Duel Casino owner and infamous online personality Ossi Ketola, has caused another round of online drama after being banned on X, formerly Twitter. The Elon Musk-owned platform didn’t provide a reason for the ban, but the platform also took down the @duel account, Ketola’s business handle.
In an announcement made on popular gaming chat app Discord, Ketola, who goes by Monarch online, claimed that “We are under attack.”
He reasons that this comes just as Duel released 100% Return to Player (RTP) games. RTP is the percentage of cash that’s returned on a win. For instance, 95% RTP on a dollar would net you 95 cents.
The statement reads like a lot of those commonly found in online communities associated with Ketola. He mentions that he is “fighting multiple Matrix attacks.” The use of “The Matrix” as a metaphor for larger societal systems has been popularized by online figures such as Andrew Tate and others who encourage their audiences to “break free” from it.
Ketola writes: “We are a threat to their profits. Looks like they have declared war. More updates on the situation later, fighting multiple Matrix attacks.
“Make no mistake, we are at war. Do your part. Sound the alarm. They can take me down, but they can’t take down the mission.
“Traditional crypto casinos WILL lose BILLIONS of dollars due to Duel, I promise you that much. They can keep banning accounts, but they can’t stop all of you from spreading the word.”
Who is Ossi Ketola?
Ossi Ketola is an internet personality who became known for running a Counter-Strike skin gambling site, CSGOEmpire.
He has since gained notoriety for his online behavior, as well as his recent entry into the poker world.
Monarch claims he’s under attack
On a stream on Kick, a platform affiliated with Stake.com, Ketola claimed that someone may have paid to have him banned. In a Notepad message displayed during the broadcast, he wrote:
“///They/// not only poisoned me with COVID and deplatformed me, but also sabotaged my microphone.”
The use of triple slashes (“///They///”) has been associated online with antisemitic symbolism. This phrasing is consistent with controversial language Ketola has used in past online statements.
During the stream, Ketola appears seated in front of the camera and says, “I need to find different solutions. I don’t like being out of Twitter, I need a voice, I need a platform.”
While Ketola’s account was reportedly suspended for violating X’s terms of use, the specific reason for the suspension has not been confirmed. Under Elon Musk’s ownership, X has generally taken a more limited approach to content moderation compared to previous management.
How did Ossi Ketola make his money?
Ketola has made his money through the video game Counter-Strike by providing skin gambling through CSGOEmpire. He also plays poker and is active in the streaming world. However, a good amount of his money now comes from his gambling business, Duel.
From niche online community to the mainstream
Recently, Ketola has broken from the niche online community he has built around himself and breached into the mainstream. His record-breaking poker games, wherein he won a $12.7 million prize at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Jeju. He also lost to poker legend Daniel “Jungleman” Cates in another eye-popping game, where Ketola lost $15 million.
However, he got his start through the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Succeeded by Counter-Strike 2 in 2023, the game has various skins for weapons and items featured in the game. Using the tools available from developer Valve, which also owns the Steam storefront platform, Counter-Strike now has an economy worth $5 billion.
Ketola introduced CSGOEmpire in 2016, which allows players to gamble with these skins. CSGOEmpire’s X account was also caught up in the ban wave, with Ketola’s main business now without its most prominent social media platform.
Valve recently introduced an update to Counter-Strike 2, which allows players to trade up for rarer items. This has since tanked the game’s economy, wiping out over a billion dollars, leaving it at the $5 billion it is now.
What is Ossi Ketola’s net worth?
Nobody knows exactly how much Ossi Ketola is worth, but it’s safe to say it’s a lot. Some analysts estimate his net worth to be between $25 and $50 million, thanks to huge poker wins such as the $12.7 million hand against Bjorn Li and the $10.99 million match with Alex Foxen.
But it’s not just poker money keeping him afloat. Ketola’s various business ventures reportedly far outweigh his poker earnings, which helps explain how he manages to handle the wild ups and downs of high-stakes games, including more than $17 million in reported losses.
ReadWrite has reached out to X for comment on the bans.
Featured image: Ossi Ketola via Kick
The post Who is Ossi Ketola and what is his net worth? Duel Casino owner claims X accounts banned appeared first on ReadWrite.
