## The Chance Under Twitch’s Restriction

Twitch’s recent action against online casino broadcasts has put many in a difficult situation, but some are viewing this as a chance to succeed. Daniel O’Boyle talked with LiveSpins CEO Chris Scicluna and significant investor Robin Reed about how their gambling-focused streaming platform has done since the news came out.

**The Chance Under Twitch’s Restriction**

As the gambling industry knows, every new regulation brings those who profit.

When Twitch, the streaming giant, declared its latest action against gambling broadcasters, it appeared like bad news for the industry. But many see this as a chance for development.

The most obvious beneficiaries are rival streaming services that specialize in gambling.

One of these is LiveSpins, which provides a built-in streaming client on operator websites. Players can watch their preferred broadcasters play games, but unlike platforms like Twitch that aren’t designed for gambling, they can also wager alongside the broadcasters.

LiveSpins CEO Chris Scicluna says they owe Twitch a debt for their original inspiration.

“We are a live entertainment product,” he said. “We looked at Twitch, and we saw the popularity of streaming. In 2021 alone, 280 million hours of slot machine content were consumed.

This is a truly robust community, but supporters cannot truly be a part of it. So we saw a chance to bridge that gap. You can join, watch them, converse, but you can also wager.
“So, when the streamer triumphs, everyone triumphs.”

A new opportunity
It’s not shocking that LiveSpins is prepared to seize some new business prospects because of Twitch’s prohibition.

Robin Reed, the head of Happyhour (LiveSpins’ primary investor), said they’ve already witnessed more individuals interested.

“We have a plethora of potential agreements, and that’s grown since this news surfaced,” he stated. “Streamers are approaching us, game developers are approaching us, and enterprises that operate these games are approaching us to see what we can do for them.

“At LiveSpins, we’re observing a lot of interest from both the individuals who create the games and the companies that run them, and we’re conversing with a lot of streamers right now.”

Scicluna mentioned that game studios were the most intrigued. It’s easy to understand why, since they get to make their game the primary focus of the video.

“I believe the game makers are more interested,” he said. “They gained attention through Twitch, but LiveSpins is probably more stable because it collaborates with the companies that run the games.”

But Scicluna mentioned that LiveSpins isn’t attempting to be a direct rival to Twitch. He said they both have different roles in the gaming realm, at different points in how individuals utilize the games.

Weve never contended with Twitch, we’ve merely enhanced it,” he stated. “Twitch is more concentrated on user acquisition. With LiveSpins, we’re conducting live broadcasting in the foyer. We have broadcasters, and we labor diligently so that operators don’t have to.”

Scicluna remarked that live broadcasting itself has already had a substantial effect on the online casino sector.

“I believe broadcasters have done a phenomenal job,” he said. “They’ve crafted a novel form of amusement on Twitch. Broadcasters initially just allowed players to play games, but they recognized that to construct a community, they needed to engage in some genuine content creation with limited constraints.

“So some of them are undertaking bonus hunts. They commence playing games, and when they receive bonuses, they retain them, and then they open all the bonuses concurrently. They perform bonus purchases, they participate in slot tournaments – 50 spins each on a slot, whoever wins the largest prize.

“They’ve introduced a level of innovation that’s been absent in the industry. But everything has its drawbacks. Some broadcasters aren’t conducting it in a sustainable and accountable manner.”

Inevitable?
However, Reed indicated that the suppression was likely unavoidable.

“My initial reaction is to empathize with the businesses impacted,” Reed said. “But we’re not particularly astonished.

“Twitch has already modified its policies on casino links, etc. Now, I believe gambling in mainstream media (both digital and non-digital) will always be volatile. You’ll always be subject to policy alterations.”

Thus, we weren’t particularly shocked,” he remarked.

In reality, he believed the final result was more forgiving than some individuals anticipated. The announcement arrived after many of Twitch’s most well-known video game broadcasters applied significant pressure on the service to completely prohibit gambling broadcasts.

“There are actually two communications,” he clarified. “One is that remotely-licensed casinos will be forbidden, and they mentioned a few. However, they did then state that they will permit streams of locally licensed casinos. That wasn’t necessarily a certainty.”

“They could have simply banned casino games on their platform.”

Actually, Reed stated he wasn’t entirely certain that additional modifications wouldn’t occur on the Amazon-owned platform.

“I believe social media is going to be increasingly regulated, and gambling is going to be increasingly regulated, so you’re definitely going to witness changes on these platforms,” he said. “But gambling is a cultural phenomenon that has existed throughout human history, and it’s going to continue to exist.”

“I definitely think gambling will always be present on these platforms, but I anticipate more regulation on it in the future.”

Sicona was pleased to acknowledge that Twitch has cultivated a large audience, but he agreed that Twitch is too extensive of a platform to be the go-to destination for gambling broadcasters.

“I believe Twitch itself is a streaming platform that has built a massive community around video games, but it wasn’t really intended for gambling.”

This is a neutral platform, ideal for establishing a vast community, but professionals in the field are more adept at achieving this in a long-lasting manner.

In the end, Reed is convinced that certain solutions can only originate from within the industry itself.

“I anticipate these recent occurrences to demonstrate that it is far more advantageous for the industry to collaborate and create exceptional community products instead of depending on external sectors to fulfill their requirements.”

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