Influencers gambling with 'donated' cash: Inside the new online gambling trend

SBS Australia

16-07-2025

In a quiet Brisbane club at about 10am on a Tuesday morning, Stuart is sitting in front of a poker machine filming his latest video for his YouTube channel, commentating as the machine flashes and beeps. "Oh my goodness — wow," he says to his viewers, as a $500 win flashes on the screen. But this was a rare win, he told The Feed. "The reality is, you put a hundred in, more than likely you're walking away with nothing. You have to be extremely lucky to walk away with a win," Stuart said.
He's part of a growing number of gambling content creators who are gaining traction across social media and gambling platforms. Stuart gambles small amounts of money, records his wins and losses, and uploads the footage for his viewers, many of whom, he says, are people who "just want a little taste" of gambling without the risk of playing themselves.
Stuart uploads videos to YouTube of him playing the pokies in Brisbane. Source: Supplied But it's a growing type of content that has some experts concerned about Australia's gambling rates.
Australians lose about $25 billion a year to gambling — the most per capita of anywhere in the world — while we host around 18 per cent of the world's poker machines, according to the Australia Institute.
Online gambling influencers making it big Meanwhile, on gaming streaming platforms such as Twitch and the newer Australian site Kick (which is backed by the online gambling site Stake), gambling influencers rack up millions of views streaming themselves playing online pokies (also known by the US term slots). Unlike Stuart's YouTube channel, these streamers often have thousands of eyes on them, largely made up of gamers as well as young people drawn in by the spectacle and personality. Some streamers have up to a million followers. But online slots and casino-style games such as blackjack are illegal in Australia — and so is streaming playing them. However due to loose regulations, the content is being watched in Australia. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) told The Feed in a statement that gambling influencers who promote illegal online services may put Australians at risk as illegal platforms often don't allow users to withdraw winnings and may even take money without permission. "Unfortunately, you are unlikely to see your money again in these situations," a spokesperson said.
They also warned influencers they could face fines of up to $59,400 for promoting or advertising illegal online gambling services.
And some experts fear that the popularity of gambling influencers could lure in young people to gambling harms. "Young Australians who are active online can be more vulnerable and gambling influencers may be putting people that follow them at real risk of harm," the ACMA said.
In some cases, viewers can 'donate' money for the streamer to gamble with and watch the outcome play out. Some streamers encourage viewers to donate money as one-off payments or regular contributions, or promote 'referral links' or sponsorships, to make money, thanking viewers while streaming for their contributions. The donors don't get a share of any winnings.
Gambling has found a new home on Kick and Twitch, where influencers live-stream content for the masses. Source: Getty / John Lamb The appeal of these streams is that they allow viewers to vicariously gamble and engage with these influencers. Users can chat to the streamer who responds live. For some, it's a social and intimate experience. Dr Mark Johnson, a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, has conducted research into the intersection of gambling and researchers. He says the dynamic of fans bankrolling a streamer's real-money play is a brand-new phenomenon that can pose risks. "It's a very modern and very novel relationship between the person who's gambling and the resources that they have to gamble."
"[And] it's very hard to regulate this."
Not just a game Johnson's study surveyed 350 international viewers and observed 25 gambling influencers on Twitch and Kick, finding that nearly half of the viewers felt more inclined to gamble after watching gambling streams. For some, it was the content itself. For others, it was the live chat rooms that the platforms provide, spaces that often reinforce misplaced ideas about gambling strategy and odds.
"You might see a streamer playing a certain online slot game and they've lost a bunch in a row — and then they change to another slot game on the same site and they win a few times and they go: 'See, I knew it'", Johnson said.
Australians lose $25 billion each year to gambling. Source: SBS "A lot of these kind of disordered ideas aren't challenged by anybody and are reinforced." About 30 per cent of people surveyed said they were less likely to gamble due to getting their fix by watching streamers.
Despite their influence, few online gambling personalities have accepted interviews with media or researchers.
Building new audiences Johnson said that while traditional gambling ads on TV are regulated and banned from children's programs, streamed gambling content largely escapes scrutiny or regulation. Plus, age restrictions on these platforms can be easily bypassed. "[Gambling influencer content is] definitely reaching young people. I think to an extent that traditional forms of gambling advertising probably don't reach because these are sites with lots of kids," Johnson said. "Successful influencers and content creators can often have big [young] followings." And young people are prone to the influence of gambling. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from 2023 shared analysis of 10,000 Australians aged 16-17 that found that one-in-six gambled before they were legally allowed — and by 18-19, the number had almost doubled.
Stuart thinks gambling sites should introduce digital ID age checks to ensure children can't access content.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from 2023 found that one-in-six people aged 17-18 gambled before they were legally allowed — and by 18-19, the number had almost doubled. Source: SBS "Most platforms all you've got to do is just click a button and say, 'yes, I'm over 18', and away you go," he said. "So they're relying on honesty, and we all know what humans are like." Between influence and advertising Gambling influencers exist in a new grey area: neither traditional advertisers nor neutral entertainers. Stuart, who on several occasions stopped gambling to try to curb his addiction, said honesty is important in gambling content, and believes he's not promoting it. "I mention where I'm playing just to be nice because they've allowed me to film there, so I mention where I am, so people know. But I really don't feel that it's advertising."
He says his videos include both big wins and big losses while some streamers only share the highs.
"You don't want to trick people into thinking anybody can go down and put a hundred dollars in a machine and pull out a thousand — because that's not the reality." "I've had a lot of comments saying, 'you've put me off gambling by showing me exactly what happened'," Stuart said. While some of his fans do send small donations, he doesn't rely on the income. "Out of $3 I might be left with $1.40 [after fees from streaming platforms] — so it's not a great deal. I don't feel that I have to use that for gambling." A spokesperson from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a national advocacy group, told The Feed in a statement that an advertising ban across all forms of media would help prevent young people view or engage in gambling.
"[It] would prevent anyone — underage or not — from being exposed to people intending to influence gambling behaviour using tactics designed to mislead or glamourise gambling," they said.
A gap in regulation
Despite the growing popularity of gambling streams, there's little regulation. While US-based Twitch (a subsidiary of Amazon) has tightened its rules, such as banning the streaming of unlicensed gambling sites in 2022, Johnson says many streamers simply don't obey the rules.
"Let's say a player who's playing on a British site, they are streaming it on Twitch, which is a US site, and they're being viewed by an Aussie viewer. So how do you manage that?" Kick told The Feed in a statement that gambling streamers are not allowed to bet with other users' money.
"Failure to comply with local laws and regulations is a breach of our terms of service and may result in being temporarily suspended or permanently banned from Kick," it said.
Gambling has found a new home on gaming platforms Twitch and Kick. Source: Getty / Jakub Porzycki Johnson believes this new era of gambling is here to stay and sees an urgent need for more research, platform responsibility, and public awareness. "The big thing is to start taking seriously the idea that viewing gambling matters. That it is not just play which matters," he says. "We live in the first time in history where massive amounts of people can watch celebrities playing games of pure luck — and waging money on those games for massive amounts of money." In the meantime, viewers will keep tuning into their favourite streamers. Some for entertainment. Some for community. Some for the thrill. And for others, a fix they're no longer willing — or able — to chase themselves. If this story raises issues for you, phone Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
Readers seeking support for gambling concerns can contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 for free, professional and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More information is available at www.gamblinghelponline.org.au