Kick.com – A New Live Streaming Platform and Good Twitch Alternative

For all the casino streaming fans out there, we have some good news. There is a new live streaming platform in town! In case you haven’t yet heard, in late 2022, Kick.com was launched in beta, and has since been garnering quite a bit of attention. Its goal from what we understand is to become the new home of all the gambling streamers out there – including the big names that we know and love like Trainwreckstv, Roshtein, and Xposed – essentially replacing Twitch for casino streaming purposes.

©kick.com

With such a lofty goal in mind, as you can imagine, achieving it will be no easy feat. But since it is rumored that the powerhouse crypto casino, our very own favorite Stake, is one of, if not the main backer behind this ambitious endeavor, alongside none other than Trainwreckstv himself, we think there is a pretty good chance of achieving such success. This is especially likely, in all fairness considering the recent Twitch ban on most types of casino streaming including our beloved slots.

So while it has all the right elements built in for success, the real question is, will the popular streamers and their fans come flocking? So far, we can tell you that things are looking pretty good. But let’s have a bit of a deeper look into the Kick.com platform to understand what it’s about, how it differs from Twitch, and the real reason we would imagine streamers are getting on board.

What you’ll find here: In addition to live streaming, similar to Twitch, Kick makes it possible to upload recorded video game or casino gambling sessions and make them accessible to viewers on their own channel. In addition to slot machines, titles such as Grand Theft Auto, League of Legends, Fortnite, and World of Warcraft are currently enjoying a strong showing, presented to fans by stars such as Roshtein.

How is Kick any different from Twitch?

Since we all loved watching streamers on Twitch, one might ask what on earth do we need another streaming platform for? And the main reason, needless to say, is the Twitch ban on most live gambling. True, that ban may or may not last, but in the meantime, since slots streaming is such a lucrative business and cherished pastime, it was almost essential to find a new way to make this accessible for the long-term. Hence Kick stepped in.

For many of us, of course, it seems like Kick came out of nowhere. All of the sudden people were talking about it. And that feeling may be somewhat correct.

There was not much information about the launch of Kick.com, certainly not in any sort of official kind of way. Word of the platform got around within the scene because casino streamers advertised it on their social media channels and in their live streams. Trainwrecks, in particular, was pretty vocal in promoting it, which makes sense as he is at minimum a consultant for the platform, or maybe even a partial owner / investor.

The reality is, however, though it seemed to come out of nowhere to fans, there was obviously quite a bit of forethought put into the platform, as Kick, even in its beta format, has shown itself to be a serious contender in terms of both the business model and the technology it provides.

While the actual UI is not all that much different from what you would expect to see, and the functionality pretty much the same as Twitch (because why bother fix what isn’t broken really?), the main difference at Kick is for the streamers themselves. And that being the distribution of revenue share. Or more accurately, as Twitch seems to be restricting income opportunities for streamers giving them a 50% instead of 70% percent cut for each subscription, Kick is giving the talent a far bigger piece of the pie.

©kick.com | Kick.com is still in its infancy, but it is already clear that something big is coming to casino and gaming streamers. True, the view count is still often no more than a few hundred followers per session, but for those who have been watching the numbers, as we move into 2023, you will notice they are steadily growing.

In fact, it has been reported that a whopping 95% of the revenue that a streamer generates through subscriptions goes directly into their pocket. And if the fans then give the streamer extra money via so-called Kicks (being the same as Donations on Twitch), the full 100% of funds go to the streamer as well. This is opposed to Twitch, where the streamer was only pocketing 50% of the Donations, with Twitch claiming it needed to have such high fees in place in order to cover the climbing costs of the streaming platform itself.

Another strong differentiator? The creators of Kick.com have a clear commitment to fairness and transparency. This is done through well-defined Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, both of which can easily be found onsite, and present without a doubt what is permitted and what is not. This is opposed to Twitch, where we have all heard complaints that streamers were blocked suddenly for some reason, which later turned out to be unfounded, and conversely there were clear violations that had no consequences at all. In any event, this ambiguity should be a thing of the past on the new platform, so there is that advantage too.

