Sitting at the intersection of entertainment, affiliate marketing and community building, streamers have been shaping the igaming industry for nearly a decade. Yet, as platforms like Twitch and YouTube tighten their gambling regulations, can streamers still deliver the same value? Joyce Yang speaks to leading streamers, an analytics platform and a game provider about the challenges they face and how they’re adapting to this changing landscape.
Fruity Slots co-founder Josh Green (below) still remembers the day he discovered igaming streaming. A sports affiliate and former William Hill marketing manager, he thought he knew the industry inside out. Then at ICE 2017, when an account manager asked if he’d done anything on the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform Twitch, he was caught off guard – what kind of opportunity could lie there?
Intrigued, he decided to investigate. The next few days, Green was hooked on Twitch watching gamblers – pros and amateurs alike – spinning slots live. He was fascinated by “how engaged and targeted” those early streamers’ audiences were. Suddenly, a whole new market opened up for him.
I really enjoy streaming. It isn’t an addiction to gambling, but more about the excitement of content creation
Among Green’s watchlist were three Swedish brothers, Erik, Anton and Mathias Joelsson. Passionate about slots and poker and united by “a love for gambling”, those siblings wondered what would happen if they broadcast their gameplay. On 8 April 2016, the brothers launched their Twitch channel, CasinoDaddy, as a side project. To their surprise, it took off quickly: the first stream pulled in over 300 live viewers.
Green, who comes from a marketing background, and his business partner Jamie Rosen soon pivoted their affiliate venture to focus on streaming, believing that they “could create a really strong brand from the start”. Armed with nothing but “a webcam, internet connection and a bit of personality”, they launched their channel from a bedroom when kids were out at school.
“It was such a buzz,” Green recalls. “We went from no subscribers on YouTube to 100, then 500, before hitting our first 1,000 and then 10,000. I really enjoy streaming. It isn’t an addiction to gambling, but more about the excitement of content creation.”
IGaming streaming hasn’t changed much at its core, but it is getting more competitive, and the production level has gone up
A state of flux
Now, eight years on, Fruity Slots has grown to nearly 80k subscribers on YouTube, making it one of the biggest casino streaming channels in the UK. CasinoDaddy, meanwhile, has attracted over 200k followers on Twitch.
At its core, Green says igaming streaming hasn’t changed much. Without the need for intense SEO or PPC knowledge, it is still a space anyone with a dream could enter.
“But it’s getting more competitive, and the production level has gone up. Now there’s been a big move towards crypto-focused sites, which means bigger stakes, bigger balances and bigger wins,” Green adds. “We are also seeing influencers – people who were maybe gamers or in sports – coming into this space and using their existing audience to start new channels. That crossover wasn’t really happening when we started.”
Perhaps the most significant changes have come from streaming platforms’ gambling content regulations. Admittedly, some streamers don’t have the best reputation. Abraham “Sliker” Mohammed, for example, scammed fans and other content creators for at least $200,000 after developing an esports betting addiction. Twitch had enough in September 2022 and announced a crackdown on unlicensed slots, roulette and dice games. YouTube followed suit in March 2024, banning any method of directing users to gambling sites that are not certified by Google and age-restricting most gambling content.
Over the past 100 days, Kick now represents over 60% of total viewership, with Twitch and YouTube nearly equal in the remainder
Amid the chaos, Twitch’s antagonist Stake.com founded Kick in late 2022 after being banned by the former. According to Sebastian Khalighy (above), Strmlytics (formerly Casinolytics) CEO, the most prominent igaming streamers have all moved to the new platform since then for its relaxed gambling regulations.
“Back in summer 2022, when looking at total viewership for gambling content, Twitch accounted for around 95.9%. But over the past 100 days, Kick now represents over 60% of total viewership, with Twitch and YouTube nearly equal in the remainder. So it’s a pretty major shift,” Khalighy says. Outside of the gambling space, Kick has reported consistent monthly growth, indicating wider engagement across the platform.
Green sees the migration to Kick as an essential strategy, as the platform also offers a mouthwatering 95% revenue share to creators. Yet, with around 80% of viewers still on YouTube, he’s not giving up the old channel. However, the recent policy changes haven’t had a huge impact on Fruity Slots yet. Green supports YouTube’s age restriction policy and says his channel “already has 0% in the 0–18 age bracket” in analytics. However, he worries that the filter might hinder adult audiences from discovering his content.
“I can see YouTube stepping things up soon, maybe using AI to detect gambling content and age-restricting every stream. Most users won’t go through the hassle of verifying their age or adding payment info, and those videos just won’t be pushed out by the algorithm to appear in recommendations. If that happens, we’ll see a significant drop in views and reach,” Green explains.
