On the personal level, Australians are losing an appalling $25 billion a year on gambling. This shocking statistic should give everyone pause as fears mount over the role social media is playing in the normalization of gambling. Influencers are once again in the limelight. In particular, influencers streaming their gambling on Twitch, Kick, and other platforms. They’re attracting record high young audiences each day. Among these personalities is Stuart, a YouTube creator who specializes in creating content around playing poker machines. Stuart has been in recovery from gambling addiction for several years now. More than that, he’s dedicated to keeping gambling out of his content and protecting the integrity of his platform.
Stuart’s claims come right as researchers are warning of wider, dangerous effects from gambling streams. The two warning that these streams have the potential to deeply impact viewer action. Dr. Mark Johnson is a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney. He conducts research on the intersection between gambling and social media. He believes traditional, copy-heavy gambling advertisements are failing to resonate with younger, Gen-Z audiences. Streaming platforms are taking the initiative to fill that void.
Through his research, Dr. Johnson was able to survey 350 international viewers and track the behaviour of 25 gambling influencers on popular streaming platforms. His findings revealed troubling insights: nearly half of the viewers felt more inclined to gamble after watching these streams. Approximately one-third of respondents indicated that they are more inclined to gamble. For many of them, they can explain this change because of the vicarious thrill they feel when watching streamers.
The legal landscape surrounding online gambling in Australia is a tricky one. Even though online slots and casino-style games like blackjack are illegal, influencers usually get around these restrictions by live-streaming that content. As a result, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has begun warning these influencers. They can be penalized up to $59,400 in civil fines for advertising illegal online gambling services.
Streamers galvanize their viewership to buy things and donate money. This trend is raising crucial questions about the ethics of their practice. As dangerous as it is, for Dr. Johnson, the biggest risk is in viewers not understanding those risks. He states, “You might see a streamer playing a certain online slot game and they’ve lost a bunch in a row — and then they change to another slot game on the same site and they win a few times and they go: ‘See, I knew it.’ A lot of these kinds of disordered ideas aren’t challenged by anybody and are reinforced.”
Stuart says that he makes an effort to be as transparent with his audience as possible. He mentions, “I mention where I’m playing just to be nice because they’ve allowed me to film there. I really don’t feel that it’s advertising.” He insists that his content is not meant to mislead viewers into thinking that gambling is a surefire way to make money. “You don’t want to trick people into thinking anybody can go down and put a hundred dollars in a machine and pull out a thousand — because that’s not the reality,” he adds.
Stuart is deeply committed to building integrity. He understands the uphill battle created by no-age-restriction streaming platforms, where users click a button to confirm their age. “Most platforms all you’ve got to do is just click a button and say, ‘yes, I’m over 18’, and away you go,” he points out. This high level of access makes it easier for children and youth to gamble while exposing impressionable viewers to these predatory apps.
In response to these issues, both industry stakeholders and public interest advocates are urging tougher regulations. A spokesperson from the Alliance for Gambling Reform stated, “[It] would prevent anyone — underage or not — from being exposed to people intending to influence gambling behavior using tactics designed to mislead or glamourise gambling.”
Dr. Johnson urges society to understand the effects of these gambling streams on public health. “The big thing is to start taking seriously the idea that viewing gambling matters,” he asserts. That it is not the type of play that counts.
As gambling streamers become mainstream figures, the need for stricter oversight is more pressing than ever. Most streamers are operating in legal gray areas as they interact with their audiences in real time on live streams. It’s time for both influencers and regulators to be held accountable in order to shield impressionable audiences from undue harm.
