From hype to performance: How igaming streamers became the new front line of player acquisition

Given the sheer volume of games being churned out in the ever-expanding igaming space, it is inevitable that studios will find it increasingly difficult to get their output noticed.

According to Egaming Monitor, which tracks approximately 70,000 games from 1,700 suppliers across 3,500 operators, the average number of game launches reached an astonishing 1,400 per month in the third quarter of 2024 – around 15 every single day.

Perhaps more surprisingly, even the top-performing online casino game by distribution in May 2025 had an extremely small overall ‘share of games position’ – less than 0.02% of the market.

“One of the biggest challenges game providers face right now is visibility in a saturated, competitive market,” says Kate Puteiko, chief marketing officer at igaming content provider BGaming.

“New games are launched every week, every provider pushes content, lobbies are packed and – in this environment – getting listed is not the same as getting played. Being seen, noticed and talked about doesn’t come automatically. So, we asked ourselves: what if visibility wasn’t random, but was something we could design?”

Tackling the visibility challenge

With the online influencer platform market projected to treble in value between 2025 and 2032, it is hardly surprising that streamers have found themselves on the marketing front line in a vertical as visually compelling as igaming.

While it is clear that gaming influencer marketing can reach a huge audience, monetisation is far from guaranteed, while attribution is a common problem.

“For many in our industry, streamers seem like the perfect shortcut to visibility,” Puteiko adds. “You find someone with an audience, agree on collaboration, and hope the exposure turns into traction. But here is the catch: you don’t know if it’s actually working.

“There is no guarantee the audience converts, no clear way to track what happens after the stream, and no visibility into whether the same viewers ever return to your games.

Removing the guesswork

Puteiko explains that most influencer strategies collapse “not because the idea is wrong, but because the execution is blind.”

With this in mind, BGaming created a strategic framework that not only empowers studios to remove the guesswork from streamer-led collaborations, but also provides a practical blueprint that can be repurposed and reused countless times to deliver a sustainable, long-term impact through a highly engaging medium.

At the heart of this pioneering data-driven, streamer-first model is a scalable, three-tiered approach – comprising data, product and engagement layers – that is designed to connect BGaming’s games more deeply with influencer audiences.

Data layer

The first major breakthrough in turning such a vision into reality came when BGaming started using Strmlytics (formerly Casinolytics) – a tool that, for the first time, could give the Malta-based enterprise a clear idea of which streamers were playing its games.

Furthermore, BGaming could track air time and the number of live viewers, and even compare how the company’s games were performing against competitors.

“It gave us orientation, benchmarks, and a starting point to kick off something big, and for the first time we could evaluate how our partners were delivering on what was agreed,” Puteiko says.

“Is there organic follow-up play? Does the streamer genuinely enjoy our content? With this context, we stopped flying blind and started thinking strategically, and that’s why we could move on to the second layer – the product.”

Product layer

The product layer underscores the streamer-first focus of BGaming’s model by ensuring games are designed for the influencer, as well as the player.

For BGaming, this not only meant considering whether a streamer would show the game, but also whether the game itself is sufficiently ‘streamable’. Integrating game elements such as exciting swings, big bonuses, high volatility and achievable wins will help to retain an audience’s attention, of course, but so will “pacing that creates tension”, according to Puteiko.

“We analysed gameplay patterns, bonus formats and build-up potential, all with the help of streaming data and insights from the Strmlytics team,” Puteiko adds.

“That’s how we created our cluster slots, purpose-built around what streamers and their audiences crave, with Aztec Clusters entering the top 20 most-played games across streamers for over a month.”

Engagement layer

The central thrust of the streamer-first model’s engagement layer is to create moments that enable players to participate in the action, and not just observe.

With this in mind, BGaming created a tool to empower streamers to launch live challenges directly from their stream, with players able to join in instantly – from spinning for the highest multiplier to trying to beat the host’s score to win real prizes.

“It’s exciting, it’s happening now, and it creates a direct motivation for the audience to engage,” Puteiko says. “Those without accounts register. Those with low balances make deposits and everyone joins the experience – not just as viewers, but as participants.

“On our side, we turn this into full-funnel cohort data; who joined, how they behaved during the challenge, whether they played our games before, and whether they stayed with us weeks after. It gives us a full picture of player behaviour over time.”

She adds: “This framework in general helped us to shift from occasional visibility spikes to repeatable engagement.”

Viral slot game hits

This scalable model for streamer-driven games has borne fruit with viral hits.

Such was the success of Aztec Clusters, even streamers who had not struck partnerships with BGaming picked it up organically.

BGaming then collaborated with Roobet and Strmlytics to develop and release the first-ever celebrity-branded slot – Snoop Dogg Dollars – with the rapper contributing towards the creative concept of the game and even providing the voiceover.

With Snoop Dogg Dollars, BGaming created a title with “built-in streamer energy”, according to Puteiko – and it remains one of BGaming’s most played and shared games.

Converting visibility into value

Furthermore, Puteiko says that BGaming’s Challenges tool has helped to turn visibility into value.

BGaming worked with the Latin America-dedicated team at Stake, launching live challenges to activate streamer communities and allow players to join games.

“Some registered, some deposited, some reactivated dormant accounts,” Puteiko adds. “We tracked the cohort’s GGR and activity and we also learned more about streamer quality. Some brought large views but little traction, while others were smaller, but highly engaged.

“It worked because it felt real and emotional – a win for the casino, a win for the streamer, and for us – and a clear window into actual impact.”

Vital lessons

With expansion on the agenda, BGaming believes it has established a scalable approach that will continue to drive engagement via streaming partners long into the future, with vital lessons for any enterprise seeking to cut through the clutter.

Puteiko says: “Design games that perform on screen, and not just in lobbies, and give streamers tools, not just requests or release announcements. Don’t just ask them to play your game – equip them to activate their audience – and track everything.

“Treat influencer success as a measurable data point and not a lucky break. B2B strength today is built on visibility, and visibility today is built on B2C dynamics.”

She adds: “If streamers are driving visibility, your product, marketing and measurement need to align. Visibility shouldn’t be accidental – it should be intentional, strategic and repeatable.”