Twitch has had a complex relationship with gambling, and recent actions by the platform reflect their concerns. On October 18, Twitch implemented a new policy targeting gambling streams, resulting in specific sites like Stake and Rollbit being barred from the platform.
As a response to these bans, Stake launched its own streaming site called Kick, which takes a more lenient approach towards gambling streams. However, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy clarified in a May 31 interview with streamer Filian that the bans were not directed at gambling itself, but rather the “unregulated” nature of certain sites and streams.
Filian inquired about the types of gambling streams that were banned on Twitch, citing a poker event she had streamed and which confused her audience since it technically involved gambling. Clancy explained that the problem lies not with the act of gambling, but rather with the gambling sites themselves. He stated, “The issue that was arising was these unregulated offshore gambling sites… These sites operate without any oversight to ensure fair odds on their games, making changes without regulation.”
Clancy also mentioned that Twitch discovered a significant amount of money flowing from the platform into these unregulated gambling sites, which raised concerns about the community’s well-being. He noted, “Our creators were directing their communities and connections formed on Twitch towards these sites, and a substantial amount of money was involved for a small number of creators. We decided this was not beneficial for the community, so we banned unregulated sites.”
However, Clancy emphasized that streaming gambling itself is not a problem. Twitch’s concern lies with creators who feature unregulated gambling sites prominently in their streams. When asked if Twitch would consider unbanning these sites if they became regulated and complied with the gambling regulations of most major countries, Clancy expressed his personal opinion that Twitch would be open to lifting the ban under those circumstances. However, he firmly believes that if these sites fail to adhere to consumer protection laws, Twitch should not allow them on the platform.
