Gambling-Like Elements on Twitch and Kick

A qualitative content analysis examines how gambling-like elements appear in video game live streams on Twitch and Kick, two platforms where such content has grown rapidly. The study was motivated by prior research suggesting that viewers may imitate streamers' gambling behaviors, particularly when those behaviors are rewarded, and by Twitch's 2022 policy change prohibiting unlicensed gambling sites in jurisdictions with weak consumer protection. The authors frame Kick, launched in 2022 and supported by the online casino Stake.com, as a platform that has absorbed streamers and viewers displaced by these restrictions.

The research team analyzed twelve English-speaking streamers selected through platform APIs based on viewership metrics: eight who opened paid loot boxes in games such as Counter-Strike, EA Sports FC 24, and Apex Legends, two who streamed in-game casino content in Grand Theft Auto, and two who broadcast on both platforms. Each streamer was sampled at least four times between 15 March and 15 April 2024, using both video-on-demand recordings and live streams, with screenshots and field notes analyzed inductively. Researchers did not interact with chat and anonymized user names to preserve the naturalistic setting.

The findings describe several recurring patterns. Streamers displayed superstitious behavior, such as chanting "GOLD GOLD GOLD," addressing slot machines as though they could influence outcomes, and dismissing losses or cursing at the game. Loot box challenges, including an "XXL Win Challenge" in which one participant opened over 2,000 boxes, were observed, and streamers involved viewers by opening boxes they sent or using collective language such as "we." Other gambling-adjacent activities included prediction challenges, fantasy sports, and bingo, and some streamers moved viewers from Twitch to Kick, where gambling content was less restricted and frequently sponsored. Notably, most streamers also warned viewers against buying loot boxes. The authors conclude that gambling-like influences extend well beyond displayed items, and they recommend future interview and focus-group research on the experiences of streamers and viewers.