Twitch Bans Controversial User Sliker after Months of Controversy

Sliker’s alleged shenanigans were one of the primary catalysts for Twitch’s newfound stance against gambling content. In late September, the streamer admitted to scamming hundreds of thousands of dollars from creators and fans, netting himself several harsh restrictions. As he resurfaced with claims that his primary account had been hacked, Twitch used the excuse to shut him down for good.

Sliker Scammed Viewers to Fuel His Addiction

The controversial streamer’s ItsSliker Twitch channel boasted over 432K followers in its prime, focusing on various gambling-related content. Despite his success, things came crashing down in September 2022 when damning allegations caused the platform to suspend his partnership status and strip him of the ability to add new subscribers, dooming his channel to an inevitable demise.

Sliker allegedly defrauded friends and subscribers of hundreds of thousands of dollars to fuel an uncontrollable gambling addiction. The platform’s action against his account prompted a tearful confession, causing outrage amongst followers and content creators who urged the Amazon-owned streaming giant to take a firmer stance against gambling content.

The Streamer Attempted an Unsuccessful Return

As of the writing of this article, Sliker’s Twitch channel is now permanently banned. The beleaguered streamer attempted to make a comeback, but a curious series of events dashed any such hopes. His primary channel came back online on January 26 with a stream titled “This channel is mine now, ” featuring nothing but a Guy Fawkes mask with laughter in the background, prompting a seemingly alarmed Sliker to appear in the comment section.

Sliker claimed that his channel had been hacked, but the timing of the event was very suspicious, given that he had tweeted “Thank you for a second chance (in life)” earlier that day, hinting at a possible return. His alternative account had been banned a few hours prior, meaning the entire incident could have been one last desperate Hail Mary. Twitch didn’t care and shut down all his channels for good, ending the saga for good.

Twitch Had to Crack Down on Gambling Content

Sliker’s actions still reverberate across Twitch, as public backlash forced the platform to be more stringent regarding its gambling-related content. Unrelenting pressure and boycott threats from prominent streamers caused the platform to take a firmer stance against gambling content, prompting a significant addition to its policies.

We’ll be making a policy update… to prohibit streaming of gambling sites that include slots, roulette or dice games that aren’t licensed in… jurisdictions that provide adequate customer protection.

An update on gambling on Twitch

With its newfound sense of morality, the platform has been actively pursuing offending content. However, several affected streamers pointed out that the streaming service’s updated terms left room for interpretation, and online slot and casino content was still within easy reach. Twitch also opted to allow fantasy sports, sports betting, and poker content, raising questions about double standards and questioning the platform’s sincerity.