Over the past few weeks, the online streaming space of Twitch has come under a little fire for content on the site largely targeted around the ongoing problem with whether or not certain content is fit for the site – the most notable had been within the “hot tub” streaming issue that had been present which forced a response from Twitch, but the latest has come from online casino streaming space, as there have been growing concerns that it may be influencing a younger audience. Many of the big streamers turn to the most popular services like these verification casinos for example, but what could the possible proposed changes be?
(Image from dexerto.com)
More security for the younger audiences – Whilst these casino streams are flagged for an audience of 18+ as a requirement, there’s currently no way to enforce this as users can register the account under any birth date they choose. There have been some calls to implement similar verification systems that casinos use to ensure that viewers are of the correct age but may be difficult to implement since the viewers are just watching the casino games rather than playing them but would ensure that all viewers are kept as safe as possible if something similar were to be implemented.
Further transparency on the services used – Much of the complaint that has come from the big names playing at online casinos through streaming is that there isn’t enough transparency on how the potential sponsored or advertised content is done – whilst it’s policy that the streamers have to show if it is an advertised stream, there have been questions over whether or not the huge balances many have are offered by the service and if potential wins are weighted in favour of the streamer which could provide a different experience for the player.
Moderation on the time allowed to stream – The other call has been for not only viewer protection but also the streamer protection, by reducing the amount of time that a content creator can stream the casino games then not only does it reduce the exposure to the audience but also protect streamers who are new to the genre – this has been seen recently as a big name in streaming admitted to having developed a small addiction after doing like sixteen to eighteen hour streams with a huge focus on casinos, and change could allow for moderators to ensure this doesn’t happen in future.
Throughout the history of the streaming scene, it has been a bit of a grey area, and something not really touched upon, but as it’s becoming more mainstream it may now need to be an area of focus – is change needed? Well, that’s up for the platform to decide, but something may be needed.
