Daniel Negreanu believes YouTube doesn’t want poker represented on the platform
Daniel Negreanu, better known as “Kid Poker,” has taken to social media to voice frustration with YouTube’s latest approach to poker content. According to him, the platform is unfairly targeting creators with vague policies and inconsistent enforcement that directly impact viewership. He pointed to a sharp drop in numbers after his streams were hit with immediate age restrictions.
YouTube truly has a clear objective to destroy poker content.
I stream this series every year, but this year all the streams were age restricted within 10-15 minutes, which causes the algorithm to dwarf viewership.
Roughly 75% drop to the average viewership over two weeks.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) September 30, 2025
Negreanu explained that this year’s broadcasts from his annual series were age-gated within minutes of going live. That action alone, he argued, cut audience numbers by roughly 75% over two weeks because YouTube’s algorithm stopped promoting the streams. He accused the platform of deliberately trying to push poker content out of circulation.
The restrictions stem from YouTube’s rules that gambling-related material should only reach viewers 18 and older. Creators, however, say they already comply by marking videos as “not made for kids.” The additional age gate, according to Negreanu and others, effectively buries content and makes it nearly impossible to grow or maintain an audience.
Brad Owen, one of poker’s most popular vloggers, supported Negreanu’s concerns. He noted that once a video is age-restricted, it essentially disappears from YouTube’s recommendation engine. Owen also shared his own scare earlier this year when his channel was nearly removed without warning, highlighting the fragile position many poker creators face.
The situation has not been consistent across gambling-related content. While poker vloggers face heightened scrutiny, channels focused on slot play or sweepstakes casinos appear largely unaffected. Critics argue this double standard makes little sense, as poker content often includes educational elements and strategy discussion rather than pure gambling.
For now, poker’s biggest names continue to push back, but creators fear little will change. Even with high-profile figures like Negreanu calling out YouTube, many worry that smaller channels will be the hardest hit, lacking the visibility or support to appeal decisions and keep their content online.
