Influence is an essential and expensive thing to have. If you have influence over a group of people, you can fairly easily monetize your followership and get money or gifts in return. The online casino gaming space isn’t immune to this trend, we’ve seen the rise of influential figures that play games and have fun for an audience. Let’s investigate the pros and cons of having people like these in the ecosystem.
The Good
Influencers are a bit of a tricky topic to talk about these days. Every famous person is an influencer in one way or another. Politicians use their influence to get people to vote for them. The gaming space has witnessed the rise of influential players that routinely pull in thousands (sometimes millions) of users on their streams. Online VulkanVegas gamers stream their gameplay to audience globally, many of these streamers are millennials or Gen Zs. There are people who want to gamble on casino entertainment online but cannot due to religious restrictions, legality in their home country or sub-division, or a host of other reasons.
Another subset of viewers are active casino gamblers, who look to these streamers as sources of inspiration and for tips. Some of these streamers are genuinely decent people who look out for their viewer’s best interest and play their games in fun and entertaining ways. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, but there are lots of great people influencing the next generation of master casino gamblers. Studios and casino companies pay these influencers good money to advertise their products and teach potential customers how to make the most of their experiences.
The Bad
Influence is nothing without accountability. Some of the largest celebrities with massive followings have led their followers and fans astray in the past. We see it frequently when famous people advertise products that are bad or do not do what’s advertised. When we look at the age and demography of many streaming fans, it’s easy to see how some may be driven to make decisions solely based on what their favorite online casino gaming star says. We have a duty as a community to ensure we back the right people to become massive because failure to do so can lead to catastrophe.
There’s always the potential issue of a streamer becoming too popular and having incredible influence over a large chunk of an ecosystem. It can be problematic when this person has the power to make or mar a product based on their willingness to partner and review. When a star is too popular, it becomes inevitable because every brand and stakeholder would need to go through them to get the market share they desire. There are unfortunate incidents of famous gamers using their influence recklessly without considering what’s best for their audience and fans.
What Does The Future Hold for Casino Gaming Influencers?
The last few years haven’t been great for the reputation of influencers. These people are making more money than ever before, but many fans and viewers are beginning to disconnect due to multiple instances of foul play and many gamers becoming nonchalant and tone-deaf to their fans.
A few bright spots in the online casino gaming scene have emerged in recent months sparking hope that these fresh faces can reinvigorate the space and get users excited and connected than ever before. It won’t be easy, but influential gamers can become a force for change.
There’s a possibility that these gamers lose relevance in the ecosystem if they fail to fix some of the fundamental and recurring problems they cause, like recommending bad products for personal gain, talking bad about great products that do not partner with them, and misleading fans.
Here are a few things to consider when watching casino gaming streams:
- Enjoyment: too many of us have forgotten the true essence of why people project their gameplay to the whole world. If you’re not enjoying what you see and hear, it’s always better to find a better option;
- Gameplay Quality: it’s fairly easy to figure out if who you’re watching knows what they are doing. A worryingly large number of online casino celebrities are clueless and know next to nothing about what they’re doing. They get away with it because their audience knows less than they do, and they have their trust;
- Perks: depending on how much influence a player has, they might be able to get perks like discounts, free spins, merch, and other types of goodies. You never know what you might win when you click on a stream from an influential individual who cares about their viewers.
The Joy of Online Casinos
Your interests might be beyond watching others have fun with casino slots, it’s time to discover the beauty of playing a game of skill or luck. It’s an experience that’s unlike any other, and you’re guaranteed to have the experience of a lifetime when you decide to play like you mean it.