In an expansion move, Twitch, owned by Amazon, has announced that it is widening the ban on livestreams featuring gambling content on their platform.
Previously, four websites were banned by Twitch when their new gambling policy took effect in October last year. Now, Twitch has added online casinos Blaze and Gamdom to the list of prohibited streaming content.
The decision to tighten the restrictions came after a controversy last year involving a streamer who allegedly scammed users and other content creators out of thousands of dollars to fund a gambling addiction. This incident prompted prominent streamers to voice their concerns over Twitch’s lenient policies on gambling streams.
Twitch responded by stating that it would prohibit websites offering slots, roulettes, or dice games that lack the required licensing for consumer protection in the US or other jurisdictions. Although Blaze and Gamdom are not available in the US, users can still access them using virtual private networks to mask their locations.
Twitch’s main objective is to safeguard the community, address predatory behavior, and enhance user safety. Since implementing the new policy last year, Twitch has seen a significant decrease of approximately 75% in gambling viewership. However, the company recognizes new trends and is updating its policy accordingly to provide better protection for users.
Furthermore, Twitch forbids the sharing of links or referral codes to sites offering slots, roulette, or dice games to prevent scams and other negative outcomes related to questionable gambling platforms. However, the platform permits websites that focus on sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker.