Kick changes gambling policy as they clamp down on harmful content

Kick is updating its gambling policy as the streaming platform further clamps down on content deemed “harmful and exploitative.” When the new rules go into effect, users will only be able to stream from approved gambling sites.

In an effort to further improve safety on the platform, Kick is updating a number of policies. Revealed in a November 26 update, a handful of adjustments have already been implemented, with more coming in the new year.

Topping the bill, streamers can now customize their chat in order to avoid bot accounts clogging their streams. Now, there’s an option to only allow chatting from “viewers who’ve been registered for a select period of time.”

Though beyond that, gambling, Kick’s third biggest category behind Just Chatting and IRL streams, is also being tweaked. Starting from February 1, 2025, streamers can only broadcast gambling content from sites that require ID verification to access. This effectively puts a stop to promotion of platforms that allow for underage users to find their way in.

New gambling rules coming to Kick

With many of Kick’s most prolific streamers, including the likes of xQc, often spending a good chunk of time gambling in front of younger, impressionable crowds, the change seeks to limit just what type of content can be on display.

While slots and the usual games will no doubt still be a popular watch after the change is implemented, Kick is ensuring anyone who looks to sign up must be of legal gambling age.

Kick has been tied to online gambling since its inception. Co-founded by Stake co-founders Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, the duo enlisted Twitch’s biggest gambling streamer at the time, Trainwrecks, to help guide the platform. Since then, we’ve seen the likes of Adin Ross and the aforementioned xQc join forces, with gambling content a good portion of their output.

Popular gambling streamer Xposed has criticized the platform for the change, arguing it’s a tactic to force all gambling to be done on Stake.

“All this shows is CONTROL over their website entirely and to make everybody come back to Stake and promote only their product,” he said on X/Twitter.

“On top of that, any streamer that is streaming other gambling websites viewers are deflated and they are not allowed to be shown on the front page or on the recommended section of Kick making them more difficult to be discovered which hurts the streamers who aren’t streaming Stake and backing them into a corner.”

Xposed echoed the sentiments of some commenters on social media, by branding Kick as “Twitch 2.0”, over the updated rules.