One 20-year-old said he was first hooked on the sites in high school, placing wagers with his friends after baseball practice. Another gambler said he took thousands of dollars from his parents and spent it on crypto casinos. David, who asked to be identified by his middle name to protect his privacy, said he emptied out more than $12,000 in childhood savings when he turned 18 this year and converted it into cryptocurrency on a website. He bet it all, doubled it and then lost it all. He later took out and gambled away $4,000 in personal loans without his parents knowing, trying to earn it back.

Other streamers who have small, consistent audiences can sign deals with casinos, but the terms are less profitable. A common deal structure pays a streamer a daily “fill,” generally between a few hundred and several thousand dollars, to gamble with during their videos. Streamers with fills can keep what they have after gambling for a minimum amount of time, but if they end the day with an empty account, they earn nothing.

Some gambling streams mislead fans, who may believe they are watching people take real risks. Two affiliate streamers told The Times that they earn a flat payment as part of their deals and that the wagers in their videos have no stakes. The money is provided by the casino, and they cannot keep their winnings.

One streamer who spoke to The Times became popular after he poured urine on his head on camera for $500 as part of a dare from another streamer. Shortly after, BetBolt, a small crypto casino, gave him a paid deal to make more gambling content.

🦍 🗣 DO NOT GET IT TWISTED 🌪 , DO NOT GAMBLE 🚫 . DO NOT START GAMBLING ❌ . GAMBLING IS ENTERTAINMENT 🎰 AND ENTERTAINMENT ONLY 👍 . YOU WONT BREAK EVEN 🛑 , YOU WONT WIN ⚠ ️. YOU WONT DO ANY OF THAT 💯 , YOU UNDERSTAND ⁉ ️ YOU WILL ONLY INTO DEBT 💵 📉 AND RUIN YOUR FUCKING LIFE 😵