Slovakia Bans Twitch for Allowing Streaming of "Illegal" Gambling Content

[ddm]

"In an unprecedented move the Slovakian government has decided to ban Twitch after a streamer was accused of promoting illegal gambling. The ban comes following recent negative feedback from Twitch users across the globe claiming that the platform has done very little to prevent streamers from broadcasting illegal content to viewers of all ages."


source

[ddm]

update: looks like the ban was removed, and this happened 1 month ago. I never heard anything about it or saw it in the media

more: https://www.dexerto.com/entertainmen...poker-1600542/

[The Buzz]

Interesting article in WIRED on this topic. The company says it is “closely monitoring gambling content,” but legal experts say some promotions may be illegal.

Twitch is in the middle of a gambling boom, fueled by the rise of so-called “crypto casinos”—websites where gamblers can purchase cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum for use in digital games of chance like slots, blackjack, and baccarat. And sites like Stake and Roobet are paying popular streamers to play the casino games on their channels, sometimes offering tens of thousands of dollars an hour, according to streamers and experts interviewed by WIRED. One gambling website, Duelbits, apparently offered top gambling streamer Adin Ross between $1.4 million and $1.6 million a month to stream slots on Twitch, according to a Discord DM between himself and Duelbits. (Ross, who was recently suspended from Twitch for using his phone while driving, did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment. Neither did Stake, Roobet, or Duelbits.)

A WIRED review found that 64 of the top 1,000 most-trafficked Twitch streamers have streamed crypto slots or advertised sponsorship deals from crypto gambling websites, although the trend gained real traction in April and May of 2021. Some streams attract more than 100,000 live viewers. Many of these streamers are members of Twitch’s Partner Program, which gives top creators access to additional support and features like increased revenue sharing. It’s Twitch’s highest tier of streamers, and the company says it looks for people “who can act as role models to the community”—a community where 21 percent of users are between 13 and 17 years old.

Read the article here: https://www.wired.com/story/twitch-s...gambling-boom/

[ddm]

interesting stuff.
twitch is a cesspool right now.
*Really* needs cleaning up
#fakeslotsstreamers

[universal4]

“who can act as role models to the community”—a community where 21 percent of users are between 13 and 17 years old.

I think this fact alone will generate even more issues, and stronger restrictions.

Even at 21%, that is a LOT of gambling content being presented to underage people and is sure to draw attention to the various regulators that already see gambling as being presented to underage folks as a serious issue.

Rick
Universal4

[AVC-Invest]

I can see Twitch one day binning the Slots/Poker sections. Gambling content on Twitch accounts for a very small percentage in terms of viewers and subscribers compared to all there other content. And actions like the one Slovakia made will no doubt speed this up. I must admit, I do find it uncomfortable that the demographics are so young on this platform and they could potentially get hooked by accident....

[EugeneK]

Interesting article in WIRED on this topic. The company says it is “closely monitoring gambling content,” but legal experts say some promotions may be illegal.



Read the article here: https://www.wired.com/story/twitch-s...gambling-boom/

It looks like this story irritates the Twitch community as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6Ciz3HAo4

[gil.langelaan]

I must admit, I do find it uncomfortable that the demographics are so young on this platform and they could potentially get hooked by accident....

Yes, totally agree with you.
The audience at Twitch is very young and I think more issues will be highlighted very soon.

[fasterice9]

That streamer is super stupid or ignorant like hell. I don't know about any online casino that has a licence from local authority and you can play onlinepoker with real players. Unfortunately, true. It makes sense that his activity triggered URHH to start doing something...

Slovak market is heavily regulated.