For poker content creators, the battle with YouTube has become all too familiar.
Age restrictions. Community guideline strikes. Limited monetization. Whether you’re an established name like Brad Owen or Andrew Neeme, or a rising creator trying to grow an audience, the road has grown increasingly bumpy.
Several high-profile voices in the poker world — including Daniel Negreanu and Hristivoje “All In Pav” Pavlovic — have publicly criticized YouTube’s support system, describing it as slow, opaque, and largely unhelpful.
Now, CoinPoker ambassador and Raise Your Edge founder Benjamin Rolle — better known as “bencb” — says the solution isn’t more emails to support.
It’s lawyers.
“They Don’t Care About Your Channel”
Responding to fellow creator Marc Goone’s frustrations, Rolle shared his own experience navigating repeated age restrictions and strikes across multiple platforms.
His verdict on YouTube’s internal support system?
“It is a waste of time,” Rolle wrote.
Instead of relying on appeals and automated responses, he says his team turned to law firms that specialize in disputes with social media companies — and saw tangible results.
“Our Facebook page has been restored; Instagram restrictions have been lifted,” he explained. “And we intend to do the same with YouTube.”
According to Rolle, platforms are far more responsive when legal correspondence lands on their desks. “Until these social media companies have a letter from a lawyer on their table, they won’t care,” he said bluntly. “They don’t care about your YouTube channel and your hard work.”
Legal Fees as a Cost of Doing Business
While hiring attorneys might sound daunting, Rolle described the expense as manageable — typically involving formal letters rather than drawn-out court battles.
In his view, the cost has become part of operating in today’s gambling-content climate.
“It is almost an unavoidable cost,” he suggested, noting that it took a few months for Facebook and Instagram to respond, but both ultimately reversed restrictions after receiving legal communication.
So far, he hasn’t needed to escalate beyond formal notices. “For us, it always worked when our law firm sent letters,” he added.
A Broader Message to the Poker Industry
Rolle made clear that his advice isn’t just personal venting — it’s strategic.
He believes collective legal pressure may be the only way for YouTube to treat poker content more seriously.
“If they see more creators taking serious action rather than just wasting their time with automated support,” he wrote, the platform may begin reevaluating its approach.
For an industry increasingly reliant on digital reach, his stance signals a shift: from frustrated appeals to formal accountability.
Whether creators at large follow that path remains to be seen — but according to bencb, waiting patiently in the support queue won’t solve the problem.
