Twitch is reinforcing its stance against gambling-related content by expanding its list of disallowed sites through a policy amendment.
For roughly a year, gambling broadcasts have been barred on Twitch, and there’s no hint of a reversal in this policy in the near future. In 2022, the display of roulette and slots games stirred up a significant fuss on the platform, owned by Amazon, prompting influential figures like Pokimane to call for their removal.
In response, Twitch enacted a ban on gambling sites featuring dice or slots games not licensed in the US or failing to offer sufficient protection to consumers. On August 2, 2023, Twitch shared a status update indicating the successful implementation of its policy, and announced the inclusion of additional sites to its restriction list.
Twitch disclosed in a post on Twitter that it was placing crypto casinos Blaze and Gamdom on its blacklist.
“The objective, consistent with our stance last autumn, is to ensure our community’s safety, combat exploitative conduct, and increase security on Twitch,” they stated.
Additionally, the platform confirmed that gambling viewership has plummeted by a remarkable 75% since the imposition of the ban last year. However, sports wagering and sites focusing on games such as poker continue to be permissible.
“This signifies that the modification had an immediate effect and that our community is now more shielded from scams and associated harms,” Twitch further noted.
As Twitch presses ahead with its policy on gambling, rival streaming service Kick has seized the opportunity to offer its streamers the freedom to indulge in gambling activities without any backlash. Kick emerged in the wake of the gambling ban, and the platform has swiftly poached some of Twitch’s top performers, signing high-profile individuals such as Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel to profitable contracts.
