SOFTSWISS, an innovative software solution provider to the iGaming industry, takes the online casino experience to another level with the integration of AI into its latest Casino Platform development. The award-winning SOFTSWISS Casino Platform will now see the high-tech AI tool integrated into the Event Streaming feature, as well as the Bonus API feature updated accordingly.

Event Streaming Feature

Event Streaming is a popular platform feature regularly used by a large majority of players for its real-time monitoring and continuous broadcasting capabilities. Players are therefore continuously updated about their actions and statistics on the platform. The latest update expands the scope of the feature to additionally include events like casino tournaments, players’ statistics, payments and transactions, and more.

AI-Driven Platform Feature

Thriving to render an unparalleled online casino experience, SOFTSWISS now integrates the latest predictive analytics development into the Event Streaming AI feature. The functionality relies on machine learning to generate predictive data aimed to serve as a reference for players visiting the platform. The package will also be the borderline for anticipating the Lifetime Value (LTV) and other variables involved in the traffic on the Casino Platform.

Target Audience and Traffic

At the same time, the AI-driven Event Streaming feature will help operators reach their target audiences, identify VIP players, and extend player retention. The feature capable of identifying low-quality traffic on the platform will also help operators adjust their advertising resources and policies to keep customers on the platform and benefit from the target audiences and high-rollers.

Bonus API Functionality

The Event Streaming also includes the Bonus API, a personalized bonus issuance functionality boasting an enhanced precision in transmitting the data. It features a ‘total duration’ update as it merges the activation and wagering periods for bonuses. The functionality can also be used to have free spins directly activated through the Bonus API.

Ivan Borschyov, Head of Business Operations at SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, commented: “We are excited to unveil the latest updates to the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, featuring the integration of machine learning into Event Streaming and simplified bonus management. These enhancements empower operators with more efficient, data-driven tools for player engagement and business optimisation.’’

Borschyov added: “Accurate forecasting and planning enable operators to predict changes in player activity and proactively mitigate risks. We are confident these innovations will set a new standard in online gaming management, further solidifying SOFTSWISS’ leadership in the industry.”

ICE London Presence

All players and fans can visit the SOFTSWISS team at ICE London 2024 to get an insight into the provider’s latest products and developments. The Event Streaming AI integrated into the Casino Platform product is now included in the exciting portfolio.

Source: “Casino Platform Unveils AI-Driven Event Streaming”. SOFTSWISS. February 2, 2024.

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Trainwrecks, a popular streamer who has consolidated his presence as one of the most prominent gambling streamers and co-founder of Kick, a disruptor streaming service, has suggested that the highly successful platform is on its way to make some huge signings that would “devastate” the streaming industry and offer even more opportunities for small and mid-sized hardworking creators to gain traction.

New Potential Signee to Change the Streaming Paradigm

Kick has been a pioneer in letting in gambling streamers and also letting consumers filter gambling content if they don’t wish to see it in the first place. The platform has since signed Amouranth and Adin Ross, xQc, and offered them eye-watering seven-figure deals, including a purported $100 million offer to xQc, which has been recently criticized.

As to Trainwrecks, the Kick co-founder is very confident that the next signings on the platform will include personalities whose switch to the platform will be felt well across the streaming segment. Who this may be is another matter altogether. Kick has not revealed any details about who the new contracts may target.

However, the streaming giant has spared no dime in bringing over more prominent figures, encroaching easily on Twitch territory and compelling consumers, content creators, and viewers to set their new streaming home as Kick.

Kick has also made sure that its platform is organic and free of manipulations, addressing both earlier concerns about botting and the proliferation of gambling content. Kick has been able to completely upend how streamers are paid.

Potential Target for Devastating Signing

The platform offers a 95/5 split, with the bulk going to the content creators themselves, whereas Twitch and YouTube offer 50/50 and 70/30 respectively. Some content creators though have not been tempted by the Kick’s carrot just yet with Asmongold openly supporting the platform but not making a switch.

There was speculation earlier in 2023, and indeed, Asmongold joining now would really coincide with Trainwrecks’ promise of a “devastating signing.”

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Great news for streamers – Golden Rock and Livespins join forces to fulfill all the wishes of their customers. Golden Rock’s impressive portfolio of games will be available for Livespins’ streamers for the first time in history.

