Update (September 2023): Sliker has returned to streaming – on Kick.
Original article (February 2023): Streaming platform Twitch has permanently banned UK-based streamer Sliker (aka ItsSliker) half a year after he was involved in a gambling scandal.
As per usual with bans on Twitch, visiting his channel page displays the following notice: “The channel is currently unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s community guidelines or terms of service.”
Last September, the streamer was accused of scamming viewers and other creators, including xQc and Trainwreck. He allegedly asked them to lend him thousands of dollars for various reasons, but ended up spending the money on gambling.
Sliker later made an emotional apology stream, admitting that he’d lied to people and opened up to having a gambling addiction.
The streamer said his addiction started from CSGO skins and went on to gambling with money in other ways, saying he would spend most of his Twitch money on gambling before asking people for more.
He pledged to pay everyone back what they were owed.
The whole Sliker incident caused Twitch to clamp down on gambing streams.
A month later, Ludwig and xQc paid back those who were owed money by Sliker, an amount close to $250,000 according to this tweet by Ludwig.
Why did Twitch take six months to ban Sliker?
Sliker returned to Twitch for the first time since the gambling scandal on January 26th 2023.
The stream displayed an anonymous mask, with the title: ‘This channel is mine now.’
Sliker denied it was him streaming, saying he was hacked, according to chat logs, as reported by Dexerto. He also apparently said his alt account was banned and that the person behind the hack was going to report him for ban evasion.
The streamer also tweeted that day, saying: “Thank you for a second chance (in life).”
Several other streamers and viewers commented on the tweet, welcoming him back and asking him to pay back what he owes.
This incident put him back in the public eye, and could have prompted Twitch to take action now.
We’ll aim to update this article if the streamer comments further or the situation changes in the future.
Related article: Gross Gore indefinitely banned on Twitch following string of allegations
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
