Poker and online gaming have grown in popularity over the past few years, with players from all over the world taking to Twitch to showcase their skills. However, a new platform has emerged in the industry and is signing lucrative contracts with some live streamers in a bid to bring their audiences with them, including gambling streams.
Kick is backed by the co-founders of gambling site Stake and has spent some big bucks to sign streaming stars. One of them, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, signed a two-year contract with the platform in January for $70 million. The agreement includes financial incentives that may total up to $100 million.
After Twitch cracked down on some gambling streams in recent years, Kick is looking to offer an alternative. Call of Duty player Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff also recently signed with the company for an eight-figure sum and launched his first stream last week. Gambling appears to be a major part of the platform’s future.
“The first question I see is, ‘Nick, are you going to gamble?’” he said in the first broadcast. “We’ll definitely be doing some gambling. “It’s part of the contract.”
Kick Trades focuses on gambling flows
Recent media reports indicate that some streamers may have a contract with both Kick and Stake, which means… Gambling will be a major part of the business On the platform.
“Nickmercs has essentially confirmed what many suspected: that Stake is throwing money at streamers to promote gambling via Kick,” computer games Reports. “Kick’s status as one of the few streaming platforms that has successfully built any audience against Twitch is key here, because last year Twitch took action in the wake of community concerns about the increasing prevalence of gambling streams on the platform.”
A quick check of xQc’s Kick channel reveals that some of his streams do feature some gambling, including slots. During a recent broadcast, a viewer asked about gambling.
“Brother, I’ve never lied about this before. What’s with this person? Everyone knows I am.
PC Gamer noted that there may be concerns about paying the streamer for gambling as he has revealed some addictive tendencies in the past.
Lengyel has about 12 million followers on Twitch, and signing with Kick made headlines as the service hoped to tap some of the industry’s leading creators to build the brand. The service takes just 5% of a streamer’s subscription revenue compared to Twitch’s 50%.
“That’s more than most professional athletes and major stars,” Lengyel’s agent, Ryan Morrison, said at the time of the deal. “This is one of the highest deals in entertainment, period.”
Lengyel is also a fan of poker and has played at Hustler Casino Live. On the show, he played with the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, and other creators like Alexandra Botez and Jimmy Elsayed. Monster Donaldson, Ludwig Agren, and Tyler Ninja Blevins. Ultimately, it ended the session down nearly $100,000.
A recent Instagram post also showed him gambling at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, sitting at the table with more than $150,000 in front of him.
