News
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.
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Shortlisted for “European Corporate Services Supplier” Category at EGR EUROPE Awards 2026
ReferOn, the next-gen affiliate management platform, has been named on the EGR Europe Awards 2026 shortlist in the “European Corporate Services Supplier” category, recognising the platform’s solutions that help real operators with their operations and growth.
Continuing 2025’s Momentum
The nomination reflects a busy 2025 for ReferOn, one that was highlighted by significant product updates, rapid growth, and an ascent to becoming one of the most recognised affiliate management platforms in the industry.
Going into the new year, the ReferOn team has ambitious plans to accelerate this positive momentum by scaling alongside its growing partner base with advancements to its product vision around clarity, transparency, and ease of use. The EGR Europe Awards 2026 marks a pivotal start to 2026, and an award win demonstrates that the platform’s direction truly resonates with operators and affiliate managers worldwide.
Refie’s Human Impact
Refie, the platform’s human layer, transcends a mere surface-level companion. It hops around dashboards and workflows, providing relevant assistance, such as fixing reward logic, identifying anomalies, and making suggestions to the user.
In 2026, ReferOn plans to enhance Refie’s functionality with advanced platform gamification, engaging users and transforming how affiliate managers interact with their day-to-day operations. These developments will pave the way for personalised, smart intelligence on the platform and set an industry standard for affiliate tech.
Alex Bukin, General Manager, commented on the nomination and plans for 2026, “ReferOn made great strides in the past year, with major product developments, key recruitments, and a rapidly growing partner base. With this growth, our expectations have risen, and we want to establish ourselves as a platform that accelerates affiliate tech across the board. Being nominated for the ‘European Corporate Services Supplier’ category solidifies our ambition and is a meaningful start to our new year. With Refie driving more innovation, we look forward to driving our goal of transparency, clarity, and customer-facing features even further.”
Conferences
Aff.Tech Wraps Strong ICE & iGB Affiliate, Earns AIBC Eurasia Shortlist
Aff.Tech, the affiliate management platform by GR8 Tech, closed out ICE and iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026 with over 30 meetings—connecting with new prospects, aligning on growth plans with existing partners, and visiting client booths to celebrate their recent wins firsthand.
Market Signals That Match the Roadmap
Across both events, several themes dominated conversations: AI-driven automation across affiliate operations, heightened focus on compliant and transparent tracking, demand for flexible commission structures, and a clear shift from short-term acquisition toward long-term, value-driven partnerships.
For Aff.Tech, the signals validate recent product direction. Updates showcased at ICE—including new fixed-fee commission plans for tighter budget control, a third-party CRM integration API, and redesigned reporting for real-time performance visibility—speak directly to what operators said they need: infrastructure that supports diversified affiliate ecosystems without the operational drag.
“The conversations at ICE confirmed what we’ve been building toward,” said Mariia Shmelova, CEO of Aff.Tech. “The industry is moving away from short-term acquisition thinking. Operators want partnerships they can measure, manage, and grow over time—and they need platforms that make that sustainable at scale. That’s the direction we’re committed to.”
Industry Recognition Follows
Shortly after the event, Aff.Tech was shortlisted for Best Affiliate Software at the AIBC Eurasia Awards 2026—recognition that aligns with the momentum the team is carrying into the rest of the year.
News
N1 Puzzle Promo by N1 Partners Named Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards
N1 Partners is proud to announce that N1 Puzzle Promo has been awarded Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards, recognizing the campaign as one of the most impactful and innovative marketing initiatives in the iGaming industry.
The European iGaming Awards celebrate excellence across the European iGaming industry, honoring companies and projects that demonstrate outstanding performance, creativity, and contribution to the sector.
N1 Puzzle Promo stood out as a large-scale global affiliate marketing campaign that became one of the most visible and performance-driven initiatives in iGaming in 2025. Built around a competitive, leaderboard-based mechanic, the campaign featured a total prize pool of €500,000, with a Robinson R22 helicopter as the ultimate reward. This ambitious concept motivated affiliates worldwide to actively scale traffic and compete for top positions across multiple Tier-1 markets.
The campaign was supported by a strong and continuous online presence throughout the year. N1 Puzzle Promo was actively promoted via leading iGaming media, digital advertising, and social media channels. This ensured consistent 360-degree exposure across all key touchpoints, keeping both existing partners and new affiliates highly engaged. The campaign drove sustained activity across Tier-1 and growth markets, with affiliates increasing their monthly FTD volumes by 150% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
The campaign culminated in a grand final party and winner announcement event in Barcelona, where top-performing partners gathered to celebrate the results together. This transparent and public conclusion reinforced trust, credibility, and community within the affiliate network, transforming months of competition into a shared industry milestone.
“Winning Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards is a powerful validation of our vision for N1 Puzzle Promo,” said Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners. “This wasn’t just a promo, it was a global journey that united partners and drove strong, measurable growth. We’re grateful to our partners and proud to set a new benchmark for affiliate marketing in iGaming.”
This award further strengthens the position of N1 Partners as a team that consistently delivers bold, high-impact marketing solutions and continues to set new benchmarks for affiliate campaigns in the iGaming industry.
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News1 week agoN1 Puzzle Promo by N1 Partners Named Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards
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Press Releases1 week ago
N1 Partners Hosts the N1 Puzzle Promo Grand Final and Reveals the Helicopter Winner at iGB Affiliate 2026 in Barcelona
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Awards2 weeks ago2RBO Affiliates Secures Affiliate Marketing Campaign of the Year at International Gaming Awards 2026
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Conferences2 days agoAff.Tech Wraps Strong ICE & iGB Affiliate, Earns AIBC Eurasia Shortlist
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Affiliate Success2 days agoReferOn Shortlisted for “European Corporate Services Supplier” Category at EGR EUROPE Awards 2026