Some also say that on the new streaming platform, content producers have more freedom in designing their content. We aren’t exactly sure what that means, but maybe it has to do with the reduced limitations. In short, however, we can say, based on all that we have seen and heard, Kick.com puts streamers first, and is dedicated to creating an open, stable environment for talent to live out their creativity in front of the camera and thereby inspire fans.

For us viewers, all these elements put together are positive in the sense that we know top talent will be highly incentivized, hence continue to create the content that we love. Plus, we know the categories that we most enjoy – like crypto gambling – will be here to stay.

Interesting tidbit: What is in a name you ask? That is anyone’s guess. But we can all do some fun associative thinking to try and come up with what kick refers to here. Obviously there are a lot of associations that work. And the new streaming platform, needless to say, is by far not the only company to have created a company with the word kick in its name, or even wanted the domain kick.com. In fact, apparently back in the late 1990s it was dedicated to US high school soccer, and later a US company that developed software for music distribution held the domain. But as interesting as tracking a URL and its backstory can be, that is all history now, as we are betting that Kick in its current streaming platform incarnation is here to stay.

Twitch as the engine that drives casino streamers (and their fans) to join Kick

Since it is ever so clear that Kick came onto the market to compete with Twitch, and is in fact you might argue, developed in its image, the title of this section – that Twitch itself is driving streamers to Kick – may read as counterintuitive. But the reality is, since Twitch announced the end of live gambling sessions on its platform, Stake fans and other lovers of online casino gambling have been hoping for a new home for their streaming stars. Which they already have, as many of the big Stake streamers in particular have already switched to Kick.

The online casinos themselves, especially big names like Stake, obviously were also hoping for a new platform to showcase their wares. And Stake Managing Director Eddie already runs a Kick channel himself, while also promoting the platform in his casino. And, of course, us as fans, were starting to miss the slots streaming thrills. So it makes sense that someone is at least trying to fill the void.

©twitch.tv | Twitch’s actions certainly contributed to the creation and subsequent success of Kick.com for gamblers and gamers alike.

Whether the changes in policy at Twitch are really the trigger for the development of Kick.com – while that would make sense – that is still to a degree a matter of speculation. And while gambling is all about luck, business has much more planning involved. So it would be a mad coincidence if Kick just happened to come onto the scene almost as soon as Twitch blocked casino streamers and some gambling providers on its platform.

As such, our assumption is, since there have been plenty of rumblings about gambling on Twitch, with a lot of “negative” press, some smart players were putting Kick together, quietly in the background, ready to launch when the much-discussed ban finally dropped.

That being said, it is definitely not just the ban on casino streams that has fueled the jump to an alternative streaming platform, but also the actions of Twitch in general in recent times, including what many consider indiscriminate blocks on content producers, as well as reductions to talents’ income streams.

Rumors of a connection between Kick.com and Stake casino

There is plenty of speculation that Stake had a hand in the creation of Kick. And while there are some indications that this indeed may be the case, there is a lack of verifiable facts. Nor have we seen an official press release as such. So for whatever reason, if Stake Casino is indeed behind the development of this new platform, the casino management is currently holding their cards close, and staying mum on the topic.

Still, the evidence is strong many might say. And we are not just talking about Stake CEO Eddie’s Kick account, but in particular the striking number of prominent Stake streamers who have quickly made the shift to Kick. Equally, it is quite noticeable that many of the slot streams that can be found on the newly opened platform were shot by individuals playing at Stake. That is, whichever way you look at it, Stake seems to take central stage here. This may or may not be pure coincidence. You can make your own assumptions.

But regardless of whether or not Stake has a stake (sorry we couldn’t help the pun) in the Kick platform, it is important to note that Kick is open to anyone, not just Stake streamers. So it is certainly possible to find content from other crypto casinos being streamed here too. And if you are looking to pick up an audience, while we assume you would want to play at Stake, you can also share sessions from any online casino you desire.

