Money and Risks: Unraveling the World of Gambling Livestreams
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Losing it all at the casino isn’t something to brag about … unless you do it for a living!
Gambling guru Brian Christopher lost a staggering $300,000 on slot machines last year but somehow came out on top. How did he do it? Through building an empire out of livestreaming his gambling adventures.
Thousands of fans tune in to YouTube daily to see how much Christopher will win (or lose). Regardless of how much the house takes from him, he’s still a winner.
How in the world does one build a lucrative business out of playing a game of chance? Christopher recently spilled the secrets of his success to the Wall Street Journal.
Throughout the week, Christopher heads to the casino and hops on slot machines, bringing his YouTube and Facebook audiences along for the ride. He livestreams himself playing games and walking through the process, which includes the good, bad and sometimes ugly reality of losing.
In the past, casinos banned people from filming while they visited. However, they’ve recently changed their minds, especially with influencers. Christopher and other gambling livestreamers often get special permission to shoot footage. Casinos also offer promotional deals to gambling influencers — cha-ching!
Christopher’s business currently consists of 10 employees who do everything from packaging and shipping merchandise to running his busy social media accounts. The team also helps secure sponsorship deals and partnerships to fund the venture.
He also has an assistant and a videographer on staff who help with filming and video production. Christopher games online from his home in Palm Springs when he’s not at a casino.
Plus, Christopher offers cruise voyages through a partnership with Carnival. Upwards of 650 fans join him aboard and try their hand at the cruise ship slot machines. He’s got even bigger plans next year, with trips departing in multiple U.S. locations and Australia.
Although he didn’t disclose an exact number, Christopher says he makes enough dough to pay his staff and turn a profit, even after claiming $300,000 in gambling losses. Not too shabby!
Christopher is one of many slot machine livestreamers capitalizing on this viral trend. Francine Maric (aka Lady Luck HQ) built her empire in a similar fashion. She shares her win-loss statements with fans and also experienced losses of over $300,000.
Like Christopher, Maric turns a pretty profit thanks to advertising revenue, paid partnerships and brand sponsorships. Her YouTube channel and Facebook account boast an impressive 1 million views per day.
Elyse Shultz runs the popular Travel Ruby YouTube channel, a Vegas-based travel account. She and her husband moved to Las Vegas permanently from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the two continue expanding their horizons.
Today, the Travel Ruby account has almost 200,000 subscribers and nearly 40 million views. Shultz recently released a dedicated gambling channel called Ruby Slots, which receives millions of views and is quickly gaining popularity.
