Twitch users are still producing gambling content despite the gambling ban after finding what they believe is a loophole in the rules. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Revocation of judgment
Twitch users believe they have discovered a way to circumvent the rules that massively ban gambling streams.
Twitch has recently taken a firm stand against gambling amid pressure from many prominent players and outside powers. The rules went into effect on October 18, but weren’t as effective as the company had hoped.
Others continue to broadcast the same “banned” content they did previously
Many operators have abandoned the slot machines they once frequented for other forms of lottery-style participation, such as unlocking FIFA Packs (which are part of another ongoing discussion around loot boxes), while others simply continue to broadcast the same “forbidden” content they did previously.
Thoughts from the creators
Live streamers get away with sharing gambling streams because of the way Twitch coined the word “ban” gambling. The new policy states that all sharing of affiliate links or codes will cease. The site was also named stack.com, rollbit.com, duelbits.com, and roobet.com as blocked sites in a list that can still be expanded.
Furthermore, Twitch chats are not allowed to discuss blocked sites. However, betting streams are not completely discouraged, as “streaming from websites focused on fantasy sports, sports betting or poker is currently allowed.”
Scurrows, who has 184,000 followers on Twitch, is one of many followers who are directly challenging Twitch’s rule. He believes the vague language used in Twitch’s new policy means he and other content creators can still upload gambling websites, as long as certain conditions are met.
It is not possible to say for sure whether this tape breaks the rules
“When a player is playing in the casino and the casino name is visible in the photo, it is not clear which site they are playing on,” Skoroz wrote on Twitter. “As long as the URL cannot be seen, it cannot be said with certainty whether this broadcast is against the rules.”
Orangemorange, a certified Twitch partner with 544k followers, took a similar approach and called on Twitch directly to stop it.
Broadcasting companies like the ones mentioned have started to visit websites not mentioned in the ban and hide the web addresses from viewers. In this way, they believe that they are not violating the rule and can still provide gambling content.
Despite the efforts of the pro-gambling Twitch community, viewership on gambling streams has decreased by 97% since the decree came into effect.
The past and future of gambling on Twitch
Gambling streams have taken off on Twitch over the past year thanks to the influence of creators like Trainwreck, who earlier this year won a world record $22.5 million on a slot machine, and global megastar and Stake.com partner Drake.
Trainwreck has responded to the Twitch ban by revealing plans for a platform focused on gambling, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will build a new site if Twitch does not address the loopholes in the gambling ban.
While influential creators like Trainwreck have opposed Twitch’s anti-gambling stance, others, like Pokimane, are firmly behind it. The most watched Twitch user (9.25 million followers) threatened to boycott the site until restrictions are imposed on gambling content.
Twitch has yet to take a firm stand against the entire gambling industry
Despite the ban, Twitch still takes a firm stand against the entire gambling industry and instead has targeted unregulated gambling sites.
There are several reasons for the ban’s restrictions. The first is that popular gambling streams are still relatively new, and the company is in its infancy in this world of entertainment. The second is that there is an opportunity to make a lot of money behind gambling flows through partnerships and revenue splits.
One possibility is that Twitch could end up diving deeper into the world of sports by co-streaming or buying the rights to the games directly. From there, streamers and platformers can team up with a sportsbook to create branded content, thus opening up an entirely new source of income.
Twitch takes back 50% of monetized content for most creators, although some have special deals that allow them to keep 70%. Starting next year, live streamers will enjoy a 70/30 split for the first $100,000 before moving to a 50/50 share.
