ARE STREAMERS BAD FOR PROBLEM GAMBLERS?

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TommyBhoy

New member
I am a recovering gambling addict but also a viewer of many casinogrounds streamers.  My question is are streamers actually guilty of luring people in with there bonuses and giveaways?

I am asking this question after reading comments on the gamecare forum saying some addicts have fell back into gambling as a result of these bonuses and giveaway.

I understand we are all adults and nobody forces anyone to watch but gambling addiction is growing 10fold every day and very difficult to stop.

Im interested to hear any opinions on this because in my opinion bigger streamers such as Nickslots and Letsgiveitaspin advertise the complete opposite of responsible gambling.

 
As you ask for opinions, i'll sure share mine.

First of all, those steamers i watch on CG act very decent. They often say on stream that you should only play with money you can afford to loose, and they also encourage people to cash out when they show their big wins. They also state very clearly that in the long run, you are most likely to loose, and should never chase losses. And this is words i've heard many times from many streamers. It wasn't just said once.

They do (offcource) recomment the casinos they play at, but not in any agressive way in my opinion. "If you want to try out <casino>, check the link on my page" etc. I think this is a calm and good way. I've never heard formulations like; "you should sign up right away" etc.

When that is said, i do understand your concern. The partnership between the streamers and the casinos is not ment to be in your favour. You guys out there must not think that everything is "done for us viewers". Yeah, they sure promote and give us free stuff. That is a part of the strategic way of getting more viewers, possible signups and better deals with the casinos. That is something everyone who works with commission would do. There can always be a discussion if this is good or bad for the viewers. For some it might be bad (going back to gambling), but for most people with control on their gambling, its very positive, and something you could gain from.

I've noticed many people in chat on stream says that watching streams helps them from gambling themselves, and if this is the case, its a very positive thing. For those like me, its the other way around. The more i watch, the more i want to play myselfe. And with all offers trough streams and e-mails, it's hard to resist. That is something I need to handle myselfe. I can't put that responsibility on the streamers.

So, should those who manage to act responsible miss out on all of this, because some people dont have impulse control? I think not. If you have a gambling problem you should seek help, and stay away from anything related to gambling. If you watch streams or beeing active on casino-forums etc, you seek it yourselfe. This is where your probem is, not the streamers. At least, that is how i see it.

I will end this post by encouraging all the streamers on CG to be more aware of those with gambling addiction. It would never hurt to pay some extra attention on the issue once in a while, even though their main goal is to affiliate more players.

 
As a problem gambler you should not be watching any gambling related stuff on Youtube and Twitch whether that be produced by affiliates or not (most Youtube gambling videos are non affiliate ones incidentally).

You should also not be hanging round forums such as this one with big win screen shots being posted.

For some watching gambling videos helps their addiction but I can't see the likes of GamCare and the likes recommending it as a tool to stop gambling.

Most streamers don't push casinos other than a link being displayed and posted in chat.

 
Streamers are there for themselves to play slots and share with us some entertainment & help fund their streams by affiliation. (there is no requirement for you to sign up through them or even  deposit, it's entirely free to watch them & it also can help recovering gamblers or people who can't afford to gamble and lastly they review slots and can show us potential on some of the games, rather than us waste away thousands trying to get a big win.

Nickslots is anal about don't play with money you can't afford to lose and always encouraging help links to problem gambling e.g gambleaware/gamcare he has also raised money for the charity to help problem gamblers. he also and many advise set deposit limits budgets, and stick to them if playing the slots./casinos.

there is a bot message in his streams about responsible gambling so if you read the chat you clearly see he is helping and doing his best.

on the same time this is 1 of his jobs / income source (anyone can do this).

playing slots and online casinos should be fun, if it is a problem where you can't even watch streamers then you shouldn't watch, simple try netflix. 

Top tips for playing online casinos:

when registering, get your documents in and immediately (set a deposit limit  for e.g mine are £200 a week per casino) don't bet your rent money, pay all bills before gambling only spend money you can afford to lose as most likely you will bust out, although you can have a decent cashout if you play sensible. 

2017 was a good year for my self as I played sensible £1.20 - £3.00 + deposit limits - net profit £16,000 over 5 casinos.

remember it's fun & entertainment enjoy & play responsible <3

@Nick #1 fan :D

 
Some decent opinions here and I respect them all.

I just don't think anyone staking £10 per spin on some streams regardless of whether they can afford it or not can ever be described as responsible.

I personally think there will be a huge shake up in the UK gambling industry because gambling addiction is completely out of control according to the debt charities.

 
TommyBhoy said:
Some decent opinions here and I respect them all.

I just don't think anyone staking £10 per spin on some streams regardless of whether they can afford it or not can ever be described as responsible.

I personally think there will be a huge shake up in the UK gambling industry because gambling addiction is completely out of control according to the debt charities.
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The UKGC has sent letters to operators regarding the inability of them identifying problem gamblers as well as the seperate issue of money laundering.

Even if the UKGC were to ban alll online casinos it doesn't stop the clip joints operating and preying on the addicts.