The top streamers who are active on Kick

News about the Twitch alternative Kick is currently spreading like wildfire. And those who follow online gambling trends are certainly buzzing about it. So much so that many of the most popular casino streamers have already opened accounts there – especially those who have been known to gamble at Stake. Of course, there is a possibility that the accounts are copies as some detractors are claiming. But that has not been our experience so far.

In any event, if you are looking for one of your favorite streamers, we have put together a short list to help you ascertain just how popular Kick streaming is becoming amongst the celebs, and who you should consider following there.

Roshtein

©roshtein

On November 25, 2022, a stream from Roshtein was published on Kick for the first time, with the caption “Roshtein is back!” The account apparently caught the eye of gambling streaming fans immediately, because, let’s be realistic, Roshtein is one of the most long-lived, active streamers out there. As such, within a few days, he had more than 15,000 followers on Kick.

True, he is still streaming at Twitch as well, where he also continues to cross-promote Kick. The benefit of watching him at Kick, however, is obviously the fact that only there can you watch his exciting crypto casino streams from Stake.

Trainwreckstv

©TrainwrecksTV

Another highly experienced and popular Stake streamer who has made his way to Kick.com is Trainwreckstv. On the new platform you can find a rich array of Tyler Faraz Niknam’s saved videos plus, of course, watch his live streams.

Like Roshtein, he was an early adopter, making his debut on the beta site already at the end of November 2022. At first, his follower count was in the lower three-digit range. A short time later, however, when it became clear that he really was behind the account, his followers rapidly expanded into the five-digit range – and have been growing since.

He is not, mind you, just a mere streamer here. He is also known to be a Kick consultant, or what others may label advertiser / promoter. Whether he is also some sort of owner, holding a percentage of the new platform’s company or not, is anyone’s guess. But he definitely has at least some sort of personal stake invested in the endeavor.

ClassyBeef

©classybeef

The group of guys known as ClassyBeef has also been active on Kick.com since November 24, 2022. And the Let’s Play Dork Unit that Stake has to offer is streamed live on their official channel. As for speculation that they are just reappropriating their Twitch content here, we can tell you that this is not the case, as on any given day, and we’ll just throw out December 1, 2022 as an example, we were able to watch them live at Kick.

That being said, they are of course huge social media stars and would never stick to just one platform for obvious reasons. But they do seem to be interested in building their Kick following. In fact, this group of young men who describes themselves as “the most positive community on Kick” also promotes their channel on Twitter and YouTube.

True, ClassyBeef has yet to build its Kick numbers to anything close to what it has on Twitch or YouTube (where they still post clips of their streams), but their Kick numbers are steadily growing from 10,000 followers mid-December 2022 up to over 16,000 just one month later.

Xposed

©xposed

A passionate slots streamer and video game player (especially Call of Duty), plus a bonified sports fan, Xposed is one of the most successful streamers around, not to mention all-round social media star. And now, you can find him on his newly minted Kick channel, where he is, you guessed it, promoting our beloved Stake casino too with some pretty worthwhile bonus offers (just visit his channel to get the promo code from there if you are interested).

To help build up his traffic and bring tried and true fans to his latest platform, you can find Xposed regularly promoting his Kick streams from his Twitter account, as well as within the content of his YouTube clips, where he actually started talking about the new streaming platform even before it officially launched. Which, of course, indicates some sort of insider’s knowledge. Though that makes sense, since he is undoubtedly one of the best streamers around – and any smart operator would want to ensure that he is on board to help propel their success.

Yassuo

©yassuo

The New Yorker Moe, more commonly known to Stake fans and Twitch viewers as Yassuo, has apparently also opted to stream on Kick. That being said, amongst the big-name casino streamers out there, he seems to be making either less of an effort, or garnering less success at Kick as his follower count there is still extremely small – certainly in comparison to his 2 million followers on Twitch.

