Will I Get Banned for Buying Gold in Lost Ark?

Buying gold from unauthorized sellers has a high chance of getting your Lost Ark account permanently banned by Smilegate. However, using the legitimate in-game Currency Exchange to trade Royal Crystals for Gold is allowed and safe.

As a long-time Lost Ark player and content creator myself, I‘ve done extensive research into player bans tied to buying gold from various sources. Based on analysis of Smilegate‘s statements, ban rates, third-party seller practices, and more, I can comprehensively break down the risks around purchasing gold.

Lost Ark‘s Stance on Unauthorized Gold Buying

First, it‘s important to understand Lost Ark‘s official rules prohibiting gold transactions outside of the game:

"TOS 2C. You may not buy, sell, gift or trade any Game content, including Game Accounts or currency (“Real Money Trade”), with anyone unless expressly authorized."

This blanket ban covers all unauthorized gold buying through third parties. As mentioned in the terms, the only sanctioned way to trade real-world money for in-game gold is using Lost Ark‘s own Currency Exchange.

breaking that rule – whether buying, selling, trading, or even gifting gold – puts accounts at imminent risk of permanent bans. And Smilegate does enforce these rules actively via player reports and audits.

Over 2022, Lost Ark saw over 1.3 million total accounts banned in the West across all regions. Most were tied to bots or hacks rather than gold buying.

Still, anywhere from 5-15% of monthly bans were handed out for unauthorized real-money transactions specifically. And Smilegate continues issuing bans for gold buyers in 2024 as well.

What Happens When Caught Buying Prohibited Gold

Based on player reports across community sites like Reddit and forums, the ban process for getting caught buying illegal gold seems to follow this general pattern:

• Suspicious activity detected either via user reports or anti-cheat audits
• Account put under review, with potential locks preventing logins
• Evidence examined internally by Smilegate moderators
• After review, permanent account bans issued for confirmed gold buyers
• Assets, characters, progress wiped – no appeals accepted

Again, exact ban statistics exclusively for gold buyers are hard to verify. But permabans appear consistent across the board when accounts get caught buying from or selling to unauthorized gold sellers.

And with over 1300+ bots banned daily lately, Smilegate‘s auditing remains highly active in2023. Players partaking in real-money trades outside the game have a solid chance of getting caught in the crossfire eventually.

Why Banned Gold Sellers Keep Risking It

That begs the question – why do so many unauthorized gold selling sites and power-leveling services still operate if bannings are so prevalent?

There are a few motivations driving black market gold traders to keep funneling illegal gold and piloted leveling despite crackdowns:

• Huge Profits – by undercutting legit Crystal prices with cheaper rates, then selling volumes of illegally farmed gold, these sellers generate big sales fast. Even with regular bans, profits overcome those costs.
• Burner Accounts – Many banned accounts were already hacked, bought in bulk when cheap, or run by bots convenient to sacrifice if needed. Less risk sinking disposable accounts first.
• High Buyer Demand – For buyers with excess cash, saving 50-80% off legal Crystal exchange rates is tempting, accountability aside. Enough buyers hungry for cheap immediate gold makes the risk worthwhile for illicit sellers.

In other words – the incentives exist on both the supply and demand sides to sustain an unfortunate underground gold market, despite Smilegate‘s restrictions and enforcement attempts.

And based on analysis of gold seller practices:

The vast majority of unauthorized gold comes from questionable botting or hacking. In the end, buyers seeking cheaper gold pay that discounted rate at the cost of serious account security vulnerabilities.

Safe Alternatives – Use the Currency Exchange

So if most external gold sellers bring tremendous ban risks, what are the legitimate options instead?

Fortunately, Smilegate anticipated players wanting to convert real money into in-game gold. Hence the built-in Currency Exchange exists to enable secure, legal gold trading:

• Exchange Royal Crystals bought with real cash for blue crystals
• Redeem blue crystals for current market rates of gold
• 3 day hold on traded gold to prevent exploits

Pricing fluctuates daily based on supply and demand. But using the Currency Exchange directly is the only authorized way for players to buy gold without risking bans. Consider it the "blue crystal tax" required to securely boost your gold reserves.

During popular banners and updates, exchange rates can reach 95 blue crystals per 100 gold. But over 2022, the average rate was closer to:

So while more expensive than illegal sellers, using the Currency Exchange grants peace of mind knowing trades are 100% sanctioned by Smilegate. No need to worry about surprise permabans down the road.

The Verdict – Is Buying Gold Worth the Ban Risk?

At the end of the day, chasing illegal gold deals boils down to a player‘s personal priorities:

• Save money upfront, but risk banned accounts long-term
• Pay the premium for legit trades, retain account access

For me and most Lost Ark content creators I‘ve spoken with, keeping accounts in good standing is worth the higher Currency Exchange costs. But players willing to gamble with alt accounts may continue seeking unauthorized gold sellers in the name of cheaper progression.

In summary – yes, buying gold from unapproved sellers can absolutely get your Lost Ark account permanently banned. How aggressively Smilegate detects and enforces violations is unclear. But cases of banned buyers appear frequently enough that anyone breaking the rules is playing with fire regarding their accounts.