Streamers bring immediacy and relatability that traditional affiliate sites often can’t replicate
Jack of all trades
Despite the policy shake-ups, streamers remain a vital part of game providers’ marketing mix. Andre Villandberg (above), founder of Bullshark Games, says they are “more powerful in driving short-term engagement and hype”.
“Streamers bring immediacy and relatability that traditional affiliate sites often can’t replicate,” Villandberg says. “Watching a streamer play a slot in real time gives potential players a true sense of the game’s volatility, features and pacing. It’s an experience – viewers aren’t just reading about the game, they’re seeing it unfold.”
Twitch and YouTube’s policy changes may be disrupting creators’ revenue streams, but not all models have been affected. Commission structures with game providers remain largely unchanged, since they’re usually flat-fee brand awareness deals. Still, the ban on direct links and codes has made it harder for streamers to secure partnerships with casinos.
One workaround, as Khalighy suggests, is for streamers to “promote their own websites instead, where they build strong communities and their fans can be redirected to casinos”. Both Fruity Slots and CasinoDaddy have affiliate sites integrated with forums alongside their streaming channels.
We’re not putting all our eggs in one basket. Running a site is a sensible business decision from a revenue and security point of view
Coming from the traditional affiliate world, Green describes running the Fruity Slots site as his “bread and butter”. The two projects work in tandem to shield the brand from external changes. Hosting videos on the site also improves its authority in Google’s eyes. Although Fruity Slots is best known for its YouTube presence, the site remains its largest source of traffic and revenue.
“We’re not putting all our eggs in one basket. Running a site is a sensible business decision from a revenue and security point of view,” Green explains. “The site lets us push multiple affiliate offers as well. On a stream, you might only show one or two partners. On the site, you can list 10 or 20 casinos, so it gives you more flexibility and more marketing channels.”
Armin Aganovic (below), chief revenue officer at CasinoDaddy and Joelsson Media Group, adds that by incorporating a forum into the channel’s aboutslots.com and running a Discord group, the brand is “offering more value to viewers and the igaming community”. While streaming already helps build a loyal audience base, online forums carve out dedicated spaces for fans to share wins and discuss game preferences outside of live chat. CasinoDaddy also runs regular competitions to keep fans engaged.
We are constantly connecting the livestream and the other features on aboutslots.com. This maximises our influence
“We regularly run social tournaments in collaboration with Pragmatic Play with prizes. Right now, we’re running a competition in the forum where users can win two VIP tickets to the Formula One in Amsterdam this August,” Aganovic says. “So we are constantly connecting the livestream and the other features on aboutslots.com. This maximises our influence.”
Further into the studio
As regulations tighten, Villandberg says streamers and studios should collaborate more closely and “think more creatively about how they promote content”. While audience size still matters, he prefers affiliates who show genuine enthusiasm, explain game mechanics clearly and engage authentically with viewers.
“We also expect to see more hybrid content, like streamers collaborating with studios for exclusive game previews, behind-the-scenes features, or even co-developed branded content. Just like esports or gaming influencers, slot streamers will continue to evolve into full-fledged media channels,” Villandberg adds.
Green also encourages streamers to be upfront about partnerships with casinos and game providers. While he believes most viewers now understand the influencer marketing side of igaming channels, he says transparency still matters to build trust and avoid encouraging risky play.
The transition into game development has not only added another revenue stream, but also formed a full-circle ecosystem
“That said, I don’t think you need to say ‘we’re playing this because we have a relationship with this studio’. You can say things like ‘hey, we’ve got merchandise from this studio – you can win it if you do X, Y and Z’. Those things are easy to spot,” Green adds.
An emerging trend among top streamers is co-developing games with studios, using gameplay knowledge and community feedback to shape design. CasinoDaddy, for example, has released three slots with Relax Gaming, with more in the pipeline. Combined with the reach of their streaming channels and aboutslots.com, Aganovic says they’ve “not only added another revenue stream, but also formed a full-circle ecosystem”.
Green has taken things to the next level, becoming a slot developer himself. Together with his streaming partner Rosen and Hideous Slots founder William Barnes, he launched DreamSpin studio in February 2022 and released their first game last year. The studio has since joined Yggdrasil Gaming’s master programme and plans to release five more slots in 2025. While Green admits the game development space is increasingly saturated, he believes Fruity Slots’ loyal fan base gives him a strong edge in building relationships with operators.
What’s next for the igaming streaming space? Green and the Joelsson brothers don’t know exactly what the future holds, but they’ll keep pushing out live content, navigating shifting regulations, experimenting with new formats and staying close to their communities. After all, streamers are players too, so the risk might be worth the reward.