Kick bans gambling streams, awaits move from BTK!
Live streaming platform Kick, a rival to Twitch, has blocked access to gambling category streams from Turkey following an access ban in the country. The platform is now waiting for the BTK to lift the restriction.
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Kick has implemented a ban on gambling category streams that were previously blocked from access in Turkey. The platform is currently looking for the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to take action.
In a report shared yesterday morning, it was announced that the live streaming platform Kick, a rival to Twitch, had been hit with an access ban in Turkey. The institution that enforced the access ban was identified as the National Lottery Administration.
Regarding the matter, the initial statement made by Trq, Kick's MENA region partnership manager, indicated that the reason for the access ban was gambling-related streams. The Kick team announced that the gambling category would be banned for users connecting from Turkey and that access to gambling channels would be restricted. Currently, the platform is waiting for the BTK to lift the access ban.
Kick's first statement was as follows:
"The BTK did not make a request for us to remove gambling-related content. They blocked access to the site without any warning. As Kick, we will ban the casino section on our site for users connecting from Turkey, as requested by the BTK."
NEW STATEMENT RELEASED
The latest statement from Kick is as follows:
"We have banned gambling-related streams for users in Turkey. From now on, you will not be able to access these streams when you connect to Kick from Turkey. We have done our part. We are waiting for Kick to be unblocked by the BTK."
???? We have banned gambling-related streams for users in Turkey. From now on, you will not be able to access these streams when you connect to Kick from Turkey. We have done our part. We are waiting for Kick to be unblocked by the BTK ??
— Trq (@KickTrQ) February 22, 2024
In recent weeks, allegations had surfaced that an investigation had been launched into Kick. The claim made by İbrahim Haskoloğlu was denied by popular Kick streamer Şükrü Şentürk. However, a new development occurred today showing that Haskoloğlu's claim was correct. The General Directorate of the National Lottery Administration obtained an access ban decision for Kick. The decision was announced by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) via its site information query screen, and users began to lose access to Kick.
The decision shared on the BTK's website was as follows:
"kick.com has been blocked from access by the decision of the General Directorate of the National Lottery Administration dated 20/02/2024 and numbered 2024/5."