YouTube’s crackdown on poker videos has been a hot topic for a while now, but it seems things have recently taken a turn for the worse. A few days back, Kevin Martin, a popular YouTube poker creator, took it to X/Twitter to let the community know that his videos have been slapped with the age restriction, making them accessible only to users who are 18 years or older.
Of course, Martin, much like the rest of the creators, has no issue with this and is in favor of policies protecting minors. The problem, however, is that the only way for YouTube to verify the user’s age is if they’re logged into their account.
While one would think that almost everyone is logged in pretty much all the time, it seems this isn’t the case. Age restrictions are having a deeply negative impact on the number of views, and this is bad news all around.
Kevin Martin also shared an image marking where the restrictions started on one of his YT Shorts, and while the growth is usually much steeper at the beginning for all of the videos, this does not look promising.
The poker content creators’ community is no longer a niche thing. There are many different channels out there, from purely entertaining to educational ones, and everything in between.
While the official YouTube policy as to why certain videos get flagged and others don’t remains unclear, many of those who have been creating content for years are concerned about the writing on the wall. Among them is Jonathan Little, the man behind one of the largest training sites, PokerCoaching.com.
We caught up with Jonathan Little to get his thoughts on the situation.
For him, YouTube isn’t a major source of income. His channel was created primarily as a way to give back to the community, offering free tips and strategy advice aimed largely at beginners. He is fearful that these changes could have a harmful effect on the game we all love so much.
JL: Youtube’s new policies and restrictions have hindered many poker content creators, which is certainly bad for the game.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
On one hand, it is understandable that YouTube is trying to restrict content that promotes gambling in any way, and poker, as much as it is a skill game, has many gambling elements.
The problem is that the company seems to be going pretty hard after poker videos specifically, and their policy isn’t clear or consistent. Additionally, it is much harder for age-restricted content to do well, which, in turn, might discourage people from creating the said content in the first place.
Even though the game’s popularity has grown substantially in recent years, poker streams and other types of content remain niche compared to many other areas of content creation. Therefore, every view counts.
How Important Is Poker Content for the Growth of the Game?
In recent years, we’ve seen some unprecedented numbers when it comes to live poker tournaments, with two 2023 and 2024 WSOP Main Events breaking long-standing attendance records back to back. This year’s tournament fell just short, but it was still the third-largest in the history of the event.
The Main is just one example, but attendance numbers have been going strong all over the world. It is clear that more and more people are picking up the “poker bug,” and it’s safe to assume that the free YouTube content has played a major role here.
From various vlogs by Rampage, Abby Merk, Corey Eyring, Brad Owen, Mariano, and many others, to free educational videos created by Jonathan Little, and live cash, tame, and tournament streams, poker is reaching new audiences and inspiring new players.
We were interested to know Little’s thoughts on this topic, specifically how significant he believes YouTube poker content has been in growing the game.
JL: I think Youtube has had a gigantic impact on poker’s growth over the last few years. YouTube has allowed many different types of content creators to show the many aspects of the game, resulting in many new people becoming interested in poker who otherwise would have never discovered the game.
This opinion is shared by many in the poker community. Whether the motivation for creating the content comes from a desire to give back to the community, like in Little’s case, or to build a personal brand as a poker vlogger, the result is more interest in the game, motivating existing and attracting new players.
However, it is essential for those who put in the effort to create the content to also have some rewards for it, whether they’re very concrete or simply the feeling of satisfaction that you’re helping to grow the game that gave you so much.
For Little, despite being an accomplished player who often faces the best in the world, he still enjoys creating videos with tips for beginners, but he, too, wants to put his videos in front of as many eyeballs as possible:
JL: I definitively love creating content and helping my students improve at poker. I get a lot of happiness out of helping people enjoy their experiences more. I will likely still be creating YouTube content, although I may be forced to focus my efforts on other media platforms.
An Obstacle, Not a Brick Wall
Poker has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years. The love for the game survived the infamous Black Friday, and, through the efforts of many, poker is once again experiencing unprecedented popularity.
The YouTube situation isn’t ideal, but poker players are nothing if not resourceful. There are other platforms out there that will allow content creators to enjoy more freedom and reach more poker fans.
If it really comes to that, it may be a bit of a struggle to begin with, but those who love the game and are eager to learn about it will find their way to wherever this new place may be. We need content creators to keep their spirits up through the rough patch.
