Top Streaming Platforms for iGaming in 2024 (Issue #8)
Streaming platforms have quickly become essential tools for iGaming operators, transforming how brands connect with players.
Over the past few years, platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Kick (not to be confused with the Kik messenger platform) have carved out significant roles in this space.
The total hours watched across major platforms averaged billions in 2023, matching peak levels from 2020. Indeed, streaming platforms remain a consistent and growing avenue for player engagement.
Streaming platforms are becoming vital for iGaming marketing, community building, and player retention. They offer operators a dynamic way to showcase games, engage directly with players, and build communities that extend beyond traditional gaming environments.
However, operators must navigate a complex regulatory landscape.
Already, countries like Russia, China, and Iran have imposed restrictions or outright bans on iGaming content on streaming platforms, driven by concerns over unregulated communication and content distribution.
As such, there’s no telling, as of yet, whether regulations will recede or start to engulf the market.
In this article, SOFTSWISS and BGaming expert Maksim Krotau , B2C Marketing Lead, will break down how streaming platforms work and single out the market leaders, highlighting best practices for online casino operators.
BGaming is a game studio founded in 2018 with over 150 games. It frequently collaborates with streamers and conducts player research and analysis.
What are streaming platforms and what is their value for iGaming?
As briefly explored, streaming platforms have become pivotal in the iGaming industry, offering operators a powerful medium for connecting with players.
These platforms – such as Twitch, YouTube, and Kick – serve as hubs where gaming is not just broadcasted but also deeply interacted with.
Indeed, in Q2 2024 alone, Twitch recorded over 5.1 billion hours watched, while Kick showed remarkable growth with a 163% year-over-year increase in watch hours, highlighting its rising importance. Meanwhile, YouTube saw a single month last year where iGaming viewership exceeded 3 billion hours. This trend is likely to continue as more statistics are gathered for 2024.
These numbers show how critical these platforms are for reaching a large and engaged audience. Naturally, iGaming operators can boost their return on investment (ROI) by integrating streaming platforms into their marketing strategies.
Leveraging advanced tactics like data-driven targeting and programmatic advertising allows operators to tailor their content more effectively, leading to higher conversion rates and better engagement. Behavioural segmentation, where players are grouped based on their actions and preferences, has also proven to enhance player retention, further improving ROI.
Moreover, streaming platforms' value extends beyond visibility; they play a crucial role in fostering player engagement. Features like live chats and interactive elements keep players involved, while the integration of AI and machine learning enables hyper-personalised content.
This personalised approach not only keeps players engaged longer but also builds a sense of community, which is essential for retaining players over time.
However, as Maksim of BGaming points out, streaming platforms are often not the final conversion point. Streamers typically direct their audience to Telegram, Discord communities, or websites – where, they continue to engage with their audience and near them towards converting into players through positive brand associations.
Top 3 Streaming Platforms for iGaming
While we’ve explored the general statistics so far, let’s delve into each of our three streaming platforms to better understand their unique strengths and how these define their positioning.
1. YouTube
Key Features Relevant to iGaming: YouTube stands out with its massive user base – over 2.5 billion monthly active users – which makes it one of the most powerful platforms for reaching a broad and diverse audience.
One of YouTube’s biggest advantages is its content longevity. Unlike live-stream-only platforms, YouTube videos can be accessed long after the initial broadcast, providing ongoing visibility for iGaming content.
Additionally, YouTube’s robust search and discovery algorithms help content resurface long after it's published, which can drive continuous engagement.
Audience Demographics: YouTube's audience is incredibly diverse, spanning all age groups and regions.
Approximately 77% of internet users aged 15-35 are active on YouTube, making it a key platform for targeting both younger and mature audiences. On average, users spend over 30 minutes per session on the platform, with iGaming videos maintaining strong engagement rates.
Gambling Policy: YouTube allows gambling-related content, but it is subject to strict community guidelines. Despite that, it remains one of the largest platforms for iGaming streamers.
Content creators must ensure their videos comply with these regulations, particularly in regions where gambling content is heavily regulated. This makes it essential for operators to be mindful of regional differences when publishing iGaming content on YouTube.
2. Twitch
Key Features Relevant to iGaming: Twitch is the undisputed leader in live gaming streams, as we’ve seen, holding about 60% of the market share in Q2 2024.
