Whether it’s live streaming with Twitch, posting videos to YouTube, or even looking at the likes of Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, social media influencers are growing in attractiveness for firms seeking partnerships to raise their profile. From energy drinks to bikinis, headphones to holiday firms, the simplicity and reach of social media deals can make influencers a great choice for promoting a brand or product. And this is true of the fiercely competitive iGaming world as well.
Partnerships with Online Casinos
Commercial partnerships between big brands and social media influencers, whether posting pictures on Instagram, streaming on Twitch, or elsewhere, are very much standard operating procedure these days. The same is true for social media stars operating in the world of iGaming, whose association with online platforms can help casinos reach a broader audience and connect with more potential players. Through such modern marketing strategies, online casinos such as Captain Cooks can reach more people and effectively advertise themselves. Thanks to its combination of promising welcome bonus and great games by Microgaming Captain Cooks Casino has a huge fanbase among Canadians, who also have the convenience of being able to play in CAD and avoid currency conversion and the woes of exchange rates biting into profits. Captain Cooks is just one of the many major establishments that get promoted by iGaming influencers. Let’s overview the three of the leading lights of social media when it comes to iGaming.
NG Slot (YouTube)
NG Slot is the YouTube channel of Narek Gharibyan and is one of the most popular and prolific YouTube channels when it comes to casino gaming both online and in the real world. YouTube videos often go up daily, or sometimes multiple times a day, and vary in length from just under an hour to a few minutes. Jackpots and attempting to hit them are a top video choice, and he also looks at comparisons (such as local or Las Vegas casinos and which offer the better odds). At the time of writing, NG Slot has over 5,000 videos on his channel, a subscriber count exceeding 485,000, and his most recent videos get tens of thousands of views within days (his top 10 most popular all surpass the 1 million views threshold).
While NG Slot has had some incredible wins, he also posts about losses to present a realistic perspective rather than cherry-picking wins to either make himself look good or paint an implausibly rosy picture. He also encourages bettors to play responsibly, which is always a reassuring message to hear. In addition, NG Slot has formed a partnership with social casinos Pulsz and McLuck (NB social casinos are those that do not offer gambling as such as there’s no way to win real cash with their games of chance).
Lex Veldhuis (Twitch and YouTube)
When it comes to poker, Lex Veldhuis is one of the biggest names on not one but two social media platforms. Initially, the focus for this Dutch card shark was on Twitch, but these days he regularly posts to YouTube as well. On Twitch, he has 317,000 followers and invests $100,000 to compete in online poker tournaments every month. His Twitch streams are not for the faint of heart, as six hours or so is run of the mill, and some even exceed 24 hours.
Lex is an ambassador for PokerStars as well as being a professional. His YouTube channel looks at the best moments of his streams on Twitch in addition to reviewing and explaining why he made certain decisions. Budding poker players will also want to check out his YouTube Learn with Lex series, which offers advice to beginners (the playlist for this series has 22 videos). It’s always as well to check out a series like this ahead of playing for real. In the same way, a canny player should consult an online casino review ahead of signing up at a new betting site. YouTube videos clock in at just under a thousand at the time of writing, with new videos posted every few days and ranging from almost an hour long to a quarter of an hour.
Coscu (YouTube and Twitch)
Coscu is a bit of a different type of breed compared to the two examples above, which are heavily focused on iGaming, as his streams cover not just video games but chatting, in addition to slots. However, his reach on social media is significant, with a huge 3.8 million followers on Twitch and even more (4.73 million) on YouTube. So, while he’s clearly not focused on iGaming, and it’s more of a slice of Coscu’s social media pie, his audience and follower numbers are enormous. For those wondering, his other main Twitch stream categories are Grand Theft Auto V and League of Legends, the latter also being one of the most popular eSport games in the world.
Sometimes streams can be a mix rather than just a single category, such as a recent 80-minute stream during which Coscu mostly played League of Legends but also spent a few minutes playing slots. This can be a good way for social media influencers to introduce their audience (and Coscu’s viewership is considerable) to iGaming and bridge the gap between that and video games. His YouTube channel does have some gaming content, but it’s very much a minor part of things.
Social media influencers have never been more important for marketing as they bring a charismatic authenticity that traditional forms of promotion simply lack. As such, they’re a great option for iGaming operators to raise their profile online.