Is This New Twitch Ban An Attack Only On Crypto Casinos?

On September 21, Twitch posted an update on gambling live streams. After a series of events, the massive streaming platform decided to ban the streaming of gambling sites. That includes sites with slots, roulette, or dice games that aren’t licensed.

Some of these sites are Rollbit, Stake, Robot, and Duelbits. The new policy update came into effect on October 18. So, what prompted Twitch to make these massive changes, and how will that be the future of gambling streaming on the platform?

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

What Happened?

As soon as Twitch added the Slots category, it started filling up with streamers and viewers. In fact, it became so popular that some creators reached almost 100,000 viewers while streaming online gambling plays. That pushed the Slots category to the top 10 most-watched categories on the platform.

Gambling streaming became a new trend, and it seemed like it wouldn’t slow down soon. That is until one of the most popular gambling content creators in the Slots category started his stream on September 18. The UK-based streamer (Abraham Mohammed) surprised his viewers with a confession that he has a severe gambling addiction.

Moreover, he also confessed to lying and scamming many fellow streamers and Twitch viewers for money. At the time of the stream, he owed at least $200,000 to his community that he had no way of repaying. Many Twitch streamers offered their support. Others wanted to pay back what he owed to his viewers. Some condoned his behavior and asked Twitch to take action.

The most known streamers, though, made the loudest noise. Pokimane (Imane Anys) and Mizkif (Matthew Rinuado) started planning a boycott. They wanted to cancel all their streams during the Christmas holidays to protest the current state of the gambling streams and share awareness about gambling addiction.

Twitch’s Reaction And Ban Announcement

It took Twitch about three days to revise its gambling streaming policies and to post the now very well-known update on Twitter. They will still allow websites focusing on poker, sports betting, and fantasy sports. But, they banned all gambling sites with slots, roulette, or dice games without a license in the US. The ban also includes other jurisdictions that provide consumer protection.

In other words, Twitch didn’t ban gambling in general, only unregulated crypto online casinos. Content creators can still run gambling streams on the platform without consequences. Yet, many streamers do not agree with these decisions since they believe there will be more stories like the one shared by Sliker.

Silker has since been removed as a Twitch partner and cannot have subscriptions on his channel. That said, he was not banned from Twitch even though he used the platform to defraud countless streamers and viewers.

How Are Cryptocurrencies And Gambling Related?

Cryptocurrencies are becoming more popular in the gambling industry with each new day. Since they allow bettors to remain anonymous, they are becoming the global go-to currency for many people. That is why there is also a high demand for online crypto casinos.

In fact, gambling statistics reveal that the crypto gambling market value is already at about $250 million. According to a SOFTSWISS study based on its Game Aggregator and Casino Platform, 23% of all online casino bets were made with crypto in January 2021. By December 2021, that share skyrocketed to 40.1%.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin are the most popular cryptocurrencies for iGaming. Their usage represented 80.11%, 9.88%, and 4.52% of all crypto gambling bets. No wonder the Twitch streamers who are constantly chasing new trends chose specifically to stream playing on crypto casinos.

Can Crypto Casinos And Streamers Work Around The Ban?

At the moment, there isn’t a way for Twitch streamers to stream betting on crypto casinos. That leads to many content creators losing their sponsorship and gambling deals. Some are already considering switching to another platform, such as YouTube or Dlive. The only question remains whether their audience will follow them outside Twitch.

Many crypto casinos are already considering some alternatives. But, since Twitch banned the sites directly, there is nothing much they can do at the moment. As mentioned, the list of prohibited sites includes Rollbit, Stake, Robot, and Duelbits. This list will not remain so small, though. Twitch announcement said that they would add more brands as they identify them.

The Future Of Gambling Streaming On Twitch

While all crypto casinos are banned from Twitch, regulated online casinos are still allowed. The Slots category may have lost some content creators and viewers, but it’s still thriving. If nothing changes soon, gambling streaming on Twitch will continue to grow as fast as before the Sliker incident.

This is a cause of concern for many streamers who worry that more of their friends may go down the same road of gambling addiction as Sliker. But, others believe that banning gambling is not the solution but part of an even bigger problem.

Only time will tell whether this was the right decision from Twitch and whether more bans will follow in the Slots category.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

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