YouTuber and livestreamer Jack Doherty says he could be forced to stay off social media for six months after signing a sponsorship agreement with cryptocurrency casino Shuffle.com without fully reading the contract.
Doherty revealed the unusual situation on October 10, saying he initially believed a clause preventing him from posting online was a joke. Shuffle CEO Noah Dummett later confirmed that the restriction was real and said the company intended to enforce the six-month term.
Doherty Says He “F***ed Up”
Doherty disclosed the situation in a post on X, telling his followers that he had recently signed a contract with Shuffle but had not read the entire agreement.
According to the YouTuber, one of the contract's terms stated that he was not allowed to post online anymore.
Doherty said he initially thought the clause was a joke but later realised that Shuffle intended to enforce it.
He said he was working with his lawyer to try to resolve the dispute and warned his followers that the post could be his last for some time.
The complete contract has not been publicly released, so the precise wording of the restriction and exactly which platforms or types of content it covers remain unclear.
Shuffle CEO Confirms Six-Month Restriction
Shuffle co-founder and CEO Noah Dummett subsequently confirmed that the agreement was genuine.
Dummett said the contract contains a six-month term and indicated that the company intends to enforce it despite efforts by Doherty's lawyers to have the agreement cancelled.
In a post responding to the controversy, Dummett wrote:
“Money well spent to get this mf off the internet.”
He also said Doherty's lawyers were “pressing” Shuffle to scrap the contract but that the company planned to stand firm.
The comments quickly drew attention online because the arrangement effectively appears to pay a prominent internet personality to stop posting rather than promote a product through regular social-media activity.
How the Deal Started
The unusual sponsorship appears to have developed from an earlier exchange between Doherty and Shuffle.
On September 28, Doherty asked on X whether he should go live on Kick and begin trading meme coins.
Shuffle responded at the time that it would “pay you to shut the f**k up.”
The exchange resurfaced in October after Doherty indicated that he was looking for sponsorship opportunities following disappointing performance from a Solana-based meme coin associated with him.
Shuffle then revived its earlier offer and told Doherty that it was a legitimate proposal. Doherty subsequently signed the agreement that he now says contains the social-media restriction.
Not a Social Media Platform Ban
Despite descriptions of the situation as a “social media ban,” Doherty has not been banned by X, YouTube or another social-media platform.
The reported restriction comes from a private contract between the creator and Shuffle.
That distinction is important because the full agreement has not been made public. It remains unclear whether the provision covers every social-media platform, particular accounts, certain types of content or all online activity.
It is also unclear whether the clause would ultimately be enforceable if challenged in court. Doherty is reportedly working with his legal team to contest or resolve the agreement.
How Long Could Doherty Stay Offline?
Shuffle says the restriction lasts six months, but several details remain unresolved.
Neither Doherty nor Shuffle has publicly disclosed the amount of money involved in the agreement. The start date and complete terms of the restriction have also not been released publicly.
Doherty's lawyers are attempting to have the contract scrapped, while Dummett has indicated that Shuffle intends to continue enforcing it.
As a result, it is not yet certain that Doherty will remain completely absent from social media for the entire six-month period.
A Strange Outcome for an Influencer Deal
Influencer sponsorship agreements typically require creators to produce content, promote products or maintain certain brand obligations.
In Doherty's case, the reported contract has produced the opposite result: a deal with a gambling company that could prevent him from publishing new social-media content for months.
The incident has also highlighted the importance of creators carefully reviewing contracts before signing them, particularly when agreements contain restrictions that can affect their primary source of income and public presence.
For now, Doherty says he is working with his lawyer, while Shuffle maintains that the six-month provision is valid and intends to enforce it.
Whether the contract survives the legal dispute will determine whether the controversial agreement actually keeps Doherty away from social media for the reported six months.
