-
Casinos for you
EA: Loot Box Hypocrites Ban Twitch Streamer
By Shane Addinall Nov 13, 2021 IndustryEA has banned Twitch streamer Trainwreckstv from participating in an Apex Legends tournament held by Nickmercs due to his gambling streams. Is EA protecting their userbase or simply being hypocritical?Trainwreckstv, a popular streamer on Twitch, has been banned for playing in an Apex Legends tournament held by his fellow streamer, NICKMERCS.
Mercs has a massive Twitch and YouTube following and is part of the FaZe clan, one of the largest professional esports and entertainment organisations in the United States.
When Mercs announced that he would be running the $50,000 MFAM Gauntlet Main Event on Apex Legends and that it would be sponsored by EA, many of his friends opted to join in. Mercs also reached out to many streamers inviting them to take part in the tournament, as was the case with Trainwreckstv.
However, before the tournament could kick off, Trainwrecks has been told he can’t participate due to his popular gambling streams on Twitch.
Who is Trainwreckstv?
Tyler Faraz Niknam is a Twitch streamer better known as Trainwreckstv. His massive following of more than 1.6 million Twitch fans watch him play Online Slots for hours as he bets on new and popular casino games with his own money.
Nikman has no problem flashing his more than $3 million in Bitcoin as he makes deposits and withdrawals during a stream. And if you’re wondering just how popular he really is, drop into any of his streams that can last up to 12+ hours, and you’ll often see more than 20,000 consistent viewers at any time.
The bio that appears below his streams encourages viewers to not gamble at all. The tagline below the Gamble Aware logo says BOTTOM LINE DON'T GAMBLE, BUT IF YOU'RE STUPID THEN… gamble responsibly.
Trainwreckstv is best known for his slot streams (where he spins for max bet and hopes for big wins) but he also dabbles in playing other games such as Apex Legends and CS:GO.
EA: Loot Box Hypocrites
After hearing about EA’s decision to ban him from Mercs’ tournament, Nikman angrily tweeted that EA is shady and took a real gamble when they paid him $150,000 to play 4 hours of Apex – a game that his followers don’t care about.
Nikman berated EA, calling them “virtue signalling FIFA pack gambling f***s”. He also stated that he would sponsor Mercs’ tournament for double what EA offered him, simply to spite the gaming company.
Despite his outburst, this hasn’t stopped Nikman from streaming Apex Legends on his Twitch channel from time to time. That’s because his problem isn’t with the games they offer but the fact that EA is known to be the king of loot boxes – and many consider loot boxes to be a form of gambling.
Microtransactions on games such as FIFA where players (many of them being children) spend real money to open random loot boxes, has been a point of scrutiny for years. Players, streamers, and even other gaming companies have called EA out on this fact for many years now with little to no change.
Countries such as Belgium have even made loot boxes illegal while EA tried to defend themselves and state that 78% of players don’t spend any real money at all.
Nickmercs X Barstool
While EA has banned Trainwreckstv, some fans are confused as the gaming company is sponsoring Nickmercs’ MFAM Gauntlet Main Event, despite the fact that Mercs himself has partnered with sportsbooks.
Until very recently, Mercs was partnered with Barstool Sportsbook, a popular betting site in the US. After quitting Call of Duty: Warzone and focusing more on his Apex gameplay, the streamer stopped playing ads for Barstool Sportsbook but has featured ads for MyBookie from time to time on his other social media platforms.
Whether EA is simply ignoring this fact or doesn’t have a problem with sports betting is unclear but the fact remains that once again, EA shows itself as being hypocritical on many fronts.
Twitch’s Stance on Gambling Streams
Recently in an update of their terms and conditions, Twitch banned streamers from sharing links to online casinos or encouraging viewers from signing up at betting sites. Many agree that this is the most responsible way to handle gambling streams.
Streamers who earn their living from using Twitch show off their gambling adventures, whether at the poker table or while playing online slots, must do so in the right way.
In the case of Trainwreckstv, this is definitely the case. While gambling streams should be controlled, when all of the rules are being followed, it makes no sense for streamers to be punished for the kind of content their viewers (all over the age of 18) like to enjoy.
You might also like