Are Twitch Slots Streamers Paid?

The streaming platform Twitch has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2011, launching mainly as a platform for videogame players. Over the years, it has branched out and become a multifaceted streaming platform that is renowned for esports and other types of gameplay streams. Another notable recent trend being the expansion of online slot streaming, with thousands of casino enthusiasts watching professional gamblers playing slots for huge stakes.

These slot streaming channels are a unique yet entertaining way to explore new and exciting slots and other casino games. Some of the biggest Twitch casino streaming stars, including the likes of TrainWrecksTV, Roshtein, ClassyBeef and LosPollosTV, enjoy tens of thousands of viewers.

But just how do these Twitch channels make money? Are they even paid at all? We at SlotSource.com are here to answer these questions and more! So, continue reading our extensive guide to discover all there is to know about slots streaming on Twitch.

How Twitch Streaming Works

To those still unfamiliar with Twitch, it can seem like a very confusing site. However, the platform is relatively straightforward to navigate, and with the proper hardware, anyone can broadcast their gameplay on Twitch.

The streaming platform created Twitch Communities to help audiences find new streamers and help streamers share content with relevant viewers. However, now a thing of the past, Twitch Communities was replaced by Tags in 2018. Ranging anywhere from ASMR to Fortnite, from Sports & Fitness to Slots, there are many Tags featured on Twitch, so even streamers who specialize in the most niche and uncommon areas can find an audience.

What’s more, casino streamers share their screens with fans and followers, who can watch them spin slots live. Viewers who find a streamer they enjoy can ‘follow’ them, so next time they log in, they can automatically see if the streamer is online or not in their sidebar. During live streams, new followers’ usernames are displayed onscreen, and this is an excellent way for streamers to interact with their audiences and build up relationships with viewers. These relationships are a vital aspect of how streamers earn money.

How Do Twitch Slots Streamers Make Money?

As Twitch as a streaming service has developed, so have the ways to make money on the platform. Slots streamers on Twitch can use any one or a combination of the below methods.

Affiliate Links

Affiliate links are the gold standard for streamers and having them will give viewers the confidence that the streamer in question is, at least, relatively well-known and trustworthy. Separate online gambling sites and other advertisers can pay for unique links in the descriptions of casino streams, which appear underneath the broadcast window or within the About section featured on the streamer’s page. Links from online gambling brands make it much easier for casino affiliates to record traffic sent to respective sites.

The various ways casinos pay streamers through affiliate links are:

• Pay per click (PPC) – Streamers earn money whenever a potential customer clicks on a link.
• Pay per paying customer – Casinos pay streamers whenever a viewer registers or deposits at their online casino through an affiliate link.
• Pay for revenue earned from customers – Streamers make a specific amount whenever the online casino generates revenue from customers who sign up and wager at sites through their affiliate link.

Bonus Deals

Occasionally, online casinos will dish out unique bonuses directly to slot streamers on Twitch to entice them to play for longer at particular sites or on specific slots. While this is a great way to attract Twitch viewers to play at certain online casinos in the short term, it is less likely to cause sustainable growth in the longer term. Many viewers see this simply as an advertising gimmick.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships, in relation to Twitch streams, are defined as a partnership between a streamer and a company. In this case, it would be an alliance between slots streamers and an online casino. Gambling operators will pay streamers for exposure and promoting products on stream (such as slots, games and casino bonuses) and through social media channels. Sponsored content appears in various forms, from simply mentioning or displaying a product to elaborate hyped-up giveaways.

Affiliate Program

Twitch understands that it takes immense time, effort and even money to build up an audience and earn money while casino streaming. The platform’s exclusive Twitch Affiliate Program rewards streamers who may not have access to the aforementioned external methods. This program is designed to get smaller streamers one step closer to the dream of making a living from their passion. Once accepted, streamers gain access to distinctive ways to monetize their channels, like donations, ‘bits,’ and subscriptions.

Subscriptions

After becoming an affiliate, viewers can subscribe to casino streamers across three different tiers. Each tier holds a separate recurring monthly fee, the most common of which, and also the cheapest, is a Tier 1 Subscription at $4.99 per month.

Each different subscription level also comes with various lucrative awards for followers, such as ad-free viewing, subscriber badges, custom emotes and more. Subscribers can also show off their subscription streaks to other viewers, with the combined number of months subscribed shown on screen and in the chat sidebar.

Twitch Bits

Although direct monetary donations can be made on Twitch streams, the platform has an additional way to support affiliated streamers through ‘Bits’. This virtual currency can be bought by viewers and then spent on specific channels, which will cause a notification to pop up in front of the streamer and audience with the option for a message alongside it. Bits are a vital element in the streamer’s arsenal, as once they have a big enough audience, viewers will pay to get the streamer’s attention directly.

