Welty

BACKGROUND

24 This is a putative class action arising out of Defendant’s alleged refusal and willful failure 25 to timely pay arbitration fees relating to alleged consumer antitrust violations. (ECF No. 1-1, ¶ 1.) 26 Plaintiff is Pamela Welty, a California resident who gave notice to Defendant of her consumer 27 antitrust arbitration claim, filed her claim and paid the arbitration fee. (Id. at ¶ 16.) Defendant is Valve Corporation, a Washington State corporation with its principal place of business in Bellevue, Washington. (Id. at ¶ 15.) Plaintiff alleges that Defendant is a video game developer- turned-merchant that operates Steam, an online digital gaming platform. (Id. at ¶ 15.) Steam “overwhelmingly dominates the online PC video game sales market throughout the United States.” (Id. at ¶ 15.) On October 25, 2025, the Western District of Washington, in a separate consumer class action, granted a motion by Defendant to compel arbitration arising from Defendant’s alleged unlawful enforcement of a Platform Most-Favored-Nation provision, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act; the court also stayed the case. (Id. at ¶ 2, citing…