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Twitch bans crypto-casinos, but all other forms are still allowed
Crypto-casino streaming has been banned by Twitch, but the platform still enables vast amounts of fiat currency gambling. The industry however should take care with promoting such high levels of gambling to young audiences, says Pavlos Sideris, director of Double Up Media.
The decision by the streaming giant Twitch to ban gambling websites whose content includes “slots, roulette, or dice games that aren’t licensed either in the US or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection” has been described as a clampdown on gambling-related streaming.
It is true that the Amazon-owned group has, at a purely technical level, placed a ban on unlicensed gambling sites that stream players playing their online gambling products, but in reality it only refers to crypto-backed casinos, which make up so much of the casino content that is streamed.
Twitch however hasn’t banned ‘traditional’ online casino, sports betting or poker operators and affiliates that are regulated in the US (or other major markets).
This is no coincidence. It may be stating the obvious, but the reason Twitch decided to ban cryptocurrency-backed casino play from being streamed is because it is not regulated in the US and as a US company it doesn’t want to attract any more controversy than it already has when it comes to this issue.
The fact that crypto-casino is also not regulated in the UK and other European markets also played a part, but the audience levels generated by casino streamers in the US are that much more significant, while many of the biggest (regulated) casino channels have marketing agreements with major US brands and are highly active on the platform.
Streaming exposure
The lack of crypto regulation did not stop the large crypto brands such as Stake.com, Duelbits or Roobet from streaming online casino play and subsidising streamers with major sponsorship contracts to ensure they continue to broadcast to their thousands of followers.
This has given them significant exposure and, one imagines, enabled them to recruit huge amounts of players. These customers will have watched the rap superstar Drake win $12m on a single roulette spin on Stake.com, having lost more than $800k betting on sports a few hours before, and will have been enticed to open accounts with those operators.
In 2021 and as a nod to wanting to protect its audiences from too much gambling exposure, Twitch outlawed referral codes and affiliate links. The measure however will not have prevented thousands of consumers from easily finding the sites online; while the decision by some of the sites to not accept players from the US is easily circumvented by VPNs.
In fact, looking at its decision to ban crypto-casino streaming, one may wonder what has taken Twitch so long to adopt the measure. After all, crypto-backed casinos and sportsbooks have always been unregulated in the US, UK and other major markets.
Of course, the reason Twitch did not ban them earlier is commercial. The streams by celebrities like Drake and sponsored players such as Mizkif, Trainwrecks or Niknam attracted huge audiences and that would have been the only metric Twitch paid attention to.
Reputational concern
Conversely, the most likely factor to influence Twitch into banning crypto casino sites will have been reputational. Cheating scandals or streamers fleecing players out of significant amounts of money to fund their gambling activities have created huge controversies and shone a most unflattering light on Twitch’s ready acceptance of crypto casino play.
The site is owned by the e-commerce giant Amazon, which likely decided that the safest way to avoid further scandals is to ban crypto casinos outright.
The other obvious point to make is that Twitch on the whole appeals to much younger demographics than those that might play on ‘regular’ slot sites. The company’s advertising and media information says “nearly 75% of Twitch viewers are between the ages of 16 and 34”.
The idea that thousands of young Twitch watchers might have been led into opening accounts on sites that were (and still are) unregulated and where they may have spent huge amounts of money while potentially developing gambling problems would be enough to give any public affairs or compliance executive significant worries.
No gambling ban
In an echo of the point made at the start of this article, campaigners and industry observers have been quick to point out that the new measure by Twitch “isn’t an outright ban on gambling” but just “a blow to crypto casinos”.
Indeed, what some campaigners want is a complete ban on the streaming of online slots and other casino games on Twitch, because, they say, “it is objectively harmful to the website and its users” and Twitch’s ban on unregulated operators still means that “luck-based gambling will still be alive and well on the website on October 18th” when the ban on crypto casinos comes in.
A ban is unlikely to happen in the near or medium term at least and a quick scan of the ‘Slots’ homepage on Twitch shows that the crypto casino channels have now been replaced by more ‘traditional’ ones.
In addition, with competing streaming platforms such as DLive more than willing to accept crypto (or other) casino streamers, it seems unlikely that Twitch will broaden its ban to ‘traditional’ casino channels.
Mass availability
Twitch’s rise as a showcase for online slots and other casino games has been steady and long trailed over the past few years.
What the platform also shows is that live casino continues to evolve. From its original and current incarnation as a product aimed mainly at VIPs and ‘whales’ on regular casino websites, to one that, thanks to Twitch, is becoming more focused on online slots and has been made available to a much broader and younger section of the population.
