The iGaming industry has changed over the last few years, and so have its categories, such as online casinos and eSports betting. This market used to be small, but today, it is worth billions globally.
The phenomenon is primarily possible given the digital entertainment. As part of this change, influencers that activate on different platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube, have become essential in promoting iGaming. These people play a big role in the industry as they have millions of followers. They managed to change how people think about online betting, gambling, and eSports.
This article will explore how influencers impact the gambling market, especially in promoting online casinos and eSports betting. How much power do they have in this industry? Read on, and you’ll find out!
The Link Between Influencers and iGaming
The popularity of influencers, especially those who activate on Twitch and YouTube, has changed how brands connect with their audiences. These platforms allow content creators to build massive, loyal followings, and companies are eager to benefit from this audience promotion. Let’s have a little look at how influencers work.
iGaming Promotion on Twitch
Twitch is famous for its live-streaming gaming, which has become a key element in promoting the online gambling industry. Many influencers on Twitch gained their power from streaming video games and interacting with followers in real-time.
Streamers have started including online casinos and eSports betting in their content to develop their own purposes. This kind of content benefits not only them or the viewers but also their sponsors.
For example, a very popular Twitch streamer, Sodapoppin (Chance Morris), has built a massive following through his gaming streams. He manages to attract online gambling platforms that are looking to gain exposure to a new audience. If you look at his streams, you’ll see that most of them include live gambling, mixing traditional moves with digital strategies.
YouTube and Its Impact
Another platform that has an undeniable impact on the market is YouTube. The famous platform has a massive audience that enjoys gaming content, unboxing videos, and gambling-related videos.
YouTubers often have dedicated fans, making them excellent for promoting online casinos and betting sites. Many gaming influencers on YouTube create “Let’s Play” videos, where they play games and promote casinos or betting platforms.
One famous YouTuber is Pokimane (Imane Anys). Although she does not exclusively make casino content, she has built large audiences and attracted sponsorship from gambling brands.
The truth is that influencers have the power to connect with their followers in a way that traditional ads can’t. Their own experience, honesty, and openness create this personal bond with the audience, which is the most important when promoting iGaming to a younger generation that tends to be skeptical of regular ads.
Sponsorship Models in iGaming
Influencer marketing in the iGaming industry often includes several sponsorship models, which can help generate revenue for influencers and online casinos alike. Below, we will highlight all types and see the actual benefits for those who perform and use this marketing strategy.
Direct Sponsorships
Direct sponsorship is the easiest way for influencers to promote iGaming brands. Within this strategy, gambling platforms pay influencers to create content highlighting their brand. If you’re curious how payment happens, it is typically a flat fee or performance-based, where influencers earn money depending on how many sign-ups or engagements they generate.
For example, a popular Twitch streamer might sign a deal with betbrain.com to promote the website, games, and overall content. The influencer gets money for every new member who joins the site. The system ensures that both the influencer and the platform benefit from driving traffic to the site.
Branded Content and Integration
This strategy is a subtle way to promote iGaming platforms. With this strategy, influencers add an online casino or betting platform to their regular content. This means that the influencer could use a simple shout-out during a gaming stream or a full branded segment within their videos. The purpose here is to make the promotions feel as natural as possible, using the influencer’s credibility to win the audience. In cases like this:
- The promotion is less intrusive, fitting smoothly into the existing content.
- Viewers are more likely to trust the promotion only because it’s coming from someone they already trust.
Long-Term Collaboration Deals
Some of the biggest influencers in iGaming create long-term partnerships with different platforms. These deals go beyond one-time sponsorship and establish a lasting relationship where the influencer constantly prompts the brand through all means. These deals are often extremely profitable and provide extensive exposure for the brand.
Affiliate Marketing and Monetization Strategies
Another great way for influencers to promote the iGaming industry is through affiliate marketing. Basically, influencers promote betting platforms with special affiliate links. When their followers click on them and sign up, the influencer gets a commission. The commission is usually based on how much money the user deposits or bets on gambling platforms. There are several ways to make money with affiliate marketing, but these two are the main ones:
- Referral links: Influencers will put their special links in the Twitch or YouTube descriptions. The moment followers use these links to sign up, the influencers get a percentage of what the new users earn or bet.
- Exclusive deals: Influencers often offer followers special bonuses on iGaming sites to encourage registration. These offers can increase the number of users and boost the influencer’s commission.
Obviously, as effective as affiliate marketing seems, it also has challenges, especially when it comes to honesty. Some viewers might feel influencers are not clear about how they actually get money from these promotions. They must balance the income with keeping the content authentic to avoid losing their audience’s trust.
Trust vs. Promotion: The Challange of Credibility
As more influencers join the iGaming industry, there are a few ethical and credibility concerns. These people have a lot of power over their followers, especially younger generations who might not fully understand the risk of gambling. Because of this, it’s vital for influencers to maintain trust if they want to stay credible.
The biggest concern is the potential exploitation. Influencers promoting online gambling could lead younger or irresponsible followers toward betting platforms. This is concerning with online casinos, as addiction risks and financial problems are not excluded from this industry.
Rules and Regulations for Responsible Gambling
Luckily, regulations around gambling ads are becoming stricter every day. Many countries introduce laws to control gambling promotion, and influencers must comply with these rules. Influencers need to adapt their content to respect these regulations, so they must include messages about responsible gambling. They should also limit the types of gambling content they can share.
Opting for Balance
Credibility is the most important factor for influencers to promote anything, especially gambling. If they push too hard with promotions or don’t clearly share paid partnerships, their followers will feel that way and start doubting the credibility of their recommendations. That’s why finding the right balance between entertaining the audience, building trust, and promoting products is essential to maintaining credibility.
Conclusion
Thus, there’s no doubt that influencers on Twitch or YouTube have a massive impact on the iGaming industry. With the help of these people, gambling content reaches new audiences, benefiting both influencers and the industry.
However, promoting gambling content comes with all sorts of challenges, so influencers must know how to balance monetization and credibility perfectly.