The era of streaming

The streamers will be able to play the provider’s games while broadcasting, and on top of that, the spectators will be able to get involved in the playing through betting right behind the streamer. This shared experience improves the whole atmosphere, giving the feeling of belonging to the group, while each player can place their own bet and choose the amount and spins.

Among the titles included in the offering are hit releases such as Remember Remember, Big Bad Beasts and Bonus Only. Already thrilling gameplay is enriched with additional social experience available through the streaming platform, as well as the special chat possibilities granted through the Livespins platform. On top of that, there are various emojis, reactions and gifs that can be sent in chat, granting even more involvement of the spectators in the process.

More exciting contributions

And this is not all – Livespins stepped up its game with Lightning Drop and Lightning Races, which bring thrilling must-drop jackpots and interesting tournaments to this fantastic mix.

Golden Rock will be able to deliver its content in a completely new way and possibly reach more players than ever before through the power of streaming. On the other hand, Livespins was recognized as a great innovator after the company got an award for Innovation in Slot Provision at the EGR B2B Awards 2023.

Michael Pedersen, Chief Commercial Officer at Livespins, said: “Golden Rock’s games are great fun and perfect for streaming thanks to the explosive gameplay they deliver. Our streamers are already chomping at the bit to use its titles in their broadcasts. This is a great partnership for Golden Rock as it can get its games live with more operators than ever before and put these games in front of those lucrative but heard to reach Millennial and Generation Z audiences.”

He added that all players will be protected by the responsible gambling mechanics that are required for getting the licenses.

Gary Francis, Head of Sales and Marketing at Golden Rock, added: “The demand for casino streaming content is frankly insane, and in Livespins, we have a product that allows Golden Rock to capitalize on this while increasing our operator distribution and introducing our games to new player audiences. This makes it one of the most important partnership deals we have signed, and we look forward to seeing its streamers fire up the reels on our titles and for players to join them on the thrill ride they provide.”

Source: Pal, Hunor.  “Gold Standard: Livespins Joins Forces With Golden Rock”, European Gaming, August 29, 2023

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The government in China has been cracking down on gambling for several years now. In light of the country’s strict laws on gambling activities, law enforcement and other agencies constantly monitor different activities and investigate cases of illegal gambling or other gambling-related crimes.

Amid the crackdown on gambling, online content platforms have reportedly taken action by removing live streaming features like lucky draws, actions that slashed their revenues for the latest quarter. As reported by Reuters, Tencent Music, as well as NetEase’s Cloud Music, have excluded live streaming features from its offering.

Analysts have previously voiced their concerns that such live-streaming features may be used for illegal gambling. However, none of the companies have officially addressed such concerns but rather released other reasons for the halt of certain live-streaming features.

For example, Tencent confirmed that the recent change seeks to make it more “music-centric.” Yet, upon releasing its second quarter of 2023 results earlier this month, the company confirmed that Tencent Music has seen a decline of 24% year-over-year in its social entertainment revenues, where the live streaming segment is positioned.

Similarly, Tencent’s game broadcasting platform that resembles Twitch, Huya, also posted a decrease in its social entertainment revenues for Q2 2023 that dipped by 16% year-over-year. Addressing the changes to its live streaming features, Huya said it sought to elevate the experiences for its customers and create a “healthier” atmosphere.

On the other hand, NetEase’s Cloud Music, a popular music streaming service, reportedly also excluded some live streaming features. The change was described as an improvement of its “internal controls mechanism” in combination with “stricter monitoring over irregular user activities.” Unsurprisingly, Cloud Music’s social entertainment revenue in Q2 this year also fell by 24% when compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

The Crackdown on Gambling Continues

While the aforementioned companies haven’t officially linked China’s ongoing crackdown to the halt of some streaming services, analysts predict further impact. 86Research’s analyst, Charlie Chai, predicted that the ongoing efforts against gambling may eliminate between 20% to 70% of the revenue from live streaming. According to him, this depends on the popularity of each of the streaming platforms.

“We expect the anti-gambling crackdown… to eliminate 20% to 70% of live streaming revenue, depending on each platform’s exposure.“

Charlie Chai, analyst for 86Research

Earlier this summer, the Payment and Clearing Association in China confirmed that some $277 million in payments for illegal gambling platforms were blocked for last year alone. The report reaffirms the dedication of the country to fight against such activities at all costs and reduce the money leaking into illegal gambling.

