Fans start petition urging Twitch to ban gambling streams amid controversy

A petition has appeared online calling on Twitch to ban “unregulated” gambling streams from the platform. Addressed to the website’s advertisers, the petition claims numerous creators are promoting content that damages “young viewers and racial minorities.”

Gambling streams have always been a controversial topic on Twitch. Although various streamers, such as Trainwrecks and Adin Ross, have donated their huge winnings to good causes, others have hit back at the practice and any creators who promote gambling in their streams.

The dispute heated up once again when Twitch star xQc revealed that he had accepted a gambling sponsorship deal a year after having stopped due to an ever-increasing addiction.

As the argument continues to rage in the streaming community, fans have penned a petition calling on Twitch’s advertisers to force the platform to act.

Petition calls on Twitch to ban gambling streams

The petition by Erin Jordan first appeared on Change.org on May 20 calling on Twitch’s advertisers to encourage the Amazon-owned platform to ban gambling streams. Just some of the big-name businesses included in the list are Pepsi, McDonald’s, and Uber.

• Read More: xQc claps back at Twitch fans questioning his integrity over gambling streams

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

As a result, they are “attaching [their] brand to these unregulated crypto casinos” which could have a crippling effect on influential viewers.

According to the petition, the promotion of gambling streams can spark a chain reaction that can have devastating consequences. For instance, “6 to 9 percent of young people and young adults experience problems related to gambling” and “1 in 5 individuals with a gambling addiction attempt suicide.”

• Read More: Asmongold defends xQc over Twitch gambling sponsorship row

Urging the advertisers ‘use their influence’ against Twitch, it calls for “an end to unregulated casino livestreams to help protect the vulnerable.”

With a few hundred signatures as of writing, the petition has gained some traction. But, it is not yet clear whether Twitch or its advertisers will respond to the document any time soon.