Casino Influencers: Are They a Thing?
The casino floor has historically been a statement of class and a high-flying lifestyle. The image of tuxes and cocktail dresses adorning the patrons of glitzy gaming venues across the globe is as ubiquitous as the sight of a roulette table or blackjack dealer overseeing a game. Movies like Casino Royale display the highest of high class at the table for a reason. However, as times have changed and the world of the casino has evolved, it may be becoming a less common idea. With that said, there’s been a recent influx in people using social media and the internet at large to become influencers. You will see them across fashion, food, and fitness, but is there such a thing as a casino influencer?
What is an Influencer?
First up, it’s important to define what it is to be an influencer. In the past, before the internet and social media entered every facet of our lives, these influencers would usually be established celebrities. Actors and musicians were paid handsomely by brands to promote their products as part of their lifestyles. Magazine and tabloid column inches were filled with stories about these stars and how they live their lives. The public would then often adopt different aspects of their favorite stars’ lives as part of their own, be that emulating their looks or buying certain products. As we are now fully entrenched in the digital age, though, the bar to entry as an influencer has been lowered. No longer do you need to be famous in your own right before exerting your influence. Instead, through social media posting, blogging, and content creation, people can show and rate their favorite pastimes and have become influencers as their primary position. Interested in fitness? Start an Instagram account and develop a following in the millions by posting your meal preparation and exercise regimes. It has even started to seep into the casino world.
When it comes to the casino, it’s not yet at the forefront of the influencer revolution. However, it does in fact have its foot in the door, so to speak. In particular, YouTube accounts that review and showcase games like slots have begun to crop up and develop a healthy following. Scott Richter is one of those very influencers. He began his YouTube account The Big Jackpot in 2016 and has since built up a subscriber base of around half a million people. This channel sees Richter playing slots at casinos across the country and even live streaming them on occasion. According to Fox 5, the Virginia casino enthusiast won an eye-watering jackpot of $1 million live on his channel. At the time of writing, having been live for a month, that video had garnered half a million views, showing just the reach that Scott has to reach an audience of fellow enthusiasts who are looking to experience the excitement of the casino. But does that mean that there is only one casino influencer and do any exist outside of YouTube?
Streaming Home to Gambling Influence
YouTube has been a stalwart of video media on the internet for over a decade now and has developed a strong standing in the market. It’s not the only business in the game, though. While platforms like Twitch banned gambling streams after a number of its personalities started streaming their gaming sessions, other platforms have stepped in. Kick is a new streaming service with connections to Stake, the crypto online casino. Here, gambling streams are allowed and there are a number of streaming stars that have taken to playing their favorite online slots and table games live, with audience numbers that would have previously been unheard of.
In particular, Tyler Nikram (TrainwrecksTV), is reported by GameRant to have made over $300 million from his gambling streams. Since then, he has made the switch to Kick and continues to use his channel for his gambling content. He remains an extremely popular personality on the platform and retains a follower base of more than a quarter of a million. Such popularity shows that there is a market for influencers within the industry and there is an existing audience base that can be tapped into. Going forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more and more figures in the media space looking to get themselves involved with casino gaming as influencers. As the online casino continues to go from strength to strength, there will be no shortage of opportunities for those who want to do so and there will likely be more developments in the industry that will offer greater content options.