Recently, YouTube said that it will broaden its prohibition on online gambling material to forbid referring users to websites that sell “additional items that have monetary value,” such as NFTs, video game skins, and cosmetics. On November 17, the modification will go into effect, as per the reports.
New guidelines from YouTube
The announcement caused a stir in the cryptocurrency community because creators thought it would lead to a complete ban on cryptocurrency content, especially gaming content. But a YouTube representative told Decrypt that this won’t happen.
“Content showing video game skins or cosmetics creators earn in games or general discussions about items with real-world monetary value, such as NFTs, will not be impacted by this update,” the Google-owned company said.
Some aspects of contemporary gaming are frequently likened to a casino or gambling experience, which raises concerns. For instance, Counter-Strike 2 case openings have frequently been likened to gambling.
Because in-game objects may be traded for Bitcoin on the outside market, accusations of gambling are heightened in cryptocurrency gaming. YouTube verified that this sort of material will not be impacted.
Gorilla, a cryptocurrency content maker, said that he can see how some people would view trading NFTs and meme coins, which are infamous for their volatility, as “gambling.”
Not a complete ban on crypto gaming
However, banning genuine cryptocurrency gaming experiences is not the goal of YouTube’s tightening of its online gambling policy, but the gambling sites are.
This action seems to have been taken in reaction to the growth of gambling websites as sponsors for content producers. These websites frequently give out cryptocurrency tokens, NFTs, and other rewards to users in addition to cash.
However, the restriction will not affect “certified by Google” casinos. Although Google doesn’t make a list of approved gambling websites available to the public, operators may request certification if they fulfil local regulations.
“We’ve seen the rise of [Counter-Strike] case openings and more online gambling content from casinos on social media, which I think should have mature guidelines and follow industry standards to protect consumers and underage audiences,” pseudonymous crypto gaming content creator Iceyyy said.
Good news for crypto users
Fortunately for fans of cryptocurrency games, it seems that their favourite content makers won’t be impacted by the most recent YouTube policy change, as long as they don’t promise viewers that they can get wealthy quickly.
“As always, content promising guaranteed returns may be removed regardless of whether the gambling site or application has been certified by Google,” the YouTube spokesperson added.
Therefore, YouTube’s new guidelines are not completely against crypto gaming, but it looks like it brings some kind of regulations to be existing market.
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