News

Twitch bans crypto-casinos, but all other forms are still allowed

Published

3 years ago

October 31, 2022

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.

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N1 Partners is giving away a trip to a surf camp at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon

Published

2 weeks ago

September 4, 2025

TheVoice

Surf On the Waves to Success: N1 Partners at SBC Summit Lisbon 2025

From September 16 to 18, the N1 Partners team will take part in SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon — one of the largest events in the iGaming industry. Thousands of professionals from around the world will gather at Feira Internacional de Lisboa & MEO Arena to discuss trends, exchange insights, and build new partnerships. N1 Partners is known for preparing something special for every event, and this time the team will bring a vibrant surf-inspired atmosphere to booth F84.

Surfing the Wave of Opportunities with N1 Partners

At every conference, meeting the N1 Partners team is a chance for affiliates to advance in the N1 Puzzle Promo and get closer to the grand prize of the year — the Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter. In Lisbon, this journey takes on a fresh theme — surfing, as a symbol of freedom, energy, and moving forward.

At the N1 Partners booth, the team will recreate the vibe of a real surf camp, giving partners the chance to discuss business opportunities and take part in activities designed to help them “catch the wave” of success.

What Visitors Will Find at Booth F84

Surf Bar serving signature bubble teas and retro-surf–style cocktails
Surf Balance Board Challenge: test your balance, claim guaranteed prizes, and get the chance to win an all-inclusive surf trip
Meeting zones designed for productive negotiations and top-tier deals in a comfortable setting

A Dream Trip for the Winner

N1 Partners will raffle off a certificate for an all-inclusive surf camp trip, which includes flights, villa accommodation, training with a professional coach, and a branded surfboard delivered directly to the winner.

How to participate:

Visit booth F84
Register for the giveaway
Be present at the raffle (stay tuned for the exact time on N1 Partners’ social media)

Full terms and conditions will be available at the booth.

See You in Lisbon

SBC Summit Lisbon is the perfect opportunity to meet the N1 Partners team, explore new projects, learn about the latest brand launches, and discuss exclusive partnership opportunities. At booth F84, visitors will find live business conversations, branded merch, and additional puzzles to bring them closer to the grand prize of the N1 Puzzle Promo.

Why N1 Partners

Working directly with an advertiser, partners of N1 Partners benefit from:

14+ licensed casino and sportsbook brands with Reg2Dep up to 70%
top deals across 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
CPA up to €650, RevShare up to 45% + NNCO, and hybrid models

At booth F84, the N1 Partners team will be focused on real business. Whether you run SEO, PPC, FB, or other traffic sources, you’ll discover how to turn them into even greater profit with N1 Partners’ offers.

Don’t wait: book your meetings with N1 Partners’ affiliate managers now and make your SBC Lisbon experience as productive as possible.

News

CasinoHawks spreads its wings with bold rebrand for UK market

Published

2 weeks ago

September 3, 2025

George Miller

CasinoHawks spreads its wings with bold rebrand for UK market

Affiliate marketing powerhouse unveils new identity and content strategy to strengthen player trust in competitive online casino market

CasinoHawks, the UK-facing affiliate brand of Game Lounge, has unveiled a bold new look and content strategy designed to strengthen its position in one of the world’s most competitive online gambling markets.

Launched in 2012, CasinoHawks has built its reputation as a trusted source of casino knowledge for British gamblers, providing detailed reviews, expert-led insights, and industry news for more than a decade. Its latest refresh represents a significant step forward in creating a more modern, engaging, and unmistakably British identity for the brand.

The new strategy places a sharper focus on delivering value to UK players through locally relevant, expert-driven content. Reviews are now written exclusively by UK-based specialists, ensuring recommendations reflect the needs of domestic audiences.

Alongside this, the site’s visual identity has been refreshed with a new colour palette, updated branding, and a reimagined logo – with the hawk symbolising sharp insight and the checkmark representing trustworthiness and compliance.

Keith Geary, Director of Casino at CasinoHawks, said: “We wanted to distinguish ourselves from international sites by feeling more familiar to UK players. At the same time, this was the perfect opportunity to modernise the brand and create a more engaging and user-friendly experience.”

The rebrand builds on a strong track record of product innovation and marketing milestones. CasinoHawks launched its popular Bonus Wagering Calculator in 2022, debuted a dedicated YouTube channel in 2023, and earned the QMRA Quality and Compliance stamp of approval in 2024.

The new branding is supported by a content strategy designed to elevate CasinoHawks beyond a standard affiliate model. By investing in deeper insights, greater transparency, and a more relatable tone of voice, the brand aims to set a new standard for player-first content in the UK casino affiliate space.

Geary added: “Our goal is simple – to empower UK players with the tools and insights they need to make safe, informed decisions. This rebrand is just the beginning of a wider strategy to build stronger connections with our audience and reinforce CasinoHawks as the go-to destination for casino knowledge.”

News

Starting September 1 — a New Chance in N1 Puzzle Promo: 5 Premium Prizes for the Top Puzzle Masters!

Published

2 weeks ago

September 2, 2025

TheVoice

Have you heard about the N1 Puzzle Promo by N1 Partners, where the ultimate winner will take home a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter?

If you’re driving SEO, ASO, PPC, FB, Social Media, SMS, Email, UAC, or In-App traffic, but still haven’t joined the race — now’s the perfect time to change that! From September 1, the second lottery of the N1 Puzzle Promo kicks off, giving you another chance to grab a new lineup of premium prizes.

The first lottery ran for three months, turning the puzzle hunt into an intense competition. On July 21, N1 Partners already gave away some of the top prizes — including AirPods Max, Apple Watch, LV backpack, and more.

Now it’s time to join the next round!

Promo period: September 1 – November 30.

Main rule: collect as many puzzle pieces as possible during the lottery period.

Finally, the part everyone’s waiting for — the prizes:

1st place: MacBook Pro 16″ (top configuration)
2nd place: Porsche eBike
3rd place: Cartier Santos Medium watch
4th place: Leica Q2 camera
5th place: Apple Vision Pro

And that’s not all — N1 Partners will hold a special giveaway among all N1 Puzzle Promo participants who have at least one item from the N1 Partners merch collection. The lucky winner will get an exclusive items package!

You can earn puzzles in the N1 Puzzle Promo not only for traffic: join the special activity until November 15, collect extra puzzles, and try your luck in the giveaway for a home VR flight training set — the “Pilot Course”!

Don’t miss your chance to join the N1 Puzzle Promo — you could be the next name at the top of the leaderboard!