TRAFFIC & STRATEGY
Sitting at the intersection of entertainment, affiliate marketing and community building, streamers have been shaping the iGaming industry for nearly a decade. Yet, as platforms like Twitch and YouTube tighten their gambling regulations, can streamers still deliver the same value? Joyce Yang assesses how they’ re adapting to this changing landscape
Fruity Slots co-founder Josh Green still remembers the day he discovered iGaming streaming. A sports affiliate and former William Hill marketing manager, he thought he knew the industry inside out. Then at ICE 2017, when an account manager asked if he’ d done anything on the Amazonowned livestreaming platform Twitch, he was caught off guard – what kind of opportunity could lie there?
Intrigued, he decided to investigate. The next few days, Green was hooked on Twitch watching gamblers – pros and amateurs alike – spinning slots live. He was fascinated by“ how engaged and targeted” those early streamers’ audiences were. Suddenly, a whole new market opened up for him.
Among Green’ s watchlist were three Swedish brothers, Erik, Anton and Mathias Joelsson. Passionate about slots and poker and united by“ a love for gambling”, those siblings wondered what would happen if they broadcast their gameplay. On 8 April 2016, the brothers launched their Twitch channel, CasinoDaddy, as a side project. To their surprise, it took off quickly: the first stream pulled in over 300 live viewers. Green, who comes from a marketing background, and his business partner Jamie Rosen soon pivoted their affiliate venture to focus on streaming, believing that they“ could create a really strong brand from the start”. Armed with nothing but“ a webcam, internet connection and a bit of
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