Co-founder Ed Craven recently announced a series of updates aimed at maintaining a fair landscape for creators and safeguarding users from potential manipulations.

Kick Co-founder Acknowledges View Botting Issue and Unveils Protection Measures

Since its launch in late 2022, Kick has seen a remarkable surge in growth, but with this success came allegations of view botting, tarnishing the platform’s reputation. To combat this issue, Craven declared that Kick would roll out extra view count protection. This measure is expected to counter view count manipulation and address problems associated with chat and follow bots. He emphasized the platform’s commitment to creating a fair environment for content creators and reassured the community that they are continuously growing and evolving.

In a recent Twitter thread, Craven openly acknowledged the existence of view botting and the need to tackle this problem head-on. Such issues have been a point of contention among creators and viewers, leading to scepticism about the legitimacy of some streamers’ popularity. By implementing view count protection, Kick seeks to restore trust and confidence in its platform.

The co-founder also confirmed the platform’s connection to the gambling world, as Kick is co-owned by Stake, an online crypto-based gambling website. To address concerns about excessive gambling content, Craven disclosed that Kick would be removing “unnecessary exposure” to gambling-related content in their recommended formulas.

Kick Introduces Toggle Option for Gambling Streams

Furthermore, Kick has now given its users greater control over their viewing experience. The platform introduced a toggle option that allows users to choose whether they want to view gambling streams while browsing through the site’s channels. This move gives users the ability to remove gambling and hot tub streams from their recommended feed and search results, enhancing their overall viewing experience.

Kick‘s commitment to being streamer-friendly has attracted notable streamers, including Trainwreck and xQc, who made the switch from other platforms. The platform offers more generous revenue splits than its competitors, with a 95/5 revenue split for paid subscribers, in contrast to Twitch’s 50/50 and YouTube’s 70/30 splits. Additionally, Kick supports its streamers by providing hourly stipends based on various criteria, such as viewer count, hours streamed, and CPM.

Kick got banned in Greece due to its lax policies on gambling content leading to the platform being blacklisted by the Hellenic Gaming Commission. With the latest Kick update regarding gambling streams, the Commission may have to review its decision.

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The incidents happened within the first two weeks of legal sports betting in the Bay State, showcasing the significant challenges standing before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. However, they will also be a valuable opportunity to test its compliance procedures. With mobile betting launching in less than a month, the regulator must set the right tone and ensure that all violators receive a strict but fair judgment.

All Three Sportsbooks Allowed Illegal Bets

The first reported violations occurred last week after two of the state’s three regulated operators self-reported breaching the strict rules regarding betting on in-state collegiate sports. Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park Casino reportedly offered wagers on, respectively, the Boston College women’s basketball game and Merrimack College men’s basketball game, prompting an investigation from the Commission.

According to regulations, all betting activity on games involving a Massachusetts-based school is strictly banned unless the game is part of a tournament with at least four teams. This rule appears particularly challenging for operators. According to recent reports, MGM Springfield also allowed wagers on two Harvard men’s basketball games. All the violations so far have been self-reported, which should mollify the regulator.

Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein noted that the operator fully expected similar non-compliance issues. She has already helped schedule adjudicatory hearings regarding the three regulation breaches. The Commission admitted that sportsbooks were still unclear on what wagers were allowed under Massachusetts law, so it planned to post answers to the most frequent questions in an online FAQ document.

The Commission Prefers a Mindful Approach

Massachusetts Gaming Commission representatives stated that the incidents were currently under review and that a verdict would follow soon. Any decision would set a precedent for future such cases, which is why commissioners prefer to take their time in these first few cases.
Commissioner Jordan Maynard noted that the Commission was prepared for such violations and was mindful of the best way to handle them.

I want to set the goalposts with my fellow commissioners early on and then see how it’s working.

Commissioner Jordan Maynard

With online sports betting arriving on March 10, the regulator is currently funneling most of its efforts to ensure a smooth and trouble-free launch. Their real work will begin afterward, as online sportsbooks can be very difficult to track. The Commission’s work with the initial relatively benign violations can be viewed as the first live test of its compliance enforcement strategy.

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