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Kick overtakes Twitch as the top hub for iGaming livestreams in 2026

Twitch's 2022 crackdown on gambling backfired—now Kick thrives with record-breaking iGaming streams. How Stake's crypto casino fueled this explosive shift.

The image shows a blue and white logo with the words "Gamblers vs 28" written on it, along with a...
The image shows a blue and white logo with the words "Gamblers vs 28" written on it, along with a few playing cards and a stick. The logo is likely associated with a gambling game, suggesting that the image is meant to represent the differences between the two sides of the game.

Kick overtakes Twitch as the top hub for iGaming livestreams in 2026

Kick has become the leading platform for iGaming livestreams, attracting top creators after Twitch restricted gambling content. In January 2026, the site dominated with 88.4 million hours watched across its top ten influencers. Trainwreckstv alone accounted for 15.7 million of those hours, making him the most-watched streamer in the category.

The shift follows Twitch's 2022 policy change, which banned unregulated gambling sites like Stake and Rollbit. Many high-profile streamers, including Trainwreck and Roshtein, subsequently moved to Kick, where such restrictions do not apply. Twitch still holds the largest overall share of livestreaming visibility, but Kick has carved out a niche in iGaming. The platform's growth is closely tied to Stake, a crypto casino that funds streamers to gamble on air. This partnership has helped Kick attract creators who lost their main revenue source after Twitch's crackdown.

In January 2026, Stake dominated streaming mentions with 6,600 titles referencing the brand. This figure represented 60% of all iGaming-related mentions across platforms. The next most visible brand, 1xBet, had just 1,800 mentions, followed by Betano, Winamax, FanDuel, PokerStars, and Bet365.

Before Twitch's 2022 ban, Slots had been the platform's top non-gaming category. Stake's visibility there dropped sharply after the policy update, but its presence on Kick appears to have surged. While exact comparative data is limited, the casino's strong showing in 2026 suggests it filled the gap left by Twitch's restrictions.

Kick's model allows streamers to feature unregulated gambling sites, giving it an edge over Twitch. The platform's top creators now generate far more iGaming content than their counterparts on rival services. This trend has solidified Kick's reputation as the go-to destination for gambling livestreams. Kick's rise in iGaming reflects the impact of Twitch's 2022 policy shift. The platform now hosts the most-watched gambling streamers, with Stake playing a central role in its growth. As long as unregulated gambling content remains banned on Twitch, Kick is likely to maintain its dominance in this sector.

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