A new wave of celebrities have endeared themselves to social media users in recent years as the streaming community gets bigger and bigger.
Often armed with a congregation of dedicated fans, the door has opened for everyday people to build their name by broadcasting themselves chatting, playing video games or placing wagers on an online casino.
As online casino operators and suppliers have recognised the impact that streamers can have on exposure and acquisition, we spoke to Shane Roberts, a Kick streamer otherwise known as SH4NE_R, at SBC Summit to discuss how live streamed content has changed the marketing game.
Roberts explained how COVID had a seismic impact on streaming viewership, stating that “since the COVID era finished, we see a lot of people going online, watching a lot of short-form videos, YouTube, and a lot of the younger generation enjoy watching streamers rather than sitting down and watching soap operas or films.
“During COVID,” he continued, “We had a huge spike with our stats, with our viewers, with our followers, because unfortunately everyone was stuck at home. People were gaming, people started watching Fortnite or Call or Duty streams or went to casinos to watch us rather than spend their own money.
“I think for streaming as a platform at the moment, we’re doing incredibly well. I think the industry is pushing towards streamers, especially in marketing with streamers because we are the face of a lot of casinos, rather than these advertisements that you’d get on TV with not many people watching.
“We’re going up and up, I think there’s no stopping us now.”
Describing the impact that Twitch regulation changes in 2022 had on himself and the rest of the casino streaming industry, Roberts said: “It was very difficult at the very start. I was originally streaming on Twitch and once we were told we were no longer allowed to stream on there, Kick was a new streaming platform that not many people knew about.
“I think with Kick, the trust was built quite quickly because of the names and top streamers that all went over. It expanded dramatically and quickly and then got known for being where the streamers are for casinos.”
As many companies within the online casino industry have begun to form partnerships with slot streamers to produce content or represent certain brands, Roberts suggested that this form of branded content is “definitely something the viewers like”.
“The viewers are our life and soul so expanding into producing a game, say a SH4NE_R game, with features that I like and my viewers like is very good, and probably very profitable to begin with.
“The only issue we have seen with things like this in the past is that games like this, just like other games, get old.
“Maybe if you were to continue releasing new games, or your own brand of slots where your face is on the slot and you’re releasing games weekly, or every other month, then I think it’s something that is definitely doable.”
To hear Roberts discuss how the casino streaming industry aims to promote responsible gambling, and how the growth of slot streaming can continue, click here to watch the video above.
