Félix Lengyel, known as xQc on popular streaming platforms like Twitch and Kick, was removed from a land-based casino in Montréal on Saturday. After visiting with his family to enjoy a meal for his birthday and spending small amounts on some games, security removed him from the premises. xQc claimed this was directly linked to a Radio Canada article from 2022.
The Radio Canada article featured quotes from a fan of xQc, who spoke about the negative influence of watching the streamer enjoy gambling on Stake.com through the streaming platform Twitch. The article referred to xQc as someone with a “gambling addiction,” something that the article said he confirmed himself.
The article’s publication led Québec’s gambling regulator to take preemptive action to comply with the province’s responsible gambling measures. As a part of these measures, xQc is now banned from entering any casino in the province, any online gambling, or buying a lottery ticket. The streamer commented, “I can’t do anything until it’s appealed.”
xQc later detailed on a live stream through Kick that he was banned by “online systems” in Montréal following the news article, which led to “these [security] guys dragging me out.”
Lengyel built a following on Twitch over several years due to his gaming on Overwatch and his gambling exploits. At the time of writing, he is the fifth most followed creator on Twitch. However, he signed a deal to stream on Kick, owned by Stake.com, worth approximately $100 million in June 2023. Kick attracted xQc to steal streaming traffic away from Amazon-owned Twitch, although xQc continues to stream on both platforms.
His Québec gambling ban will not be an issue for Lengyel for long, as he intends to move to Miami in the coming weeks. This was confirmed by fellow Kick streamer Adin Ross in a live stream a few days ago. From Florida, Lengyel will be able to travel to states with legal online casino gaming and won’t be subject to any bans or exclusions.
