Turkey unbans Kick but keeps Twitch blocked over gambling concerns

Turkey has reportedly reinstated access to Kick after blocking the streaming platform, along with Twitch, due to gambling concerns.

In February 2024, streamers in Turkey were shocked to learn that the country had blocked access to Kick, and subsequently Twitch, due to concerns over the sites’ gambling broadcasts.

According to reporter Ibrahim Haskoloğlu, Turkish officials argued that “Kick’s entry into Turkey was to attract Turkish youth to roulette.”

Both companies have come under fire in the past for allowing gambling content on their platforms, with major streamers like Pokimane, Mizkif and others demanding change.

While Twitch notably made alterations to its gambling policy in 2022, it looks like this wasn’t enough for Turkey, whose Information and Communication Technologies Authority (shortened as the ‘BTK’) began investigating the website and eventually shut it down along with Kick.

Unsplash.com: Kevin Ku / Kick

Kick unbanned in Turkey after gambling concerns cause shutdown

However, it looks like Kick is now alive and ‘kicking’ in Turkey after its ban mere days ago.

As reported by Haskoloğlu on February 26, “Kick’s access block has now been lifted in Turkey” — but Twitch’s ban remains in place, since the site “does not completely ban gambling content.”

🔴#SONDAKİKA | Türkiye'de Kick’in erişim engeli kaldırıldı.

Twitch kumar içeriklerini tamamen yasaklamaması nedeniyle yasak devam ediyor. pic.twitter.com/WyGQJWprlK

— ibrahim Haskoloğlu (@haskologlu) February 26, 2024

Kick’s partner manager in the region, ‘Trq,’ explained the situation in a string of posts on Twitter/X, where he claimed the platform had “banned gambling-related publications to users in Turkey” in response to the BTK’s ban.

Moving forward, if users connect to Kick from Turkey, they will not be able to view gambling broadcasts, but will still be able to access the site’s other offerings. 

🇹🇷 Kick olarak kumarla alakalı yayınları Türkiye’deki kullanıcılara yasakladık. Bundan sonra Türkiye’den Kick’e bağlandığınızda bu yayınlara ulaşamayacaksınız. Biz üstümüze düşeni yaptık. Kick’in BTK tarafından açılmasını bekliyoruz 🙏

— Trq (@KickTrQ) February 22, 2024

Trq also claimed that the BTK did not initially request Kick to remove its gambling-related content, and instead blocked the site “without any warning.”

It looks like Trq took action quickly, and managed to help Kick become reinstated with his advocacy, much to the relief of Turkish streamers.

For now, Twitch remains banned in the country, following its official shutdown in South Korea over “prohibitively expensive” operating costs.