TikTok is a platform that managed to gain exceptional popularity over a short period. That’s the main reason why the platform has always been surrounded by controversy. It went to a point where President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok from the United States if the company wasn’t sold to a US-based company.
There is no doubt that TikTok changed many people’s lives. They’ve gained a massive audience thanks to TikTok’s friendly algorithm. Now, they have the power to influence people and we’ve seen many of the no-name celebrities that grew ever since TikTok came into the picture are now promoting brands for millions of dollars.
If you use TikTok on a regular basis, you might have noticed that many influencers actually promote gambling content. This is not coincidental. They are paid to do that.
In today’s article, we will discuss the rise of influencers pushing gambling content on TikTok and find the real reasons for that.
The Rise of Gambling Content on TikTok
TikTok influencers are now starting to capitalize on the platform’s large and engaged audience to promote gambling. We can see right about anything, from online casinos to sports betting, influencers are engaging in sometimes controversial content, which is kind of on purpose since the video attracts millions of views.
When it comes to TikTok gambling influencers, there aren’t many big names that focus specifically on gambling. However, we can see a lot of gaming influencers being approached by big gambling companies to promote their services, which kind of makes sense.
After all, look at other streaming platforms like Kick, Twitch, or Rumble. They all allowed gambling promotions, and now streamers heavily promote online gambling activities. The real problem here is the risk of financial loss and its impact on viewers. However, we also have companies like Huuuge Casino, which is a social casino that is completely free to play.
With TikTok, the promotional side of things is a bit different. We often see no-name channels that scrape content off the internet and add quotes or podcasts on a split screen with gambling content on the screen. The viewers then listen to the podcast host and watch some casino gameplay. Thanks to the long attention span, TikTok is pushing the video, resulting in big promotions for the casino without paying a cent.
Why TikTok?
Why is TikTok such a fertile ground for gambling content? Well, there are multiple reasons, such as:
- Short, Engaging Videos: Short-form content is perfect for grabbing attention quickly.
- Viral Trends: It is a platform that pushes viral trends, leading to more viewership at a lower cost.
- Young Demographic: TikTok’s young adult audience is perfect for online gambling and the new concept of casino games that are usually promoted on the platform.
How Influencers Push Gambling Content
Well, there are multiple different ways for an influencer to promote gambling content. But all of them point towards a financial benefit that the influencer gets from promoting it.
Sponsored Content and Partnerships
Sponsored content is the main type of promotion on TikTok. The idea here is simple: a brand hires an influencer to make a video or multiple videos promoting its product.
Influencers can earn a lot of money through brand deals and sponsored content. For example, mega-influencers with over a million followers can earn upwards of $2,500 per post.
They use strategies showcasing big wins or incredible casino gameplay to promote a particular casino game and make people want to play it.
Live Streams and Real-Time Betting
We all know about live-streaming promotions, right? We often see these types of promotions on other platforms like Kick or Twitch, but how do they work?
Well, the casino usually makes a deal with the influencer. For example, they are giving them $10,000 to play a particular slot game. Their benefit? Well, they get to keep all the money that they are left with after the stream.
Affiliate Links and Giveaways
Other influencers choose the affiliate promotion strategy. They are given a link to showcase to their viewers, and they usually get a percentage of every person’s bet when they sign up through their link.
This is an incredible way for influencers to make millions of dollars, especially if they have a large following base.
The Impact on Viewers
The impact on viewers is much deeper than most people think. However, at this point due to the huge size of all social media platforms, it is really hard to control the content that gets published, and on the other hand, social media platforms have softened their terms and conditions about gambling content promotions.
Of course, these promotions can lead to gambling addiction, which is a serious concern, especially among young viewers who are usually more impressionable. The real problem here is the lack of control over who consumes the content and its impact on their future life.
Promotion of casino or gambling content should always be followed with warnings about the financial risk that the people are taking. At the same time, casino content can be considered as entertainment content, and for some people might bring good and even profit.
At the end of the day, we can all agree that casinos saw the opportunity to push online content to various social media platforms, and now the internet is dominated by casino and gambling-sponsored content.
