Streaming is actually an online service: it means the stream of data. This stream is done in real time. No need to download it. You can watch it just like a live broadcast. Any type of data can be streamed, including voice and video. However, as known, video streaming is the most popular version. Basically, a streamer starts to do “something” in front of a webcam and broadcasts this event on the internet. This something may be playing a game, preparing a meal, or, as it is the subject of this article, gambling. So this is what casino streaming is: a guy or a girl starts to play casino games and you get to watch this activity in real time. Since it is also possible to stream other types of data, you can chat with the streamer in real time too.
Streaming consists of a continuous stream of data and requires a fast connection speed. If you are on a 56K connection, for example, your bandwidth won’t be enough for the stream. There is a quick way to see if your bandwidth is capable of video streams: if the stream “pauses” only after a couple seconds, this means your connection speed is low and you need to upgrade.
Luckily, there is a way to solve this problem: video streams are broadcasted in different resolutions and by selecting a lower resolution, you can get rid of long pauses. For connections lower than 1MB, 480p is the recommended resolution. If you have higher speed DSL; you can watch a stream even in 4K resolution. Try each resolution and see which one works best for you.
What Do Casino Streamers Do?
They are online gamblers just like you. They are members of various online casinos. During a stream, they log in to an online casino and start playing. While they are doing that, a webcam broadcasts this activity in real time. You can see the face and/or body of the streamer usually at the bottom left corner of the interface. The game he/she plays is displayed bigger. When the streamer rolls the reels, for example, you see that in real time.
To attract interest, streamers play a game only for a certain period of time. For example, they switch to a different slot machine every 15 minutes. They start with a certain budget and usually play until that depletes. So a casino stream can last for hours or just a couple minutes, depending on the “luck” of the streamer. They are real gamblers and they are already playing in online casinos. Streaming is just a way of sharing this activity with other gamblers.
Most of the casino streamers are sponsored by an online casino. If this is the case, the streamer plays at that specific casino and distributes rewards during the broadcast. For example, he/she may distribute bonus codes that can be used in the casino and not available anywhere else. So the viewers get something in return too. Moreover, casino streamers offer special referral links that will give you additional bonuses if you click on those.
How Do They Make Money?
Gamblers who stream have three incomes: sponsorships, subscription, and ads. A sponsored streamer gets money from a specific casino to promote it. This is the reason why you are seeing specific logos and brands on the stream: just like football players, sponsors get the right to show their logos. With the sponsor money, casino streamers buy computer hardware and pay their internet bills. Because, just like watching, broadcasting requires a high-speed internet connection too.
Ad revenue comes from advertisers. Casino streamers are followed by a viewer base. Just like a YouTube video, ads are displayed in the stream. It is free to watch a casino stream, but you cannot get rid of the ads. The bigger the viewer base is, the higher the advertising revenue.
Subscription is the last way of income. You can subscribe to a casino streamer’s channel for about 5 USD per month. Subscribing gives you some benefits, including ad-free streams. Moreover, you get the right to join prize draws and use some special emotes in the chat screen. Subscription is actually the main income of casino streamers: if a channel has 5.000 subscribers, for example, this means the streamer wins 25.000 USD per month. Such channels are rare but it is possible to win this amount just by streaming. Of course, broadcasting is not enough to create a loyal viewer base: the streamer must be a “showman”. He/she must be able to entertain the viewers by talking to them and gaining their interest. Nobody will watch a “silent” stream for a long time. The most successful streamers create a community and become “friends” with them. It’s like having your private TV host which you can send a message anytime. So, if you are wondering where they find money to play every night, this is the answer: viewers pay for it via subs.
Where to Find the Best Gambling Streams?
As can be expected, Twitch is the best website to find casino streams. There are other services too, but none of them has the same popularity as Twitch. This is also why the most successful casino streamers prefer this platform for their broadcasts. Simply visit twitch.tv address to see all channels that are dedicated to casino games. You will immediately notice two things:
- Nearly half of the streamers are Russian
- The majority of streamers prefer slot machines.
For the first thing, we don’t have an explanation. It seems casino games are very popular among Russians and they choose to broadcast their hobby. Streamers speak Russian in these channels, so if you don’t know Russian, watching them will be pointless. Look for channels with English names.
As for slot machines, this is understandable: they are the most popular gambling games and they are fun to watch. A poker game can last for hours, but you can switch to a new slot title every 10-15 minutes. However, you can still find poker/blackjack/roulette streams especially if you visit Twitch during late hours.
TOP 10 of the Most Successful Casino Streamers
| Casino Streamer’s Name | Followers |
|---|---|
| Cahchec | 76,090 + |
| Chapmad | 64,990 + |
| Casinodaddy | 116,006 + |
| Roshtein | 182,264 + |
| Jarttu84 | 50,365 + |
| Pottux | 20,974 + |
| Letsgiveitaspin | 29,679 + |
| Jugipelaa | 42,862 + |
| Shirox1980 | 23,539 + |
| NickSlots | 22,605+ |
*The data are revised as of 2019 according to Twitch statistics.
Note that some of these streamers make more than 350.000 USD monthly just from subs. Add sponsorship deals and advertising revenue to this and the figure becomes nearly 500.000 dollars. So, yes, casino streaming is a really profitable “hobby”. However, also note that some of these streamers do not play for real money. The budget you see on the stream is virtual – it is given by the casino as a promotional tool and they are not really winning or losing something. Not all streamers do that but most of them do, especially if the online casino offers a setup like this. In this respect, the only casino we know that does not give “virtual money” to streamers is Casumo.