Twitch has made a significant policy change in response to growing concerns about the presence of gambling streams on the platform.
Twitch announced on Twitter that it will prohibit the streaming of gambling websites that feature slots, roulette, and dice games that are not licensed in the United States and other regions that “provide adequate consumer protection.”
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Twitch promises to release the full policy language and more details before the policy change takes effect on October 18th.
So far, the list of prohibited websites includes some of the most well-known names in the industry, such as Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com, and Roobet.com. Not surprising, given the abundance of streams on Twitch featuring gambling content from those domains.
Twitch says it “may identify others” in the future, so the list of prohibited websites is likely to grow. However, the website will continue to allow websites that focus on specific types of gambling content, such as sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker.
An update on gambling on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/lckNTY9Edo
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 20, 2022
Twitch issued the statement after some of the platform’s most popular streamers, including Pokimane and DevinNash, threatened to boycott it during the Christmas season if gambling streams and sponsorships were not prohibited.
They banded together in response to one streamer’s admission that he had duped followers and fellow streamers out of around $200,000 to fund his Counter-Strike: Global Offensive addiction.
According to Kotaku, CS:GO has weapon skins with real-world monetary value, and gambling websites use them as casino chips.
The revelation reopened the debate over gambling streams on Twitch, with many pointing out that they could lead to deceptive behavior by streamers and be harmful to the website’s young users.
