Twitch announces a ban on slot machines and roulette
Image credit: CNBC
Slots, roulette, and dice games are the focus of a partial gambling restriction that Twitch has announced.
Videos from gambling websites that do not have US or “other jurisdictions that provide acceptable consumer protection” licences will not be allowed on the Amazon-owned live streaming platform.
The Curacao-based Stake.com and other cryptocurrency gaming websites are included in the prohibition.
The date of implementation is October 18, 2022.
“While we ban sending links or referral codes to any websites that contain slots, roulette, or dice games, we’ve seen some users disobey those rules and expose our community to potential danger,” said a tweet from Twitch.
With the potential for expansion, websites like Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com, and Roobet.com would all be forbidden.
Poker, fantasy sports like fantasy football, and sports betting would not be prohibited, though.
According to TwitchTracker, which ranks slots as the tenth most popular genre of content on the network, more people are currently watching Twitch streams playing virtual slots than are actually playing the game of Minecraft.
The promotion of gambling websites by streamers might bring in a sizable income. A website allegedly gives Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam, who has more than 2.1 million followers, more than $1 million (£881,000) per month to gamble with.
Gambling videos have caused controversy on Twitch ever since they first appeared, but in recent months, well-known broadcasters have been vocally critical, with some even threatening to go on strike.
The gambling streams, according to Devin Nash, are “terrible for the site” and are the reason he left Twitch.
He said in a series of tweets that gambling was terrible for legitimate sponsors, harmful to young Twitch viewers, and decreased the quality of the entire platform.
Millions of viewers between Matthew “Mizkif” Rinaudo and Imane “Pokimane” Anys were mentioned in discussions about how well-known streamers would temporarily quit the platform this Christmas if Twitch did not take action against gambling streams.
Pokimane was among those jubilant following Twitch’s announcement that it would prohibit some forms of gambling.