Gambling streams have been a controversial topic on Twitch over the past day, and now one of the site’s most popular streamers has called for them to be banned.
In a post, Asmongold claimed that if gambling streams aren’t banned, it could cause many problems for the platform “in so many ways we don’t even realize yet.”
Asmongold’s suggestion comes just a day after Twitch was banned by internet service provider O2 CZ, who services the European country of Slovakia. The decision to ban the streaming platform reportedly came after a creator in the region illegally played poker on stream.
The blocking of online gambling websites isn’t an uncommon occurrence in Slovakia. This was the first time a creator and the platform where the content was hosted were both blocked, however.
Around the world, many countries have strict laws against online gambling, which force streamers in those regions to use VPN services when connected and participating in virtual gambling.
Gambling has been a contentious issue on Twitch this year. Many of the platform’s largest creators were not adverse to it, with some even acquiring partnerships with the gambling websites used on their stream. In several of these cases, it was not disclosed that the creator had been using the website’s funds as opposed to their own.
Twitch has yet to comment on the latest controversy surrounding gambling on the platform, but with a dedicated category called Slots on the site, it appears the platform doesn’t have any issue with hosting the content.
Published: Jun 25, 2021 03:21 am