Brian Christopher is the leading influencer in the gaming sector, making an appearance today at the Canadian Gaming Summit (CGS) in Toronto to talk about the significance of influencer collaborations, alongside Oliver Bartlett, Vice President of Gaming, Product & Content at BetMGM. 

50 Million Video Views Per Month 

BC Ventures is Christopher's company for casino gaming content, featuring brands like BCSlots.com, BCBets, BCSpins, FlipTheSwitch.com, and BCSlots Cruises, which collectively attract over 2 million subscribers and 50 million monthly views on videos. 

BC Ventures engages 8 million individuals each month through social media platforms, programming, and events. 

BetMGM Representative 

At last year’s CGS, Christopher and BetMGM revealed their partnership, with Christopher being named Official Ambassador for the igaming operator. 

Being Canadian, CGS has turned into a perfect chance for Christopher to return to his homeland and discuss his recent projects. He had a meeting last year with Paul Burns, the President and CEO of Canadian Gaming, during one of the CGS panels. 

After his panel talk on Stage 2 at CGS, taking place this week at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Christopher headed to Casino Rama in Orillia, Ont., to unveil his new, branded slot machine. 

Brian Christopher and husband Marco Bianchi, SVP, Operations, BC Ventures, at the Canadian Gaming Summit going on in Toronto. Image/Mark Keast.

14 Initial Subscribers 

Christopher mentioned that nine years ago he uploaded his initial slot video on his YouTube Channel, which he noted had 14 subscribers at that time. Each week, he organizes a gaming event at various locations worldwide, featuring many in-person activities or live broadcasts. His business currently employs a dozen staff members. 

What Qualities Define an Excellent Slot Streamer? 

For Christopher, an effective slot streamer boils down to a single concept: Authenticity.

"You have to really have a good connection with the audience,” he said. “And that was something that I went for on Day 1. Many people online won’t show their own face. They’ll show the slot play, which is exciting. But what I’ve learned is that people don’t watch YouTube videos for the video. They’re watching for the person.”

It engages the audience in his realm, welcoming the viewers (50-50 male/female, spanning all age groups) into his individual life, even making it relatable. That’s what sets it apart. 

Famous Lifestyle 

For Christopher, the reality of celebrity life and its accompanying demands becomes more evident once he enters a casino.

"When I meet a fan, they literally treat me like I’m a humongous celebrity,” he said. “It’s the biggest thing in their life to meet me. They’re shaking. Some of them cry. They’ll like, throw gifts at me. But I’m the best kind of celebrity there is, because in public, I’m no one, right? I can walk down the street, I can have a normal life. Everything’s great. As soon as I step into a casino, it’s a totally different thing. So I love it. I think it’s great.”

A significant aspect of staying true to his audience is gambling with his own funds. This encompasses financial losses. Christopher states it’s the largest cost for his business, and his business is not permitted to deduct gambling losses. Many YouTubers take the opposite approach and use fake currency. 

What Makes a Good Slot Game?

“It has to be real play. We’re supposed to be influencing people’s choices, and the reason that we are able to influence their choices is because we’re doing it in a natural situation,” Christopher said.  “This is not an advertisement. This is not me saying these are the reasons you should play this game. It’s living it. It’s breathing it, and it’s 100% natural. You know, I’m not acting up there. This is me having fun and enjoying it.”

Christopher often mentioned that he isn't engaged in a game from any of his sponsors. He simply desires to engage in various games. His list of “favorites” is constantly changing, which his fans engage with. 

What factors contribute to an excellent slot game? 

“I’m just like anybody else,” he said. “I get attracted by a big jackpot number at the top of the screen, or just the theme, if the theme speaks to me.

Million Dollar Query 

He mentioned that people desire the reward. 

“There’s got to be a goal, something that they’re trying to achieve,” said Christopher. “And I think that’s why the triple pot games are everywhere now, and they’re exploding. People can see them growing, getting bigger, and they’re like, this is gonna be really good bonus. You know there’s going to be a payoff in the end.

"There’s other games that just are relatable, whether it’s a theme or a movie or something that you’ve seen before, that’s going to make you go for it. I love feature heavy games. We call them shaky shakies. The industry calls them features. Something’s about to happen. You always want to see what the payoff is going to be. So something that keeps you interested, and keeps you playing.

“I tell my fans all the time, the moment that the fun goes away, so do I. I’m done. If I no longer get excited about my play, I have to go.”

Influence Strength 

Christopher claims he assists his audience in navigating the multitude of choices when they enter a casino, and that’s what they value. 

“When you walk through a casino, you’re going see demos going off, and they always hit the jackpot, right?,” he said. “It’s not really believable. But that’s why people love watching our videos. Because they will watch my video, they’ll see me playing a game they’ve never seen before. And then when they go to the casino, next time, they’re going to see that game, they know how it plays. They know what the bonus looks like. So that’s really exciting, because otherwise, you go to a casino, there’s hundreds of games. But if they watched a video where I got a bonus, they want to give that game a shot.”