At the end of the day each person has to take responsibility for their own actions rather than blame others for them. There are tools available to control your gambling but you must be prepared to use them

 
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Im not blaming anyone 

we all take responsibility for our own actions.

I just thought I would ask the question as according to gamecare streamers are as bad as it gets.

I personally watch and I am ok watching streamers.

I just would rather not hear a streamer bang on about responsible gambling then do a 2 grand spin on white rabbit.

 
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Watching gambiling videos will rope you into playing. It’s a terrible idea to be watching such content. It’s as simple as that. Try playing once a month with a decent starting balance rather then depositing money every single week.

 
TommyBhoy said:
Im not blaming anyone 

we all take responsibility for our own actions.

I just thought I would ask the question as according to gamecare streamers are as bad as it gets.

I personally watch and I am ok watching streamers.

I just would rather not hear a streamer bang on about responsible gambling then do a 2 grand spin on white rabbit.
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Responsible gaming...that old chestnut where an entire industry has to pretend to care about its customers while doing something entirely different.  For me it's no different from those drink responsibly messages or a health warning on a packet of cigarettes. Like you, I would personally prefer it if everyone just cut the crap.

There is one point worth considering when it comes to streamers though. The good ones have negotiated +EV deals. From a pure money point of view it would make sense for them to deposit as much as they can (for a bonus) and also play at the highest stakes they are allowed. I'm guessing to the average person that might seem irresponsible but actually it's the smart thing to do.

 
TommyBhoy said:
Im not blaming anyone 

we all take responsibility for our own actions.

I just thought I would ask the question as according to gamecare streamers are as bad as it gets.

I personally watch and I am ok watching streamers.

I just would rather not hear a streamer bang on about responsible gambling then do a 2 grand spin on white rabbit.
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I did a search of the Gamcare website and I can't see such statement anywhere! There are discussions about it on their forums but not by their staff.

Care to link to where Gamcare states streamers are as bad as it gets?

 
TommyBhoy said:
@Slotplayer these statements were not made on the forum

You tell me how  CG streamers have the cheek to say they are responsible gamers then blow 3 grand a day?
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Then where is that statement from Gamcare that "streamers are as bad as it gets". Link please?

As to blowing £3k a day. If they can afford it then it is not irresponsible gambling. You will never see me doing it though because if for arguments sake I could afford it, I wouldn't like to waste £3k like that. But each to their own - you don't have to copy them!

 
@Slotplayer it was spoken about on the old live chat

im not talking about u, im talking about others doing huge stakes.

how do u work out its responsible gambling when even the streamer at the time say they are on the tilt and its such a huge degen thing to do?

is tilting responsible? Regardless if u can afford it or not? 

 
TommyBhoy said:
@Slotplayer it was spoken about on the old live chat

im not talking about u, im talking about others doing huge stakes.

how do u work out its responsible gambling when even the streamer at the time say they are on the tilt and its such a huge degen thing to do?

is tilting responsible? Regardless if u can afford it or not? 
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It's all about what you can afford to lose. If you're happy to blow £3k then who is you telling them to stop it?

And then you also have the situation where one builds up a balance from a few £100 to a few £1,000 and then the tilting starts. If you were to then blow it all you have lost a few £100 (but could have withdrawn that few £1,000 of course).

 
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And then you also have the situation where one builds up a balance from a few £100 to a few £1,000 and then the tilting starts. If you were to then blow it all you have lost a few £100 (but could have withdrawn that few £1,000 of course).
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If the money wasn't tied to any bonus and could be withdrawn then in your example you technically lost a few thousand after winning a few thousand.  It's gamblers arithmetic to classify it as a £100 loss :-)

 
NudgeShuffle said:
If the money wasn't tied to any bonus and could be withdrawn then in your example you technically lost a few thousand after winning a few thousand.  It's gamblers arithmetic to classify it as a £100 loss :-)
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Well you could say every time you are up a few quid you are silly to carry as if it goes tits up after; you lost more than you deposited. But who cashes out a £10 profit off a £200 deposit?

 
Slotplayer said:
Well you could say every time you are up a few quid you are silly to carry as if it goes tits up after; you lost more than you deposited. But who cashes out a £10 profit off a £200 deposit?
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You actually said a couple of thousand up off a £100 deposit. I was simply pointing out that if you then went on to lose the lot you technically lost £2100 not the £100 you classed it as assuming the money was yours to withdraw. Of course, gamblers don't see it this way despite it being the case hence my comment about 'gamblers arithmetic'.

I didn't mention anything about that being silly or cashing out £10 profit from a £200 deposit.

 
I suffered for a gambling problem. I watch NickSlots and a few others regularly but I've never felt tempted to gamble again because I took control of my own life. I sought counselling, asked for help from my partner and parents and self excluded from as many places as possible. I haven't gambled in over a year.

A while ago, I actually spoke to NickSlots about my problem and he was happy to listen and reply. His advice was clear and simple. If I don't feel it's a problem, carry on enjoying his streams. If I feel like it's becoming a problem, then stop watching.

 
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