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Gambling streamers have become very popular in recent years – but why is that, and what have popular platforms Twitch and Kick done to increase their popularity?

Twitch’s popularity

Tom Waterhouse from Waterhouse VC decided to research this topic and compare two of the most popular streamers. Twitch was launched in 2011, but its biggest growth was recorded after Amazon bought the platform for $970 million in 2014. At the time, there were very few streamers in the whole US market.

There awaited various thrilling features, including many tutorials and chat rooms hosted by famous gamers from all over the world. The money comes from both ads and premium subscriptions, as well as a few merchandise sales, and the platform and the streamer used to split the subscription revenue 50/50 until June when it changed to 70/30 for the streamer.

Among other things, Twitch offers Bits – it’s an internal currency that users can give to steamers as a sign of support, and that revenue is also split. However, according to the source, the streamers believe they’re underpaid. In 2021, some information about the network was leaked, and according to that, only 0.01% of streamers were paid more than the minimum wage. This is the main reason for the different split percentages, along with increased competition from the new platforms.

Kick – a serious threat

Another major platform is Kick, which is relatively new, with the launch in January 2023. However, it rapidly became popular among streamers and viewers. Streamers love it because of the 95/5 split, along with keeping all the tips to themselves.

Kick also allows gambling. After the 2022 scandal, when Twitch borrowed money from creators to pretend to fund gambling expenses, Twitch decided to ban most of the popular gambling streaming, starting in October last year.

Back then, the company claimed: “We’ll be making a policy update on 18 October to prohibit streaming of gambling sites that include slots, roulette, or dice games that aren’t licensed either in the US or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection.”

On Kick, however, gambling content is beyond popular, which has drawn streamers to the platform. Since fans keep finding new ways to gamble, the ban didn’t help – many of them simply transferred to Kick, which likely won’t ban gambling content from the platform since its popularity keeps growing.

In January, the platform had 9.000 active channels, and in April, that number increased to 67,000. Also, there were 12.8 million viewing hours in January, and that number increased to 51.8 million until April. It is still only 2.8% of Twitch’s hours, but the company keeps growing, and gambling streaming helps a lot.

Will Twitch be replaced by Kick? It’s early to say for sure, but the games have just begun.

Source: “Waterhouse VC: Twitching into gear”. iGaming Business. August 22, 2023

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Much has changed on the streaming platform Twitch in the last year. Changes to its policies resulted in the ban of content from different gambling platforms, while some streamers criticized its limits related to the freedom of speech, resulting in an outflow of content creators to different platforms.

Kick, the Stake-owned streaming platform, welcomed those changes and was excited to see new content creators aboard. What’s more, the platform challenged Twitch’s dominance by providing lucrative financial contracts, relaxed rules and a place where blacklisted content creators can emerge once again.

While those changes and the consequences that followed sounded like standard business, further changes to Twitch have now shocked not only gambling streamers but other content creators as well. The new rules effectively restrict content creators from simulcasting on multiple platforms, whenever they engage in Twitch streaming.

“When you are streaming live on the Twitch Services you may not simultaneously live stream or broadcast (“Simulcast”) on any other “Twitch-like Service,” meaning any web-based network, platform, or service that supports live streaming of user generated content, without advance written permission from Twitch,“

read the updated terms of service from Twitch

Per the latest restrictions, streamers are banned from simultaneously live streaming or broadcasting their content to other platforms similar to Twitch. Such actions are restricted unless “written permission” from Twitch is secured in advance. An exception is made for mobile-first streaming services, as well as non-profit, non-commercial organizations such as government institutions.

“For clarity, you may Simulcast on mobile-first services that support live streaming. This Section does not apply to non-profit or government entities that are live streaming for non-commercial purposes,“

explain Twitch’s terms of service

It is yet to be seen how the broader Twitch streaming community will react to the latest changes. While some may transition to the platform’s competitor Kick, others may decide to stay and continue growing their position on Twitch. In light of the updated terms of service, content creators that simulcast on multiple platforms may be subject to bans or other forms of penalty from Twitch.

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