BLACKCATSEVEN
My name is Daniel and I am a full-time independent casino streamer. Independent means casino streaming with my own money and standing on my own two feet. I often get asked a lot of questions during my casino streaming sessions, something I appreciate since I love an active audience! Interaction is a vital part of any stream, and to me, it’s important to engage my viewers. However, streaming as much as I do, the same questions are often repeated time after time, and this page was published to help answer some of those questions.
Relationship to slots
I got into online slots in 2015 and even before then, I wasn’t really into gambling much at all. I’d play the crappy generic fruit slots on cruises whenever I had the chance but didn’t think much of it. I have a funny memory of having won so many coins on one of these cruises that the weight of them had pulled my pants down to my knees as I was staggering around drunk, trying to find my cabin. Must have been a pathetic sight.
I have no idea how to play Poker, Roulette or Blackjack, and I’m not really interested in table games at all. I’m 100% an online slots enthusiast.
My interest in slots took off one day when hearing a radio commercial in the car. It was Maria Casino promoting its Mega Fortune Dreams jackpot winner. I got home, claimed a casino bonus, deposited 100 SEK (€10) at Unibet and went for it. Like many new players, I didn’t understand the concept of wagering requirements, and after having been denied my initial withdrawal request of €150 I figured I had been scammed and went all in to burn what was left on the account. Went on to play Mega Fortune Dreams, which was to remain my favorite slot for quite some time, with €6 bets and won a staggering €3300, which to my joy, I could cash out (apparently, I had finished wagering by the time I started tilting). From then on, I was hooked, of course.
How I got on Twitch
I had heard about Twitch previously but didn’t pay much attention to it. I think I might have shown it to my son to watch Minecraft streams, and at some point, I came across the Twitch casino streaming section. I just thought it looked fun and wanted to try it myself, and having been a musician and entertainer most of my life, it seemed like a fun challenge. I started streaming in March 2016 and had no intention of getting into affiliation. In the beginning, I didn’t even promote casinos. I was lucky to have some nice wins early on, which enabled me to keep streaming, but eventually, I realized it wasn’t going to be sustainable without some kind of partnership.
Is casino streaming your full-time job?
Yes, I guess I could call myself a professional streamer. Having streamed since early 2016, I have slowly built up an income through affiliation, which has enabled me to reinvest into my streaming and other projects (affiliate websites mainly) that has proven very successful.
There have been many other factors involved in my success as well, such as having teamed up with intelligent, experienced and trustworthy people in the casino industry (mainly affiliate managers), but mostly it has been hard work and many hours invested. Incredibly I have had some major long-term luck with gambling as well, having been in massive overall profit since day one!
So you’re an affiliate, what does that mean?
Affiliation is everywhere on the internet. It’s what makes it possible for professionals to earn a living on their websites and other internet-related projects. Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards an affiliate for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. Some affiliates make a cut when you click on their link to buy shoes, a laptop or airplane tickets. Other affiliates, such as myself, generate earnings by promoting casinos.
As an affiliate, I get a percentage of the losses generated by players signed up through my links. People often assume all kinds of things when I openly explain this to them, something I am totally transparent about, so let me explain a few things.
To be an affiliate as a casino streamer requires me to take a great risk myself, which means depositing my own money to play slots. I basically have to pay out of my own pocket to promote the casino. If you’re successful, it becomes less of a risk the more players you attract, as it can cover the losses. But, there is no guarantee of this whatsoever. Casino affiliation is volatile as hell, even more so than slots. Any one of my players can wipe out all my earnings on the very last day of the month, leaving me with nothing but red numbers on both slots and affiliation. It happens. Many streamers and affiliates have had to give up.
There is no successful streamer on Twitch or Youtube that doesn’t make an income through either affiliation (viewers buying computer parts, energy drinks and other stuff which the streamer earns a cut from), sponsorships or by subscriptions. Some will claim casino affiliation is morally wrong, but obviously, I don’t see it that way. Why? I’m a gambler myself, just like you. I know that gamblers will play, with or without me as an affiliate. To the player, it doesn’t really make a difference if the losses go to the casino or if part of it goes to me. If you enjoy my streams and all the hard work I put into making it work, using my links can be regarded as a way to support my channel. If, for some reason, you do not agree with this, it is completely up to you not to use my links, and that is fine. My number one priority is that you’re there to watch, and that means the world to me!
I would like to argue, however, that there are some great advantages to signing up through my links. Players tagged to me have an advantage in the sense that I can be their point of contact should something go wrong. This can prove very beneficial if a dispute regarding a withdrawal or bonus breach arises. Players also often get exclusive offers through me, which they wouldn’t have received signing up directly to the casino.
I’m very aware and cautious about what casinos I promote and only list the very best. I’m an experienced gambler and know the industry, the people in it and all the casinos inside out. Under no circumstances would I ever list rogue casinos.
