The world of livestreaming has witnessed a seismic shift with the emergence of Kick, a Twitch rival backed by the co-founders of the Stake gambling platform. Kick has made waves in the industry by investing heavily in streamers, offering lucrative contracts to some of the biggest names in the business.
Among these streamers is Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff, co-owner of FaZe Clan and a popular Call of Duty streamer. His recent eight-figure deal with Kick has sparked a flurry of speculation about the inclusion of gambling streams as part of the contract.
During his first livestream on Kick, Nickmercs revealed that gambling streams would indeed be a part of his contract. He addressed the burning question from his fans, stating, “We’re gonna do some gambling for sure. It’s part of the contract, y’know.”
However, Kick’s head of partnerships contradicted this claim, stating that there was no gambling clause in Nickmercs’ contract. The truth, as revealed by esports reporter Jake Lucky, is that Nickmercs has a separate Stake contract alongside his Kick contract. This clarification sheds light on the close association between Kick’s streaming platform and Stake’s gambling site.
The disclosure by Nickmercs provides further evidence that Kick’s success as a streaming platform is intricately linked to Stake’s success as a gambling platform. Stake.com, owned by Kick co-founder Ed Craven, has been banned from Twitch due to concerns about the promotion of gambling to underage audiences and the potential for gambling addiction. Kick’s decision to include gambling streams as part of their offerings suggests that they are leveraging Stake’s expertise and resources to attract both streamers and viewers to their platform.
Twitch, the leading livestreaming platform, took action against gambling streams in response to growing concerns from the community. Numerous Twitch streamers and viewers expressed worries about the promotion of gambling addiction and the impact on underage audiences. As a result, Twitch banned several gambling sites, including Stake.com, from their platform. This ban created an opportunity for Kick to fill the void left by Twitch and attract streamers like Nickmercs, who are interested in exploring the world of gambling streams.
Despite the controversies, Kick.com continues to expand its platform and improve its services. Recently, they announced the addition of a feature that allows users to report streams for guideline violations, indicating their commitment to addressing concerns and maintaining a responsible streaming environment. This move reflects Kick’s desire to grow and evolve as a platform, catering to the demands and expectations of both streamers and viewers.
Félix “xQc” Lengyel, one of the most prominent streamers associated with gambling on livestreams, has openly admitted that he is being paid to gamble on his streams. In response to questions about his involvement in gambling, xQc stated, “Bro, I’ve never lied once about it before, what is up with this guy: everyone knows I am.” Despite facing criticism for his gambling tendencies and the potential harm it may cause to his audience, xQc passionately defends his actions, considering it an illness and emphasizing that he can afford to be addicted.
