For nearly as long as casino streaming As this streaming phenomenon continues to develop, it tends to become even more contentious. The conversations typically revolve around fake money streaming a challenge that both audiences and content creators recognize as pervasive. Much to the annoyance of genuine streamers, some of the most prominent figures in the casino streaming niche reportedly use counterfeit finances and fake viewers to entice spectators to the gaming platforms they represent.
Lately, there has been a noticeable rise in casino influencers promoting a specific set of casinos, crypto casinos specifically Stake, Gamdom, and Roobet. Critics argue these casinos entangle Twitch content creators by providing them with monetary sponsorships and restricted withdrawal funds, facilitating gambling showcases on streams.
Gambling streams historically were mainly produced by specialty channels dedicated to casino gaming—channels like Letsgiveitaspin, Blackcatseven, Chipmonkz, and Rocknrolla, as early pioneers in this field. In recent times, even the most famous gamers are included, such as the Finnish talent AndyPyro , who attracted Bigwinboard media attention with a remarkable win. €240k win on the game Fire in the Hole xBomb .
Even more celebrated streamers are venturing into this genre. Recently, US-based influencer Ice Poseidon , conventionally focusing on gaming and real-life streaming, engaged his audience by showing his experience gambling on Roobet's platform. as has also esports gamer TrainwrecksTV . Nevertheless, this wasn't as shocking as what followed. On April 23, 2021, 25-year-old French Canadian Twitch figure Félix Lengyel, widely recognized as xQc or xQcOW, streamed his gambling session chose to gamble on the cryptocurrency-based site Stake. xQc, a former professional Overwatch competitor, holds 5.5 million Twitch followers and 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube. During his gambling session, the viewership skyrocketed to 125,000.
Following a substantial loss in his sponsored journey on the unauthorized crypto platform Stake, xQc transitioned to streaming Minecraft. Though some defended xQc's right to gamble on his stream as a personal choice, the majority voiced their opposition. These dissenters leveraged automated donation messages to express their discontent, with select examples including:
- I watched you play slots, tried my luck, and ended up destitute. Can you reimburse me?
- Didn't you pledge to avoid gambling publicly in front of your younger audience?
- My funds meant for my mortgage are all gone due to gambling.
- It's estimated that 30% of your viewers are underage, using credit cards from their parents. We just witnessed Félix lose 100k.
- Am I misinformed, or is it illegal to gamble in the USA?
- I suddenly have the compulsion to risk my entire savings.
In previous reports, it was reported that crypto establishments Roobet, Gamdom, and Stake use aggressive strategies to make their presence known on Twitch. They face allegations from both viewers and fellow streamers of utilizing deceptive funds to promote their brand. When confronted during a live stream, Félix expressed his exasperation: 'I want to censor this content, but I won't. It's getting out of hand, boys.' Soon after, he remarked: 'Gambling is detrimental. It's just harmful.' Eventually, he chose to pause the auto-read feature.
It's evident, and many find it troubling, that highly influential gamers with an extensive fan base chiefly composed of younger individuals have the opportunity to alternate between gaming and gambling content in a single stream without protective age-related barriers. As tensions rise, the community eagerly awaits to see whether Twitch will address the glaring issue.
