The Debate over Gambling Sponsorships on Twitch
This week, the issue of gambling sponsorships on Twitch resurfaced after xQc, the most popular streamer on the platform, made the controversial decision to do a sponsored stream for gambling website Stake.
Ethical Concerns and Discussions
XQc’s acceptance of a gambling sponsor has sparked ethical concerns and conversations among fans and fellow streamers on social media. According to Sully Gnome, xQc has accumulated more than 245 million hours of watch time in the past year, making him the most-watched streamer on Twitch.
The Problems with Sponsored Gambling Streams
In an effort to explain the negative impact of these sponsorships, popular streamer Hasan shed light on what happens when fans use a referral code from a sponsored gambling stream. Hasan posted a video clip that details how these codes are used by gambling websites to track users’ activity and, in some cases, allows streamers to profit off of their fans’ losses.
XQC’s Controversial Stream
During a nearly six-hour stream, xQc engaged in various forms of gambling content, spending most of his time on slots. According to Sully Gnome, he had over 550,000 hours watched during the gambling portion of his stream, with an average of 98,533 viewers while playing slots.
Despite admitting his addiction to gambling, xQc decided to accept gambling sponsorships after seeing other streamers profit from them. He believed the financial offers for these sponsorships were significantly higher than the offers he previously received.