Twitch addresses the debate around gambling and announces that effective of October 18th, it will no longer allow gambling.

Twitch is retaliating.

 

After a recent gambling controversy hit the spotlight in Twitch’s community, the streaming service has announced that starting October 18, streaming any kind of gambling site that includes slots, roulette wheels, or dice games that are not licensed in the United States is prohibited. Although they only revealed a small list of websites that were subject to this ban, it was noted that more might be added if it turned out that they were detrimental.

 

 

 

All of this happened as a result of a group effort by some of Twitch’s most active content producers to promote the new hashtag, #TwitchStopGambling. Sliker, a streamer who has recently been under fire from his followers for his propensity for gambling, has since admitted to borrowing more than $200,000 from his followers and other content providers without repaying it. Before using actual money, he first started gambling with Counter Strike: Global Offensive skins. Since then, Sliker has expressed regret for his behaviour and said he is seeking treatment for his gambling addiction.

 

While many of the popular casino games and shows have been outlawed on Twitch, this has no bearing on the platform’s sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker offerings. According to the accompanying tweet, Twitch will provide further information regarding its revised streaming gambling policy on their website before the changes take effect on October 18.

 

There are still gaming streams available on the service prior to the prohibition, but it is anticipated that this will gradually decrease as the end date approaches. Even now, after the announcement, the most frequently watched Twitch streams can be found in streaming categories related to slots and other gambling games. The goal is to prevent and stop potential gambling addictions from spreading among the Twitch community, which could be quite damaging.