Nestled among the video game stars and lifestyle influencers on sites like YouTube and Twitch, you will also find a clutch of accounts that fall under the term “casino streamers”. These accounts will not have millions of followers like PewDiePie or Dude Perfect. But the popular casino accounts, such as The Bandit, David Labowski or RockNRolla’s Gambling Channel, will have tens of thousands of followers, with huge numbers tuning in for live streams and special videos. It is an interesting career path, but it is much more layered and nuanced than being a professional gambler. And, as we will explain below, you don’t need to be a talented cardsharp to be successful.
The most pertinent question, then: What exactly is a casino streamer? As the job title suggests, one of the main elements of the job is to play casino games – normally video slots – and broadcast the action to viewers. It involves a little more than just recording your gameplay, though, as many streamers will have carefully curated videos, set themselves challenges and take suggestions from their fans. The games do not necessarily have to be played for high stakes, yet, as you might guess, greater risk tends to make for more exciting viewing.
Streaming Casino Games Can Be Lucrative
So, how do they monetise their content? Well, naturally they can get ad revenue from YouTube, but that’s just one element of it. Popular streamers will also receive donations from their fans. This can be achieved directly through YouTube or Twitch, but sometimes through applications like Crowdfunder. More importantly, perhaps, the streamers will act as affiliates for certain casinos. They can offer their viewers special bonuses and incentives to sign-up to a casino, and the casino will, in turn, provide the streamers with commission-based remuneration. That’s a three-pronged revenue stream, then, and it means the top streamers can earn a lucrative income.
Passion and knowledge for the iGaming industry are key elements for success, of course. You’ll need to be interested in the games, and be on the ball when it comes to trends and new releases. Technical expertise is important too. You would need, for example, to recognise the importance of payment methods; why it’s a positive thing that you can pay by phone at casino.com in the UK, and why it’s a negative thing if some casinos charge for withdrawals. Genuine passion and detailed knowledge. The latter is easy to accrue, whereas the former is something a little more innate.
Let the Games Do the Talking
Getting started is easy enough. Major casinos will have affiliate programmes, and anyone can start a website and start broadcasting on YouTube. Standing out is the key. For every casino video with 100K views on Twitch, we could find you ten with next to zero hits. Perseverance is warranted. If you announce a live broadcast at 7 pm, do it; even if nobody is tuning in for it. After a while, the viewers and subscribers will come if the content is engaging.
Indeed, don’t be discouraged if you do not feel you have the personality required for such a role. There is a wide spectrum of characters doing this for a living. Frankly, some will be quite dull, but they get by because they let the games do the talking. Others are a bit more engaging in terms of their dialogue with viewers, and you get the feeling the viewers would come back even if no high stakes games were being played. It might seem like a strange career path, but the evidence points to it being one with ever broader horizons. Five years ago, being a casino streamer would have been completely unheard of; today, it might be a job bet worth making.