Its dominance is largely due to its live-streaming capabilities, which are tailored for real-time interaction. Twitch’s interactive features, such as live chat, subscriber perks, and channel points, significantly enhance viewer engagement during iGaming streams. This real-time interaction is a powerful tool for building a dedicated community around iGaming content.
Audience Demographics: Twitch’s audience skews younger, with 73% of users aged between 16 and 34.
The platform is also predominantly male, with about 65%. This demographic concentration makes Twitch particularly effective for targeting younger male audiences who are highly engaged in gaming and iGaming.
Gambling Policy: Twitch has stricter rules regarding gambling content compared to other platforms. In 2022, it banned streams related to unlicensed casinos, though licensed iGaming content is still allowed under specific guidelines.
Streamers on Twitch must be up to date on the platform's latest updates and often end up showing some casino games, but none of the online casino itself, so operators shouldn't expect a lot of exposure and brand awareness from Twitch alone..
3. Kick
Key Features Relevant to iGaming: Kick is a relatively new platform but has rapidly become a key player in the iGaming space, largely driven by its creation by Stake.com, a major online casino.
Kick has shown remarkable growth, with a 163% year-over-year increase in watch hours by 2024. The platform is particularly known for its low-latency streaming, which ensures minimal delay – crucial for interactive gambling streams. Kick also offers more flexible monetisation options, providing higher revenue shares for streamers, which makes it attractive for content creators in the iGaming sector.
Audience Demographics: Kick’s audience is rapidly expanding, with a strong focus on gambling and related content. Much like Twitch, the platform’s user base is predominantly male, with a significant concentration in the 18-35 age group.
Gambling Policy: Kick’s policies are more lenient towards gambling content compared to other platforms, reflecting its origins in the online casino industry. However, it still enforces guidelines to ensure responsible content creation, which helps maintain a balance between engagement and ethical standards.
BGaming specifically finds that Kick stands out as the most creator-friendly platform with superior monetisation policies, despite its novelty.
Interestingly, while Kick may not be ideal for starting a streaming career now, the platform’s rapid development could change this soon, especially going off their announced development roadmap.
What to Look for When Choosing a Streaming Platform
Choosing the right streamer is essential. It’s not just about finding someone with a large following – it’s about finding someone who aligns with your brand’s values and resonates with your target audience.
A streamer’s ability to engage their audience authentically can make or break a campaign. There are two main factors to consider – the platform and the streamer.
Platform Rules and Policies
Each streaming platform has its own set of rules and policies, particularly regarding content restrictions and monetisation. For instance, Twitch has stricter regulations on gambling content, while Kick offers more leniency but still enforces guidelines to ensure responsible content creation. It’s vital to familiarise yourself with these rules to avoid compliance issues. Ensure that your content is aligned with platform policies, and be mindful of regional regulations that could impact your campaigns.
Maksim Krotau adds:
There’s no single platform that is optimal across all criteria today. Some platforms are better for audience growth, others for conversion, and some are a compromise. Streamers choose based on what matters most to them and what aligns with their working style.
Checklist for a Good Streamer
To ensure success, consider the following best practises when selecting a streamer:
When it comes to streamer evaluation, Maksim also comments about their internal strategy:
When evaluating a streamer, we look at several factors: average viewership, the engagement level of their chat, follower count and interactions on other social media, collaborations with well-known industry figures, and the streamer’s history of past partnerships.
Typically, no one will engage in long-term collaborations with a streamer unless they have strong financial performance. And, of course, we also conduct trial collaborations.
Of course, choosing a streamer is only half of the equation for a game provider. Perhaps the more important part is making sure that they choose the company. To this end, BGaming treats each streamer as a unique individual:
We try to see the person behind the numbers, recognising their desires, needs, problems, and concerns..
Indeed, the team developed the idea that a streamer should be a partner, rather than a contractor.
Conclusion
YouTube, Twitch, and Kick are all powerful tools for reaching and engaging players.
Each platform offers distinct advantages, whether it’s YouTube’s vast user base and content longevity, Twitch’s real-time interaction and community-building features, or Kick’s rapid growth and focus on iGaming.
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The SOFTSWISS Team
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