Summary
In a significant development, Turkey’s National Lottery Association has announced the prohibition of bothTwitchand Kick within the country. The decision stems from concerns surrounding gambling activities prevalent on the widely-used and well-established live-streaming platformTwitch, along with its competitor Kick, which has also attracted a huge audience and top content creators since its inception in December 2022.
Gambling on streaming platforms has remained a contentious issue, with several controversies arising over the years. In a notable incident from 2022,Twitch streamer Sliker found himself at the center of a controversyafter it emerged that he had solicited funds from both fellow content creators and his audience under false pretenses, citing issues like a frozen bank account. Subsequently, Sliker publicly acknowledged having borrowed money from multiple individuals to fuel his gambling pursuits, sparking intense debate among top content creators and viewers alike. In response, Twitch revised its gambling stream policies, targeting unlicensed gambling sites hosting games like slots, roulette, and dice, including Stake.com, frequented by prominent streamers such as xQc and TrainwrecksTV.
Twitch and Kick Banned in Turkey
Despite these efforts,gambling activities have persisted on Twitch, as highlighted by numerous renowned streamers, including xQc and Trainwreck, while Kick, supported by the gambling site Stake, openly facilitates gambling streams. On February 13th, Turkish journalist Ibrahim Haskoloğlu revealed on X that the BTK initiated an investigation against Kick for its collaboration with international gambling entities, offering gambling activities on its platform, and recent expansion into Turkey. He further tweeted that Turkey took action by blocking access to Kick, with officials suggesting the platform’s intent was to lure Turkish youth into roulette. On February 23, he disclosed that Twitch faced a similar fate, with access being blocked by the General Directorate of National Lottery Administration due to the presence of comparable content to that found on Kick.
The ban on Twitch and Kick in Turkey is undoubtedly a setback for Turkish content creators and viewers. It’s noteworthy that this isn’t the first time Twitch has ceased operations in a particular region. In late 2023,Twitch announced the termination of all services in South Koreadue to escalating costs and declining profitability, effective from February 27th.
In anotherrecent development concerning the Amazon-owned streaming giant Twitch, the company announced that Tier 1 subscription and gift sub prices would increase by $1 in Australia and Canada and £1 in the UK starting March 28. These updated prices are intended to support streamer revenue and account for rising costs in the respective countries.
