The lines between online gaming and gambling continue to blur. First, CS:GO came under fire for its skin betting operation; now, Twitch is launching its own e-currency that allows viewers to wager on competitive gaming streams. Stream+ was launched this week at TwitchCon. It is a new currency that players can earn while watching live streams of battle games on Twitch, and it can be wagered on the outcome of these battles.

New E-Currency

As viewers watch live game streams on Twitch, they will earn currency similar to loyalty points called Stream+. The longer they watch, the more points they earn and viewers can also earn bonus points by taking part in polls. As players make their way up the leaderboard, Twitch will provide the highest earners with in-game rewards. Viewers can also earn loyalty points by placing successful wagers on in-game events.

This is where the concept of gambling comes into play. In Amazon’s new PC game, Breakaway, a multi-player battler, viewers can wager on the outcome of matches.

Betting Isn’t New to Twitch

Steam+ isn’t the first time Twitch viewes have been able to wager on live competitions. Salty Bet has been around for quite some time, which allowed viewers to bet on a continuous live stream of MUGEN fights. SaltyBucks have no cash value, and punters wager solely for entertainment. Stream+ is likely to work the same way, providing no real-world value for loyalty points.

This ensures that the line between gambling and online gaming is firmly drawn. With the recent controversy surrounding CS:GO skin betting, it’s important that online gaming operators stay far away from any associations with gambling.

Is There Any Harm?

Twitch runs the risk of being criticised by responsible gambling campaigners. Since viewers of all ages are likely to be able to earn and wager loyalty points (in the same way that players of all ages could take part in CS:GO skin betting), concerns may arise about the normalisation of gambling among underage individuals.

Emergence of a New Gaming Genre

This could be the beginning of a new online gaming genre. We may see a new breed of video games that are optimised for streaming on Twitch. This is certainly something to keep an eye on in the future of games development.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.