Twitch, the streaming platform, has sought to distance itself from gambling-related content to please its more lucrative creators. However, a newly released clip of soccer star Neymar participating in an online gambling session – and losing a seven-figure sum – seems to indicate that the platform is not willing to completely part ways with the activity.
Neymar, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward who is out for the remainder of the season following an ankle surgery, has taken on a new role as an ambassador for gaming operator Blaze. His Twitch streams feature gaming sessions, among other things, and during his last broadcast he bet – reportedly from his own pocket – and lost a vast amount of money on poker, roulette, and other games. Whilst it is not confirmed whether the funds were his own, his reaction was certainly Oscar worthy.
The Brazilian soccer ace had already signed a four-year contract with Blaze in December. He is no stranger to gambling, having participated in a number of big tournaments and events, and there is speculation that these gaming sessions are staged with operators providing their media personalities with the funds or credits to make it look like they are playing with real money. Yet, Neymar’s response in the stream appears genuine.
xQc, a leading content creator and frontman for Stake, recently called out Twitch for allowing the Neymar gambling content with no consequences. He observed that the platform would otherwise penalize other creators for similar streams, but simply allowed Neymar to get away with it due to his celebrity status.
Though there is still a substantial amount of gambling-related content on Twitch, Neymar’s million-dollar loss may yet spark fresh controversy and put its future on the platform in jeopardy. Fortunately for streamers, there are other options available.
