Twitch gambling rules are changing thanks to the massive outcry against the platform’s sponsored streams.
This last week has seen the debate over Twitch gambling heat up. After a stream’s scam to steal thousands from fellow streamers and others came crashing down, many big names have been calling for banning Twitch gambling. They’ve now responded. New Twitch gambling rules have been laid out.
They don’t entirely rule out gambling content on the site. They do tighten down on some of the most controversial sponsors of gambling streams on the platform at the moment, like Stake.com and other unlicensed sites. The Twitch gambling rule changes don’t go as far as some would hope. This is what’s changed.
Twitch Gambling Rules Change
Twitch has this week sought to clarify its position on gambling on the platform. Changing the Twitch gambling rules. This has been an extensive conversation lately.
They haven’t entirely gone as far as to ban all gambling streams, but they’ve made more precise guidelines. They singled out specific providers to ban. specifically named a few main sites they’ll be banning. That’s along with clarifying that they’ll be taking a more rigid stance on sponsored streams and unlicensed websites.
An update on gambling on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/lckNTY9Edo
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 20, 2022
This statement might be a little confusing. Sports betting, fantasy sports, and card games like poker will be allowed. However, slots, roulette, and other chance games will have more restrictions.
These streams will not be allowed if they aren’t “licensed in the US or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection.”. This should rule out sites that have shacky licenses. Although, it’s a bit vague.
This is going to ban the biggest sponsors of Twitch gambling streams specifically. Stake.com was a significant sponsor for xQc’s gambling streams, along with Trainwreck. This bookmaker has drawn a fair bit of criticism for these schemes, which saw viewers of xQc’s streams alone wager over $119 million on the site. All that wagered from xQc viewers. We’re not getting more clarification for a few weeks here.
Is Gambling Banned on Twitch?
Twitch gambling rules have been tightened. It’s not banned, though. The platform gives some criteria for how they can ban specific sites from running sponsored streams. They’ve not entirely clarified what those rules mean, though. “Sufficient consumer protection” is difficult to codify.
Between different countries, gambling commissions set different standards. Twitch’s clarification doesn’t make it entirely clear what sites they will and won’t beyond this initial batch of named sites that won’t be allowed.
This move is a quicker response to the last few days than is standard for the platform. They’re not exactly known for being reactive. However, several significant streamers had just called for a boycott of the platform. The Twitch gambling rule change should go some way to alleviate these concerns. Some have been quick to celebrate the impact of these specific rules on crypto gambling sites.
Why is Twitch Gambling a Big Issue Right Now?
The topic of Twitch gambling rules has been contentious for a while. There was a brief rise in tension over the subject earlier in the year when xQc returned to gambling streams with record numbers tuning in. Since then, it’s been a hot topic. This week the revelation that a streamer had been fabricating bills and taxes to fund a gambling addiction. It’s a scandal that saw other streams step in to make things right, with many taking the opportunity to call for an end to the streams entirely.
This led many streamers to call for a total ban on gambling on Twitch. At the least, a ban on spored streams that give hosts an incentive to encourage gambling was wanted to clean up the platform. Twitch has reacted quickly with its rule change. Although, they haven’t gone far enough to ban everything.
Twitch plans to clarify more information about the rule changes soon. These new changes will be coming into effect on October 18th. Hopefully, between now and then, we get a clearer idea of what their rules mean for protecting viewers. Otherwise, this could end up being a rule change that only affects a few currently controversial streams, before being easily circumvented once the streaming community moves on.