Twitch has recently added channel points and gambling to most (all?) channels. The allure of betting as a way to juice engagement is just too hard to resist in gaming it seems, even when it comes to young children.
Their slots/gambling categories are far worse, and there are far worse examples of their biggest stars encouraging real gambling.
You earn channel points every x minutes you're watching the stream. However, paid subscribers earn more channel points at every interval.
Interestingly, gambling with channel points is impossible with an Netherland IP address, but collecting them is fine.
It's literally a bunch of whales flushing money down the drain on gambling while viewers watch it (vicarious thrills? not sure tbh as I'm not a gambler).
In some cases the odds for streamers have been rigged by the site owners so that it makes it look like winning big amounts is more likely than the reality.
They get paid obscene money as well, millions or tens of millions a year to advertise gambling to teenagers.
https://www.redditinc.com/blog/a-new-way-to-interact-on-redd...
https://reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407383251860
> Do I need to buy anything to participate?
> Nope, no purchase necessary. However, Reddit Premium members may get special advantages or benefits in the future, so stay tuned!
(Twitch's announcement: https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2020/12/12/channel-points-predicti...)
Alcohol is by far the most harmful drug in the world, and yet plenty legal. Twitch betting is hardly hard drugs to be denied everyone because some people have trouble controlling themselves.