Twitch Bans Promotion of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Skin Gambling Sites

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Streaming megasite Twitch has updated its community guidelines to prohibit streamers from promoting or being sponsored by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) skin gambling sites. This ban could potentially impact many CS:GO streamers who have lucrative deals with these controversial websites.

CS:GO has seen trading and gambling of skins and other cosmetics become a lucrative business, with rare skins selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars online. Some players have turned in-game cosmetics and Steam’s trading system into a form of gambling, repeatedly pulling the virtual slot machine in hopes of winning valuable items.

Skin gambling sites, which have faced criticism for allegedly preying on minors, often pay or sponsor streamers to promote their sites. However, Twitch’s updated guidelines explicitly prohibit the promotion or sponsorship of CS:GO skin gambling.

This new rule has raised concerns for streamers who have deals with cosmetic gambling sites. G2 Esports, for instance, recently formed a partnership with CSGORoll, a site that offers trading and gambling for CS:GO skins. If CSGORoll is classified as a skin gambling site, G2 Esports may no longer be able to promote it during their streams. It is uncertain whether streamers will be allowed to stream themselves using these sites.

According to a video by YouTuber HOUNGOUNGAGNE, approximately 75 percent of the top 300 CS:GO Twitch streamers have skin gambling sponsors. If Twitch enforces this new guideline, these streamers will need to quickly sever ties with the sites and sponsorship deals or risk being banned from the platform.

There are still unanswered questions about Twitch’s new ban. It is unclear whether streamers can continue using CS:GO skin gambling and trading sites during their streams, as the language in the guidelines is ambiguous. The effective date of the ban is also unknown, which raises concerns for streamers who have existing agreements with gambling sites.

Twitch has been contacted for more information regarding the ban. With Valve’s crackdown on skin traders over the years and now Twitch’s new rules, it appears that the era of CS:GO streamers promoting skin gambling sites to their viewers is coming to an end.