Twitch Vs YouTube

The eternal struggle between Twitch and the video-sharing and social media platform YouTube often sees high-performing Twitch broadcasters tempted by YouTube to ‘switch sides’. Twitch has a higher ceiling for monetisation than YouTube, and the streaming service has numerous advantages over YouTube, especially for casino streamers.

Although YouTube is the premier site for watching videos online, its live-streaming features are inferior, ultimately resulting in less engagement. While Twitch is known for streaming, many are unaware that YouTube supports this too, which adds to the lower concentration of live viewers.

While slots streamers can still get sponsored and have affiliate links on YouTube, there is less scope for obtaining donations and subscribers. Moreover, subscriptions on YouTube do not involve any payment. Of course, having the required audience to be a Twitch Affiliate is necessary for money to be made. Still, Twitch is a considerably more welcoming platform for those looking to get into live streaming.

Can Twitch Slots Recommendations Be Trusted?

The ultimate question is, can we trust the recommendations of Twitch streamers? The answer isn’t as simple as you might first think. We have previously seen multiple scandals arising from influencers, slot streamers and other celebrities. For example, controversy was stirred amidst streamers promoting new cryptocurrencies that take advantage of the hype around well-known currencies, such as Bitcoin.

Also, one Twitch streamer, Steven ‘Destiny’ Bonnel was criticised for advertising NFT (non-fungible tokens), just a few days after he compared them to a pyramid scheme. Therefore, it is not safe to assume celebrity endorsements relate to trustworthy, responsible gambling.

One of the biggest slots streamers on Twitch, Tyler ‘TrainwrecksTV’ Niknam, posted a tweet claiming that he knew other slots streamers were playing with ‘fake balances’ and targeting under 18s. The latter is a contentious element of this discussion. Until Twitch gives an 18+ only option for online casino and gambling streams, how can it be sure that Twitch’s large Gen Z demographic is not lapping up hours of gambling content per day?

This age restriction is not the only controversy involved. Texas, for example, is home to a multitude of popular casino streamers using VPNs to play slots, yet it is illegal in Texas to play online slots for real money. In some instances, it seems neither Twitch streamers nor viewers joining sponsored sites do much in vetting their partners, so it is essential to do your research before joining an online casino through this method.

Do Twitch Slots Streamers Lose Money?

It can be seen that, at least for the more prominent casino streamers, online casinos subsidise their play and mitigate any losses they make. Some openly express disappointment with their audience at their losses, but a lot more are assumed to be playing on special accounts that the online casino itself at least partly funds.

Notable slots streamer Muhaj revealed his deals to his viewers word-for-word, but he is very much in the minority in terms of transparency. Indeed, streamers are rumoured to have been given rigged accounts where bonuses pop up at a much higher frequency. This kind of false advertising is complicated to prove but may well be employed by the shadier companies out there.

Controversy Surrounding Twitch Slots Streamers

Continuing with the query of whether streamers lose money, many further concerns focus on the use of ‘fake money’ and illegal sites. Let’s delve a little deeper into these controversies.

Are Slot Streamers Playing with Fake Money?

If playing with rigged accounts wasn’t enough, specific slots streamers have been accused of playing with fake money. For example, Roshtein of ‘Legend of Gambling’, a prominent slot player, aroused deep suspicion by having the same monetary value in his real and demo accounts.

Of course, this is something that should not occur. In response, the Legend of Gambling website was shut down due to the extensive backlash received from this and other concerns. We advise viewers to watch big wins and losses on gambling streams or videos with a pinch (or heap) of salt, as wins tend to be highlighted and losses ignored.

Do Twitch Streamers Use Illegal Gambling Sites?

Similarly to the unethical promotion of the weird and wonderful cryptocurrencies by influencers recently, slots streamers have been known to use cryptocurrency-based casinos. Although many licensed online casinos now accept cryptocurrency in a regulated and legal manner, it also gives way to some questionable gambling services and unlicensed operators. These offshore casinos further muddy the waters in legal terms and suggest that streamers play with fake money.

Twitch professes to monitor its gambling categories closely, yet some legal experts believe particular cryptocurrency online casinos' underlying activity is mostly illegal, despite being lucrative. Twitch’s terms and conditions ban ‘illegal activity’ on the platform, yet it does not explicitly prohibit gambling streams, so crypto gambling is thriving on Twitch because it is technically allowed to.

Twitch Slots Streamers Conclusion

In summary, money is the primary motivator for slots streamers with a Twitch channel. The online casinos involved sometimes pay streamers vast sums of money to advertise their casino gaming brand, selection of video slots and table games. Many believe they are not to be trusted to be broadcasting a level playing field when they have a vested interest.

It is essential to take what casino streamers have to say with great reservation, and it is ultimately up to you to determine whether affiliate links are to be trusted or not. Yet, if you want to enjoy provably fair gambling and are looking for a reputable online casino slot, look no further. At SlotSource.com, you can find thousands of legal U.S. casino slot games from the best developers in the world. Try one of our recommended online slots to discover different ways to win and generous bonuses!