Many Twitch viewers have reportedly started to get betting advertisements for audiences. The platform, which previously maintained strict rules around gambling content, has allegedly started displaying ads for betting operators to viewers in the United States as part of its regular ad inventory rather than through direct creator sponsorships.
The move brings a huge shift in how Twitch approaches gambling-related revenue, since creators remain restricted from promoting such services directly, even as the platform itself profits from these adverts. According to the community guidelines, Twitch states that they “do not allow users to share links or affiliate codes to sites that contain slots, roulette, or dice games,” to stop affiliate promotion for these sites.
In addition to that, the streaming giant also has a policy that bans several listed gambling and casino sites and streamers from using their logos and pictures in their streams. Twitch historically banned unregulated gambling streams, but the appearance of betting ads on the platform’s ad system suggests a new phase in how gambling intersects with live streaming.
Prominent streamers, including Asmongold, have publicly denounced the move, arguing that allowing gambling ads undercuts Twitch’s historical stance against gambling content. “So, right now, if you’re streaming on Twitch and you’re running ads, you’re supporting gambling. Period. I don’t wanna hear anymore, anybody ever virtue signal about gambling again. It’s over,” Asmongold said.
According to the community, the presence of such adverts makes both the platform and its ad-running streamers complicit in promoting gambling, reducing the credibility of past criticisms against gambling streams made by the company. Twitch’s competitor, Kick, has relatively relaxed rules on gambling ads in its community guidelines.
Twitch’s decision comes against a backdrop of ongoing industry debate around gambling content in streaming, with platforms grappling with balancing user protection, monetization pressure, and regulatory scrutiny.