Maybe that is because he is happy to continue engaging more in his passion for League of Legends rather than focusing on slots for the time being. We honestly don’t know. But if the trend of jumping platforms continues, he may well start devoting more effort on building a Kick.com following – where he can keep up his League of Legends streaming alongside slots without any worries of policy changes that tend to linger at Twitch.

xQc

©xQc

Felix Lengyel, the Canadian better known as xQc, is nothing short of a legend when it comes to the streaming world. On Twitch alone he has an almost unbelievable 11.5 million followers. And many sessions garner close to a million views. This is pretty much unprecedented success, which is why having him at Kick would be nothing short of a coup.

Alas, while he does indeed apparently have a channel there, it only has a few hundred followers. Which for regular people like us would be an exciting start. But for him this just indicates that he is not yet “all in” on the new streaming platform. If he does make the move – and one would imagine Stake or Kick itself would try to incentivize him knowing the traffic he draws – then we can expect an explosion in popularity for the new platform to quickly follow.

What special features does Kick.com offer?

After covering all types of topics in and around how and why this new platform was created, you may still be wondering how it actually work. As already mentioned, Kick.com is currently still in its beta phase. But it certainly seems to have all the right elements in place. And what it does have works well (as in mostly glitch free). This includes the opportunity for any individual to register, create their personal channel, and use various tools for live broadcasting.

For spectators, on the homepage, you can see content organized in different sections including ‘Featured Streams’, ‘Top Live Categories’, ‘Top Live Groups’, ‘Recommended Games Channels’, ‘Recommended IRL Channels’, ‘Recommended Music Channels’, and so on. There is also an onsite search function which you can use, if you are looking for something in particular. So for example, you could type in the name of a slot game you love or a streamer you are interested in to pull up any results there.

©kick.com/xposed | Graphically, the similarities with Twitch are of course clearly visible – as you can see here in a live session courtesy of Stake streamer Xposed. That being said, Kick.com is likely to differ greatly in terms of features in the future. And when it comes to paying streamers, the new platform is on a whole new level, and we mean that obviously in a positive way.

Go to Stake Casino

In addition, a chat function is available to users. This helps build engagement, letting you chat and connect with other fans as well as the streamers themselves. As for the channel setups here, they share certain similarities with Twitch as well. For example, in addition to optional brief information about yourself, you can create videos, add links to other social media channels, and post a streaming schedule for fans. Those with a Stake partnership, like many of the big names we mentioned above, can also promote their coupon codes in their channel like on Twitch.

Overall, in other words, it all looks and works pretty much exactly as you would expect, if you are familiar with the format from other streaming sites. Important to remember: Since Kick.com is still in its infancy, the first step is to build a functioning platform, which it has clearly done. But as Trainwreckstv has already announced, there will be new features and functionality in the future. So while it still looks a lot like a Twitch clone at first, except in terms of its totally unique way of paying content creators, we can only assume that in time it will carve an independent identify of its own.

Unique Kick content

One question you may have is – is there enough content on Kick to stay entertained? The answer from our perspective is yes. While there are far fewer channels than on Twitch, with each stream having fewer views as well, that doesn’t really matter. It isn’t YouTube after all where you need a huge collection of video clips to make it worthwhile. All you really need are a few good casino streamers who regularly host live sessions to fill your time. And to this end, Kick is quickly attracting all the top names. The handful already there are people you would likely be watching anyhow, and more in all likelihood will be carving a reputation for themselves on Kick in days to come.

Also, we may point out, since Kick isn’t all that crowded yet, if you are looking to build yourself up as a famous casino streamer, this may just be your chance to get in early on the game. Since creating a channel is free, we would say, if this is something that interests you then it is certainly worth a shot! While the idiom “the early bird catches the worm” may not always be the case, if you don’t go for it, you could end up kicking yourself later, when you discover some person you find no more talented than yourself seized the opportunity and all the glory that goes with it.

