GAs should only be accessed by level 1 and above

Why do you care how others give their games? You can make your giveaways level 1+

Easily can be tricked

One that isn't free else it's useless.

Because no one would get to level 1 just to keep using their bot.
All it would do is cut out level 0 bots, but there are bots at all levels.

It's a... bold suggestion, but I feel like we'd unnecessarily punish those who many genuinely don't have money to buy a game to gift. This site is about giving, not just winning. This isn't just an exchange of games, where first gets to call dibs. It's about giving everybody an equal chance of winning a game, that maybe they would not have considered buying before or simply can't.

If you want to reward people who gift more, that is your option, you can do that. Heck, I made some giveaways level 1 or 2 and above, if I thought that game deserved someone who shares a lot. In the end, if you really want to make sure your giveaways are only received by those who only gave something first, then be my guest.

However, I started as a level 0 for a long time and took a bit before I made my first GA, so it feels dirty to punish new people because of bots. It feels more welcoming this way.

I think that's too harsh. Maybe level-0 accounts can have as much as 5 or 10 wins max, that would be more reasonable.
I know someone who won something from SG, that gave him encouragement to give something as well. few months later, he has about 10:1 ratio. and that specific someone, invited me to join the community

I have to say no to this suggestion. When making a giveaway you can choose which level someone has to be to enter your giveaway and that's enough in my opinion. If you don't make use of it then it's your own fault. Plus, someone who wants to bot will usually always find a way to cheat the system one way or another. =)

If you can get an account up to the $100 threshold required to enter SG, you can also get a cheap bundle leftover key and make a giveaway for it. All it would really do is deter the laziest of bot-users. It would also likely deter a lot of new regular users, because while the cost to get to level 1 is very low, putting up a paywall like that would likely make a lot of people lose interest in the site before they've even started.

I have given about thrice as much as I've won here over the few months I've been a member. I can honestly say if this was the case I would never have returned here after my first visit. I didn't start giving anything until I had already taken part for a while and gotten to see what a great community this is, a great inclusive community that gives freely.

I get more than a bit uneasy when people start talking about trying to restrict access beyond what is already available, not only because it will scare away a lot of new members like myself who will later perhaps start giving, but because I don't want to give gifts to the kind of people who feel that gifts have to be "earned". Once you start trying to think of ways to exclude people you feel don't deserve this then I feel that's far too close to saying that you only want to give to people who "pay you back" through whatever means you think is deserving. That is not giving, that's selling, or trading if you wish. There are other sites for that.

SGTools has the functionality\requirements you're describing.

Also bots and auto joiners are active on all of the SG levels.

Or only by level 10 users. Or only by support members. Or only by the admin. :O

View attached image.

I know I started making giveaways after I won something and realized that it's real - that feeling is something that should not be lost.
Make level 1+ giveaways and solved.

I think a lot of people would never think twice about this website, knowing there's an entry fee. I would have for sure never paid to be part of this site, but now I am here and I've received a lot and I've given a lot.

So.

no
let people pick where their giveaways go.
don't want lv0s? set to lv1.

i'd rather have an option to set maximum level.

Well, I can only afford 1$ bundles. I deliberately allow everyone to have a chance in winning, because it might make someone's day; I know a stranger's random act of kindness has made my day more than once. Do bots and people who don't appreciate the games sometimes win? Sure, but I'm not my brother's keeper.

There is already a requirement to have enough games in your Steam account to qualify for SG (and we can't know why a person could afford to enter but not to give AAA games afterwards), so I'm afraid increasing barriers would just run the risk of becoming elitist.

SG has wisely implemented the option for the user to choose the minimum level of the winner, and in my opinion this is more than enough.

An odd point, I know, but logically this couldn't have been implemented in the beginning. If you had to give a gift to enter a giveaway, the very first giveaway would have nobody that could enter it. Thus, the gift could not be awarded and nothing would ever progress.

Nah. If I want my giveaways to be L1 or above, I can set them. Letting creators choose is best.

Use captcha instead xD

View attached image.

I bet a large ammount of users don't make a giveaway untill they have won something themselves and are sure the site isn't a scam, so this would just turn off a bunch people.
Also let the creators decide whom they want to allow to enter their GAs.

If you have a problem with people who join giveaways and are still Level 0 you should just create giveaways with higher levels.
Apparently there are many people who have no problem with that.
Every gifter can choose himself!

If you fear bots in lvl0, you should know that there are bots even in lvl 8.

And you can always blacklist leechers

You shouldn't have to gift before you receive.