Without wanting to be too alarmist, the fact that younger demographics are exposed to gambling products much earlier than might have been the case in the past should be a cause for concern for all of us as stakeholders.
There have already been a number of addiction or problem gambling stories of young players who became familiar with gambling through Twitch. Criticising the industry for not intervening earlier will be of no use if all gambling streaming eventually gets banned on Twitch.
Law enforcement authorities in Kazakhstan have dismantled a large-scale illegal payment scheme connected to online gambling operations, following an investigation by the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan (AFM).
According to official statements from the AFM, the scheme involved cross-border financial transfers routed through multiple payment organizations. Transactions were allegedly disguised as legitimate commercial payments and subsequently redirected to online casino platforms. The identified volume of suspicious operations exceeds 600 billion tenge, making it one of the largest financial investigations of its kind in the country.
The authorities reported that the scheme relied on so-called “grey” payment infrastructure, including misused POS terminals, fictitious merchant agreements, and the involvement of intermediaries across several jurisdictions. As part of the investigation, more than 70 searches were conducted, significant financial assets were frozen, and nine individuals were detained. Materials are reportedly being prepared in relation to additional suspects, including foreign nationals.
The AFM also confirmed the shutdown of a call center that provided technical support services to multiple online casino platforms and facilitated payment-related consultations. Approximately 120 individuals from several countries were reportedly involved in these operations. Investigators further stated that the network included a gambling-related affiliate program that enabled deposits and withdrawals in cryptocurrency, with turnover exceeding 200 million USDT.
Kazakhstan’s authorities emphasized that online casinos are prohibited under national law, noting that such platforms operate without taxation, customer identification, or consumer protections, and pose risks related to gambling addiction and financial crime.
Several companies and financial institutions have publicly stated that they are cooperating with law enforcement authorities in order to clarify their role, if any, in the investigated activities. Proceedings are ongoing, and the authorities have stressed that, at this stage, no comprehensive list of suspects has been officially published.
The Financial Monitoring Agency reiterated its warning to individuals and organizations against participation in illegal gambling-related payment activities, stating that any form of facilitation may result in criminal liability under Kazakhstan law.
Investigations remain ongoing, and further updates are expected as the case develops.
Sources:
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N1 Partners Takes Action at Affiliate World Asia 2025 with a New Award and Key Event Collaborations
N1 Partners wrapped up a dynamic week at Affiliate World Asia 2025 in Bangkok, strengthening relationships with industry leaders, taking part in key networking events, engaging with iGaming media, and celebrating a major milestone — winning “The Best Gambling/Betting Affiliate Program” at the Affiliate Space Awards 2025 by Conversion Club.
Across the conference, side events, and business meetings, the team aligned strategies for 2026, discussed performance trends, explored new collaboration formats, and presented upcoming product updates. These conversations shaped a more focused partnership roadmap for the year ahead.
A defining moment of AWA week was N1 Partners’ success at the Affiliate Space Awards 2025 by Conversion Club. N1 Parthers was named “Best Gambling/Betting Affiliate Program”. Determined by peer voting and expert evaluation, the award reflects the affiliate program’s proven results, reliability, and consistently strong performance recognized across the industry.
“We’re incredibly grateful for this recognition,” says Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners. “What truly makes this program the best is the product depth across our brands, a hands-on affiliate managers team that is always present, and partner conditions designed with care – all that meets affiliates where they are. Winning this award isn’t just about N1 Partners, but every affiliate who grows with us. This is our common win.”
The team also joined the Affiliate Drinks Meetup Bangkok 2025, where the relaxed setting encouraged direct, meaningful discussions on performance, GEO strategies, and long-term cooperation.
Throughout the week, N1 Partners was present at Fridman Palace, a curated business space where industry leaders gathered for strategic meetings. As the sponsor of the smoking lounge, the company hosted partners in a comfortable, premium environment designed for meaningful conversations and high-level deal-making.
With the Bangkok chapter concluded, the focus now shifts to Barcelona 2026, where N1 Partners will host the grand finale of the N1 Puzzle Promo during iGB/ICE Europe week. The celebration will feature exclusive prizes, a high-energy entertainment program, and the reveal of the Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter winner — setting the stage for one of the most anticipated events of the upcoming iGaming year.
N1 Partners extends its thanks to everyone who connected with the team in Bangkok, shared insights, and contributed to the energy of this week.
Next stop: Barcelona.
Be number one with N1!
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