On Wednesday, Twitch confirmed that its ban on live streams featuring gambling content had been expanded. The company prohibited streams featuring online casinos Blaze and Gamdom, adding to the websites that were banned in October when the company’s new gambling policy was first introduced.
Twitch Toughens Gambling Policies
Twitch had to act when a scandal broke out last year that a streamer had allegedly scammed viewers out of thousands of dollars because of gambling addiction. This triggered a wave of discontent amongst viewers and the platform’s top streamers who decried the proliferation of gambling content that went unchecked.
Twitch responded by shutting down any streams that promoted websites that were not licensed in the United States, or other jurisdictions, and are therefore not fit to provide sufficient consumer protection. Both Blaze and Gamdom do not hold a license in the United States.
Twitch said that the company was looking to address what it described as “predatory behavior,” and added that it’s determined to continue working against websites that are not meeting its guidance and policies in full. At the same time, the company said that it has been able to reduce 75% of all gambling viewership since the implementation of the new policy.
However, the company noted that there have been some new trends emerging as streamers trying to stick around and still push gambling content have been coming up with new strategies. To respond to this, Twitch has introduced new rules to further protect consumers.
Twitch Adds to List of Prohibited Websites
Twitch presently prohibits links to websites that are considered “questionable” to be shared with others. Apart from Gamdom and Blaze, Twitch prohibits streaming and sharing links to Roobet, Duelbits, Rollbit, and Stake.com.
Twitch’s decision to turn its back on gambling streams has led to the creation of Kick, a platform that some streamers have described as “on-point.” Kick has been splitting up its revenue 95-5 with content creators, putting it well ahead of its Amazon-owned counterpart.
Kick recently became an official sponsor of Everton FC, establishing its brand awareness with millions of soccer fans. The platform has been able to secure partnerships with some of Twitch’s biggest stars, including xQc, who signed a $100 million deal in June.