Twitch Petition Seeks to Remove Sponsored Gambling Content

The controversy that surrounds Twitch-sponsored gambling streams continues with more voices being heard in a new petition that will try to solve the issue once and for all. The online petition calls on Twitch to curb the practice which is exposing vulnerable groups to gambling. This includes “young viewers and racial minorities,” and it is true.

Twitch Targeted by New Petition to Take Down Gambling

Twitch has no mechanisms in place to stop people from watching xQc, a beloved retired Overwatch player, who is now exposing his fans to gambling content. In fact, xQc confirmed that $119 million has already been wagered using his special promotional code. He is not the only one, though, as there are many prominent streamers who have been gambling.

Trainwreck and Adin Ross have both been donating away money to good causes, but this does not simply change the fact that their content might be reaching the wrong crowds. The petition is a direct response to the inundation of open endorsement of gambling sponsorships on the platform. The latest is xQc who, after a pause, decided that he wants to return to gambling regardless.

The petition signed by Erin Jordan seeks to eliminate the pernicious influence that gambling has on young viewers, and Jordan is not the only one to think so. This is not a purely grassroots movement as McDonald’s, Uber and Pepsi have all signed off on the idea of limiting the access to gambling to young viewers. In it, the authors claim:

“Your advertisements on Twitch are being played next to Twitch broadcasters who promote unregulated online casinos that disproportionately damage young viewers and racial minorities.”

Petition against gambling on Twitch

Unregulated Crypto Casinos Will Have to Go

While established casinos such as Stake.com would not like to be called that, the petition authors outright say that streamers are promoting “unregulated crypto casinos,” and use their influence on viewers to secure more players. The authors fear that promoting gambling at such a scale can have “devastating consequences.”

The petition goes further and purports that between 6% and 9% of young adults struggle with gambling addiction and out of those who struggle with gambling addiction, 5% attempt suicide. The petition presently has 555 signatures as of the time of writing, and there are more companies that have joined in, including Logitech International, Advanced Micro Devices, Adobe Inc, AT & T Inc., and many other prominent brands that want to see gambling gone from Twitch once and for all.