Live streaming platform Twitch might have tightened the screws on gambling at the site back in October, but at least one streamer appears to be getting restless about the move. To be precise, Tyler Niknam, aka Trainwreckstv, one of the most infamous characters swept up in the gambling drama, recently made his intent to bring gambling back to Twitch clear.
Trainwreckstv was one of the most high-profile streamers of gambling content at Twitch during the activity’s heyday. Throughout 2022, gambling at Twitch caused a number of headlines and was one of the most popular categories on the platform before the ban was brought into place. Certain streamers are said to have made (and subsequently lost) millions through lucrative sponsorship deals with online casinos like Stake casino as they played online slots before their millions of viewers.
Twitch banned certain gambling streams after major backlash from content creators and those concerned with streamed gambling’s potential negative consequences. This followed numerous scandalous events, culminating in the emotional confession by streamer SlikeR, who came clean about scamming people, including fans, out of around a quarter of a million dollars. Fellow streamers weighed in, claiming they would help viewers get their money back, but this event proved to be the tipping point Twitch needed to pull the plug.
As a result, Twitch pulled the plug on online slots, which were the main focal point of the gambling meta. Where slots were once one of the most popular categories on Twitch, their viewership has taken a major drop following the ban, now hitting the 29th most popular spot on the list when writing this article.
Whilst a number of streamers jumped ship to set up shop at rival service DLive in an attempt to keep the gambling streaming momentum going, Trainwreckstv stuck with Twitch. However, he hasn’t been overly happy with the situation, going so far as to float ideas of starting his own platform. Trainwreckstv’s viewer numbers have also dipped since the ban was enforced in October, and he has eased back on making streaming content.
TWITCH HAS BEEN BORING – DEC 1ST – GAMBLING STREAMS RETURN
— Trainwreck (@Trainwreckstv) November 27, 2022
Is this all about to change, though? A tweet put out by Trainwreckstv on November 27 stated that ‘Twitch has been boring. December 1. Gambling streams return‘. At the time of writing, the tweet had been liked over 13,000 times, so it’s getting noticed, though it remains to be seen how, or even if, Trainwreckstv will follow through on the date.
One potential way he may sidestep the ban is by streaming games like Poker, which are still allowed at Twitch. This is due to wording in the ban that focuses on ‘luck-based games’ rather than those which could be argued to take skill. Going back to making gambling content could be a risky move, putting Trainwreckstv in danger of losing his substantial number of followers in the process. However, Trainwrecks hasn’t been afraid of making controversial moves in the past, so it remains to be seen how he will follow through on his tweet.
