Home
Apps
Apps News
Twitch Bans Crypto Gambling Sites Amid Staunch Backlash From Creators

Twitch Bans Crypto Gambling Sites Amid Staunch Backlash From Creators

Twitch said they would be changing their policies to ban unlicensed gambling sites.

Written by Shomik Sen Bhattacharjee, Edited by Richa Sharma | Updated: 22 September 2022 12:22 IST

Twitch Bans Crypto Gambling Sites Amid Staunch Backlash From Creators

Popular Twitch personalities such as Pokimane have called for the platform to ban gambling

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

The ban comes in the wake of the Sliker gambling controversy
The ban will be set in motion starting October 18
Twitch will allow sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker

Live-streaming giant Twitch has said it will take additional steps to crack down on unlicensed crypto gambling content on its platform, after it faced serious backlash from some of its top creators. Starting October 18, Twitch has decided to prohibit live-streaming gambling sites like Stake.com, Rollbit, and Duelbits.com. As per the Amazon-owned company, these sites "aren't licensed either in the US or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection." Twitch said it had "seen some people…expose our community to potential harm."

The company also added that it already has a policy to prohibit sharing of links or referrals that feature slots, roulette or dice games but these rules were being circumvented.

An update on gambling on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/lckNTY9Edo
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 20, 2022

"We will continue to allow websites that focus on sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker," Twitch clarified.

The concern over gambling among some of Twitch's popular streamers has become newly relevant this week, thanks in part to Sliker, a prominent streamer who admitted on a stream last weekend to a severe addiction to gambling on the outcome of CS:GO matches. The streamer confessed to scamming friends and fans out of over $200,000 (roughly Rs. 1.60 lakh) to pay off his gambling debts.

Watch the Trailer for Netflix’s TUDUM Global Fan Event

Many popular streamers responded to the scandal by threatening to leave Twitch if the platform didn't ban or regulate gambling.

As reported by Bloomberg, Twitch's recent rise in gambling live streams has led to addiction for some and alarming debt for others. Gambling outfits like Curacao-based Stake.com sponsor popular streamers — and celebrities, like rapper Drake — several millions of dollars a month to crypto gamble in front of fans on Twitch.

Stake's intense marketing strategy seems to have paid off. Viewers were getting hooked, deciding to get into the action themselves. But unlike the streamers they were watching, their losses weren't being absorbed by ludicrous sponsorship deals.

Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Sees Highest Active Player Count Since Launch

“Once the initial excitement of seeing someone play with such huge sums wore off, it was mostly off-putting and made me sick watching it,” one gambler told Bloomberg. “It also gave viewers a false sense of winning and losing.”

Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a "5G tax". What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week's episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.