GGL Warned Twitch to Align Its Rules with Gambling Regime

Popular streaming platform Twitch received a caution in Germany as the country’s unified gambling regulator, Glueckspiel (GGL), found its community updates insufficient to meet the requirements of the new gambling regulation.

More Should Be Done to Ensure Compliance

Earlier in the month Twitch released an update to its ‘Community Guidelines’ in which the Amazon-owned streaming platform introduced a ban on unregulated gambling websites advertising slots, roulette and dice gambling.

“Starting October 18, we are further tightening our rules also to prohibit any streaming of listed sites that contain slots, roulette, and dice games and are unlicensed in the US or other jurisdictions that offer consumer protections like deposit limits, waiting periods, and age verification systems,” the recent update by the streaming platform read but according to GGL, this is not enough.

Considering the update as “a step in the right direction,” the German gambling regulator told Twitch that its guidelines must be compliant with the advertising rules of the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStv) under which “every form of advertisement or bringing attention to illegal gambling websites is forbidden.”

Furthermore, the regulator reminded Twitch that under the new federal gambling regime only white-listed operators are allowed to advertise their products and services to German residents and this rule applies to all domestic and international media owners.

Permissions from Europe or America Not Recognized

GGL was explicit that the country does not recognize permissions from European or American regulatory authorities, pointing to the country’s official whitelist as the only source of information about the gambling providers that are permitted to operate in Germany.

“This list is updated regularly,” GGL continued, warning Twitch that any streamer on the platform who promotes gambling from illegal or unlicensed gambling site will be in violation of the rules and will face a criminal charge.

Following the warning, the streaming platform is expected to further tighten its policy to make sure that gambling content promoted on the platform is compliant with the new gambling regime in Germany and its strict requirements on promoting gambling offers and games to German audiences.

GGL has recommended Twitch to introduce a clarification of its rules before January 1, 2023, the date on which the regulator is expected to become responsible for monitoring advertising across German gambling.

Recently, GGL displayed its determination to enforce the rules of the new federal gambling regime by taking action against the largest offenders that keep advertising to German audiences without holding an appropriate license such as Lottoland and its subsidiary Lottohelden by requesting internet providers to block access to their websites.