New research from Dr Mark Johnson, Co-Director of the University of Sydney Game and Play Lab, is the first in the world to address the impact of gambling live streams – the live broadcast of videos on the internet, potentially watched by tens of thousands of people, that show individuals gambling with real money.
“Our observational and survey-based study marks a watershed moment in understanding the development and spread of gambling media and practices,” Dr Johnson said.
“We need to urgently update our knowledge of the intersection between digital gambling, gaming and online influencer culture to begin addressing the potential impacts of these live stream channels,” he added.
Key findings:
- Watching gambling live streams of poker, pokies, roulette, and blackjack games online may increase the likelihood of gambling.
- Gambling live stream channels often feature links to external gambling websites, increasing accessibility to gambling services.
- Conversations between viewers and streamers reinforce thought processes associated with gambling harm.
- Gambling live streams are unregulated with insufficient age restrictions, allowing minors to watch gambling in real time.
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Easy access to gambling services
The study measured the influence and effect of gambling live streams through surveying 350 viewers and observing 25 channels on popular live video streaming platforms Twitch and Kick. This included a video analysis of the streams and textual analysis of the chat windows within the streams.
The research found gambling live streams frequently included links to external gambling websites, increasing the likelihood of gambling harm by making it easier for viewers to gamble.
“This is particularly concerning when coupled with our survey responses where most viewers said they were more likely to gamble after watching the live streams, and given the extremely lax age restrictions on live streaming platforms meaning minors can easily find themselves on real gambling websites,” Dr Johnson said.
Viewers were also donating money to streamers to gamble on their behalf.
“Some viewers were financially supporting the streamers to express appreciation or to raise the financial stakes of the game,” Dr Johnson said. “Monetary exchange of this nature is highly unusual in gambling contexts and may exacerbate the potential for financial stress.”
Harmful gambling psychology reinforced
The study found both streamers and viewers of gambling live streams made statements which contained irrational comments about gambling, especially around ideas of luck and skill.
“Gambling streamers often verbally shared problematic tips to viewers on how to manage their gambling, make money or minimise losses, and strategies on gameplay, such as when to cash out or when to keep playing,” Dr Johnson said.
“In the chat, gambling live stream viewers often reinforced what a streamer said about a game being ‘rigged’ or recounted their own gambling experiences. In both cases, viewers’ claims of unfairness implied skewed perceptions about chance and strategy. These findings suggest these channels are a ‘safe space’ for sharing illogical information about gambling odds.”
Additionally, the study found gambling games involving wagering fake money were regularly integrated into the chat windows.
“Even if viewers were not wagering with real money, gambling live streams are clearly another pathway by which gambling style ideas, mechanics, and systems are increasingly spreading into digital gaming culture,” Dr Johnson said.
Gambling, gaming and influencer culture
The rise of gambling live streams highlights a rapidly emerging intersection between digital gambling, gaming and online social media influencer culture that requires further research both in Australia and overseas, the study argued.
“Gambling live streams have become integrated into the hugely popular world of digital gaming,” Dr Johnson said.
"Like gaming, gambling live streams appear to have the potential to attract enormous numbers of viewers and create potentially lucrative business for streamers. And like gaming, viewers of gambling live streams said they enjoy being part of a community of shared interests and experiences.”
Many survey responses said they were consuming gambling content on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok as well as Twitch and Kick, that have millions of users and a strong content creator and influencer culture.
"These compelling videos and digital communities featuring influencers and content creators may herald a previously unparalleled extent to which people can watch and engage with gambling online – particularly for young audiences who might otherwise have little contact with gambling," Dr Johnson said.
DECLARATION
This study was fully funded by the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling. The Office of Responsible Gambling leads the development of responsible gambling strategy and public policy advice to the NSW Government and supports and manages grants and funding such as the Responsible Gambling Fund, the Clubgrants Category 3 Fund and the Community Development Fund. All human recruitment in this study was in line with the requirements set out by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) at the University of Sydney (2023/HE000813).
Hero photo credit: Adobe Stock.
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