Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
Updated on September 21, 2022 at 8:22 p.m. PT with a statement from StreamElement's CEO, Gil Hirsch.
Gambling and video games have a bit of an uneasy connection with one another. Both utilize ways to get players addicted and both can offer a chance at earning something great if the player is happy to hand over their cash. Twitch, one of video gaming’s largest streaming platforms, is now taking a harder stance on streaming gambling in new rules set to go into effect on October 18.
In a statement on September 20, 2022, Twitch laid out the new rules it would be enforcing on October 18, 2022. The streaming of gambling sites will be prohibited, including slots, roulette, or dice games that “aren’t licenced either in the U.S. or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection.” The full statement can be read in the Twitter embed below.
The statement notes a few sites in particular, including Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com, and Roobet.com but also notes that this list may expand as the team finds others. The decision to prohibit the streaming of gambling falls in-line with Twitch’s own rules against sharing links or referral codes to similar gambling sites.
The StreamElements State of the Stream report was released just recently. This report showed that Twitch had some 1.86 billion hours watched in August, with one of its top 10 most streamed categories being Slots, with 51 million hours watched. These new changes to Twitch’s policy will likely have a direct impact on these statistics but it’s all in the name of consumer protection.
"Since April, the Slots category on Twitch has grown month-over-month soaring from 31M hours watched to over 50M hours watched in August while increasing 66% year-over-year," said StreamElements' CEO Gil Hirsch in a statement. "During this 5 month period it has also solidified its place in Twitch's top 10 chart signifying that it has gone from a novelty to a mainstay for streamers and viewers alike."
It’s worth noting that these policy changes look to only apply to purely chance-based gambling sites. Those that focus on sports betting, fantasy sports, and poker have dodge the proverbial bullet. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as these changes come in on October 18.