Having said all of this, I do understand that casino streaming can be a trigger for some to gamble, and that’s why I also advise people not to watch casino streams if they feel their gambling habits are out of control. Many claim however that they feel helped by watching casino streams in the sense that they get to experience the excitement of gambling without having to deposit themselves.
Either way, gambling can be highly addictive, and if you feel you’re out of control, please reach out for help. If you’re in the UK, BeGambleAware can help you. There are similar help organizations in most EU countries.
What kind of deals do you have and where do you get money for streaming?
As explained earlier, I realized I needed some kind of partnership if I wanted to be able to continue casino streaming in the long run. It’s hard enough to make it even with the support of a casino, and without it I would say it’s nearly impossible to keep streaming on a regular basis if you’re not made out of money, that is.
I shopped for deals with several casinos, and some were very interested, while others didn’t really seem to understand casino streaming at all. Most offers weren’t good enough and pretty standard to be honest. As a streamer, it’s vital you get deposit bonuses, and I understand casinos don’t just want to hand them out to anyone as there are probably people doing hit-and-runs and stuff. Also bonuses themselves cost the casinos licensing fees to the providers so these days they are reluctant to hand them out.
One casino, however, really seemed to believe in my vision more than others and that was Kaboo. Their whole approach was very laid back and easy going and they put no pressure on me at all. It was more like – that looks fun, we’ll be glad to support you.
As a casino streamer, I usually get deposit bonuses which is meant to help me extend my time streaming, but an upside to this is that it also gives me a slight edge. I’m obviously also an affiliate partner, which means I earn a cut on my signups.
Before you start thinking it’s easy money – it’s not! If it was easy, everyone would do it. I didn’t get to this point in my casino streaming career overnight. I has taken me years of hard work to build an income which I am now able to reinvest into my streams.
I always, with no exception, play with real money, my own money, and the cash I withdraw is 100% mine to keep. Many viewers are suspicious (very rightly so) when it comes to casino streamers since some rotten eggs have been known to play with fake, non-withdrawable funds. No casino streamer will ever be able to verify 100% that they play with real money, but follow your gut feeling and look for telltale signs. One sign can be casino streamers having donation goals, despite gambling for thousands day in and day out.
Slots are rigged to your advantage
No! Slots are NOT controlled by the casinos, they are only mirrored by the provider. All people really see are the big win videos on Youtube and think all casino streamers do is win. Not true!
Even if they could, no established casino would ever take the risk to rig slots, put its reputation on the line, and commit a criminal act at the same time just to make a bit more money through a casino streamer. That’s insane! The casino streaming section is not even that influential, and most casino customers don’t even know what the hell Twitch, let alone casino streaming is. It’s highly unlikely that we would not have seen a whistleblower as well by now if this was the case.
What are your favorite slot providers, and what is your normal bet size?
My favorite providers to play is (in no particular order): Games Global, NetEnt, Big Time Gaming, Novomatic, Play’n GO, Yggdrasil Gaming, and Thunderkick. In general, I’m mainly into highly volatile slots with high max exposure. Very rarely do I play low to medium-volatile games. When I started streaming, my bet size was, on average, around 0.40-0.60 EUR, but I’ve seen it go up to 2-5 EUR now (even 10 EUR on occasions off-stream mainly) as I’ve gotten more into streaming. It’s important to remember that raised bets can be a road to gambling addiction, so please take caution and don’t get carried away.
Why do you allow your kids to be seen on stream, and why do you gamble in front of them?
I stream from my apartment and don’t have much choice. I don’t have the luxury of having a dedicated streaming room. In all honesty, I’m not sure I would like to stream anywhere else either way. I like to invite viewers into my everyday life. For me, it’s just as much about the social experience as it is streaming.
People often seem to think they know what’s best for others. What may be a problem for you may not be a problem for me. My kids don’t understand the concept of gambling, and they don’t care. They assume it’s a game like any other. As far as they are concerned, it’s no different to playing Candy Crush. I am well aware of the situation, however, and if I would ever feel it’s becoming a problem, I would do something about it.
Where are you from, and how old are you?
I’m from Stockholm, Sweden, and I was born in 1979. My parents came to Sweden from Croatia in 1970.
Where did you get the name Blackcatseven from?
To me, Blackcatseven represents the Yin and Yang of gambling. Black cats are known for bad luck, and the number Seven is considered a lucky number in the world of gambling. Clever huh?
What do you do these days?
I’ve pretty much stopped streaming altogether in order to focus on my website Bigwinboard.com. I strongly recommend giving it a visit. You’ll find reviews of all the new slots, free slots tournaments, and you also get to try free demo slots. Aside from that, we list some of the best casino bonuses on the market, best crypto casinos, VPN-friendly casinos, best online casinos, Skrill casinos, Paypal casinos, guides on how to play Blackjack, how to play Poker, how to play Roulette, and how to black Baccarat.