Categories available for Kick streaming

©kick.com | Kick.com offers streaming in several categories. However, we are sure that this is only a snapshot of what’s to come, with many more interesting and exciting topics sure to make their debut as the platform’s reach continues grow.

While Twitch has closed its virtual doors to gambling streaming, Kick.com has swept in to fill the void. As such, as you would imagine, real money gambling channels are the most attractive category at the moment.

And it’s not only slot machine sessions that are being live streamed here. Under the gambling category there are also sub-headings such as table games, poker, and dice games – in other words, all of the categories that Stake fans should be familiar with.

While we do love watching live gambling, fueled by the high bankrolls of top streamers, we also follow certain people for their personalities at the end of the day. Which is why, like at Twitch, you will also find a ‘Just Chatting’ section, where popular streamers like Roshtein and ClassyBeef hotly discuss everyday topics with their community following.

In addition, there are popular categories for video games like League of Legends, GTA, and Valorant. Plus, an IRL category, music category, and so forth.

Overall, to-date these are the top Kick.com categories:

In other words, while perhaps launched to give gambling streamers a safe home, Kick aspires to be much more, explicitly giving ample space to those in the arts and music arenas too. And if all goes well, in addition to seeing a rush of slots streamers joining up, we may well start finding things like unique tunes and other forms of creativity too.

Strengths and weaknesses of the streaming platform

As the platform is still in its infancy, it is safe to say it is a work in progress. That means, while overall, for a beta site, things have so far been working surprisingly well, it is possible that you will still come across a bug or a glitch or two. And Kick is well aware of such growing pains, with spokesperson TrainwrecksTV even pointing out this problem in one of his Tweets, which we see as a smart marketing move.

That being said, one of the main strengths that we have seen so far is that in our opinion the entire UI is tidier and therefore better structured than Twitch. The streaming categories have been built well, and the navigation menu is easy to follow. Kick visitors also benefit from the fact that more and more established streamers are obviously finding their way there – so that’s the talent advantage too. That means, for those who sorely missed these gambling stars on Twitch, it’s exciting to be able to watch gambling streaming, worry-free on this new platform where it is considered totally legit.

Main Kick.com advantages:

Kick disadvantages:

Want to keep up to date on all that’s happening at Kick? If you, like us are interested in following how things at this new platform unfold, then we also recommend following Kick on Twitter. The account @KickStreaming is updated regularly, with usually at least a tweet or two a day. Besides being useful for general updates, it has also garnered some good responsiveness, with its 12K plus followers thanks to some interesting and unique content you can find there.

Our conclusion: Kick.com is a serious Twitch competitor

Bottom line, it may be a complete coincidence that Kick.com came out of nowhere the moment that Twitch scrapped casino streaming. Yet, since these types of platforms take planning, not to mention capital investment and development timing to come to fruition, we find that highly improbable. More likely, as the rumblings against the “ethics” of crypto gambling intensified at Twitch, savvy operators put the wheels in motion; and when the gambling ban news broke, they were ready to launch straight into beta in November 2022.

In addition, we’re guessing, whether it is Stake or some other entity behind Kick.com, they had some serious talks with the top streamers in advance – like Roshtein, ClassyBeef, and Trainwreckstv – who were ready to go live with them on that very date. Regardless of how it all unfolded, while interesting, needless to say, while it helps to have launched with some top talent in the lineup, only time will tell how successful Kick will ultimately be.

From our perspective, considering the Twitch ban on gambling, and how much we love casino streaming, we are guessing Kick will easily carve itself a niche. In addition, since it has a much more favorable revenue share, we would imagine creators, as they increasingly hear of the new platform, will flock there as well. As Stake fans really all we can say is that we are happy to have a place to watch the slots streams (and such) that we love so much. And if you have yet to check it out, we highly recommend a visit to Kick to see what all the buzz is about.