Rumble CEO Flees Following Arrest of Telegram CEO

Following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for allegedly failing to prevent the misuse of the platform for criminal activities, attention has now shifted to the video streaming platform Rumble, which has become a hub for gambling and casino streamers, affiliates, and fake casino streamers.

Durov’s Arrest

On Sunday, August 25th, French judicial authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram. His detention has since been extended to 96 hours. Durov was apprehended for violating the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). As of August 25th, 2023, the EU designates platform service providers with over 45 million users within its borders as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP), subjecting them to legal responsibilities for the content shared on their platforms.

Rumble, which currently averages 53 million monthly users, up from 50 million in the first quarter of 2024, finds itself under increased scrutiny.

Rumble: A Haven for Gambling Affiliates and Fake Streamers

After Twitch updated its gambling policies in September 2022, banning streams of unlicensed gambling sites featuring slots, roulette, or dice games, many streamers migrated to Rumble, which imposes no such restrictions. Rumble’s terms and conditions prohibit pornography, harassment, racism, antisemitism, copyright infringement, and illegal content, but do not explicitly limit gambling content.

This leniency has led to a surge in streamers promoting unlicensed gambling websites, as well as an influx of fake streamers and affiliates. These fake streamers often use virtual funds to showcase fake jackpots, misleading viewers into believing they are witnessing real, live wins, and encouraging them to sign up for unlicensed gambling sites.

Rumble Under Pressure – CEO Stands Firm

In the wake of Durov’s arrest, Rumble CEO and founder Chris Pavlovski took to X (formerly Twitter) to issue a defiant statement:

“I’m a little late to this, but for good reason — I’ve just safely departed from Europe. France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech. Rumble will not stand for this behavior and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov’s immediate release.”

Pavlovski also revealed that Rumble had withdrawn from the French and Brazilian markets after receiving threats from those governments. The platform is facing similar challenges in the UK and New Zealand and is already banned in China and Russia.

While these governmental actions primarily target illegal content on Rumble, the company’s withdrawal from certain markets could pose challenges for gambling streamers. Although Rumble is not yet as dominant as Twitch once was, it still hosts a significant number of videos and live streams in its gambling channels. If more governments follow France’s lead and threaten Rumble with legal action, the platform may be forced to restrict access in additional markets, limiting the reach of affiliates promoting unlicensed gambling sites.