The streaming platform Kick wants to be an alternative to the established Twitch and is investing a lot of money in it. However, the first European countries seem to want to put a stop to the platform.
Which country is it about? The YouTuber n3lswn pointed out in a video that Greek users can no longer access Kick’s website easily. This is also confirmed in a post in the Subreddit of streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel.
The streamer has just switched to Kick for a record sum of 100 million US dollars.
Instead of reaching the desired page, potential viewers are now redirected to the website of the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC). The following message appears for users:
You have tried to access a page that offers unauthorized gambling services.
According to the law, Internet service providers are required to block access to non-approved gambling sites on the blacklist.
HGC
Additionally, the message indicates that participation in unauthorized gambling can lead to “severe administrative and criminal penalties.” Kick appears on the black list of the HGC, which was updated on June 20, 2023, among the blocked websites.
Specifically, the recently removed Kick category “Slots Gang” is listed. In its place, Kick now has the category “Slots & Casino.” The online casino Stake, whose founder Ed Craven is also behind Kick, is also listed.
The German streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris has also received a lucrative offer from Kick.
Kick is apparently already working on a solution
Which countries are still affected? As reported by the colleagues from 3D Juegos, it is also not easy to access Kick in Spain. However, the blocks in both cases are said to be bypassable using a VPN.
In the comments on Reddit, users from several European countries also report that they cannot participate in the predictions on Twitch, where viewers can wager their channel points. They therefore suspect that their countries might also ban Kick.
This would then affect the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.
What does Kick say about it? A spokesperson for the streaming platform told the US site Dexerto that it apparently was an error on the part of the Greek internet providers. They are already working on a solution.
We have a temporary problem with access to the platform in Greece and are working with Greek ISPs to resolve the issue. A single channel appears to have been blocked by a certain ISP, which has led to the entire domain being mistakenly blocked.
It could therefore be that Kick will soon be available again in all European countries. However, as of now (June 23, 2023, 11:30) Kick is still on the HGC’s blacklist.
Interestingly, Kick was blocked even though the website itself does not directly offer gambling. Nevertheless, Kick has the reputation of being a “casino platform.” This is due to its ties to Stake and the fact that many gambling streamers switched to Kick after the introduction of new Twitch guidelines.
For the German streamer MontanaBlack, this is also the reason why he will not be appearing on the black-green platform for the time being: He fears for his good reputation.
Twitch streamer MontanaBlack reveals why he is not switching to Kick: “Then I’ll be the idiot again”
