Casino streams: Kick enables fade-out

Video live streaming service Kick released a new feature a few weeks ago. The new feature allows viewers to hide controversial content, such as gambling or hot tub streams, if they wish. But why would Kick, which is actually a gambling-friendly platform, introduce such a feature?

Just a few months ago, we wondered whether streaming platform Kick.com could be fudging its viewership figures. Now, in mid-July, the new "Twitch competitor" has released a new feature that allows users to completely hide gambling content on the platform if they wish. This is something Twitch users have been asking for for a long time.

Why would a gambling-friendly platform introduce an anti-gambling feature?

At first glance, it may seem surprising that Kick.com is now offering such a feature. Why is that? Quite simply: The platform, which didn't launch until December 2022, is funded in part by the crypto-casino Stake. The question is why a streaming service financed by a gambling company would introduce a feature that allows gambling content to be completely hidden.

In any case, this tactical move by Kick is very well received on social networks. Young viewers in particular will be better protected from the dangers of gambling, as they will be able to hide all gambling content on Kick with just one click. The same applies to so-called hot tub content, i.e. erotic content. As recently as May this year, we at GambleJoe reported on how widespread "counterfeit streaming" is among casino streamers.

In addition to hiding casino content, Kick says it has also fixed tab problems and introduced improved chat bot protection.

Does Kick require additional age verification?

In fact, it is a smart move on the part of Kick's managers to introduce this new feature. After all, they no longer have to face the accusation that the platform does not care about the protection of minors. Anyone who is not interested in gambling-related content can now hide it with a click in the settings. Twitch does not yet have a similar feature.

But critics say the new feature does not go far enough. They want gambling and hot tub content to remain blocked to all viewers until an age check has been carried out. In practice, however, this proposal is likely to fail because many users are willing to verify their age with an ID card "just" to watch casino streams. It is therefore unlikely that age verification will be introduced on Kick or any other platform for the time being.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/junge-porträt-kind-hände-317041/