As the conversation about Twitch and allowing gambling streams continues to swirl through the platform, the platform has dealt its first blow. In a tweet on Tuesday night, Twitch stated that: it will forbid “streaming slots, roulette or dice gambling sites” in a policy update effective October 18.
An update on gambling on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/lckNTY9Edo
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 20, 2022
Criticism is that Twitch does not ban all gambling, not even all streaming of the gambling forms mentioned above. There will be an exception that allows sports betting, fantasy sports and poker, while streaming slots, roulette and dice will only be prohibited if the streamed websites are not “licensed in the US or other jurisdictions that provide adequate consumer protection”.
The gambling sites that will be swept into the ban include: Stake.com, which is one of the most popular gambling sites streaming on Twitch. Major streamers like xQc and Trainwreckstv often use it on their streams.
Gambling on Twitch has become a hot-button topic as wealthy streamers seemingly promote their services, ostensibly to minors, potentially fueling gambling addictions. Earlier this week, ItsSliker came forward to admit that he had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars from fellow streamers to support his sports betting habit.
As of that event, well-known streamers such as DevinNash, Pokimane and Mizkif, who are currently embroiled in a separate but tangentially related incident, have suggested or supported a possible boycott of Twitch if the platform does not ban gambling from the site. Now that action may no longer be necessary. However, sports betting, the form of gambling that started this recent conversation, will be spared when the ban goes into effect.
In its tweet, Twitch said it will share more about its gambling policy ahead of its implementation on October 18.
