is and always has been a clearly stated policy in the terms of service as well as the initial sign-up page on the website."
Martin spends the majority of the apology video telling fans that he loves them.
"You guys seriously mean the world to me. You've changed my life in so many ways. I'll never be able to thank you for what you've done. Thank you guys for all the support over the years and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart."
The comments for the video were focused on drawing attention to the illegality of Martin's actions, goading him with mentions of the Federal Trade Commission, and generally poking fun at the dodging of issues.
Martin banned a number of users posting negative comments and, eventually, deleted the video entirely. When asked why on Twitter, said he wasn't pleased with how it turned out.
@TmarTn whyd you take the apology vid down? We wont give you a second chance to apologize.
— Trivyte OFFICIAL (@OfficialTrivyte) July 7, 2016
You can read more about the allegations levelled at Martin, and another popular YouTuber, here.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Join the conversation