Twitch's Gambling Tag Restricts Poker Streams in Russia

In late 2024, Twitch began restricting poker streams in Russia by marking them with the 'Gambling' tag, which makes them inaccessible to Russian viewers. This move has significantly impacted the viewership of many streamers, who are now forced to adapt to these new restrictions.

The 'Gambling' tag was introduced in July 2023, allowing streamers to voluntarily mark their content as gambling-related. However, Twitch has the authority to enforce this tag and impose sanctions on streamers who do not comply. These sanctions can range from non-removable tags to restrictions on monetization and even bans on channels.

Streamers like Avr0ra and Minthon19 have reported significant drops in viewership due to the 'Gambling' tag. Avr0ra, for instance, saw his audience drop from 800-1,000 to 250-450 viewers. Minthon19 also experienced a similar decline, with his viewership dropping from 700 on Twitch to 150-250. Some streamers have even resorted to using browser extensions to bypass the restrictions, but this has only partially mitigated the impact.