Like other content channels and formats (like here at Flip The Switch), you’re likely to find sponsored content. In the case of slot creators, this will often be gameplay video content. Many are curious as to what it actually entails, such as this question from a player:
Hi Brian! I just watched a video from a different slot content creator. He said the video was sponsored by the maker of the slot he was playing, and he won pretty big in the video. What does it mean when the slot machine manufacturer sponsors a video? Is the machine going to pay out more than it usually would because it’s sponsored? Thanks!
Nancy B.
In a traditional sponsored video format, a creator is paid a fee in exchange for showcasing something. The fee could be in the form of money, or simply involve an amenity like a free hotel room, travel, dinner or something else. In the case of a slot creator working with a manufacturer, they are often showcasing a new slot that just hit casino floors, to present what’s now available to get players excited. It’s no different than a perfume brand getting George Clooney to promote their new line.
We see comments quite often from those who are dubious about a sponsored video structure, but we’re happy to clarify a few things around it.
The Game is Played On Casino Floors, Unless Said Otherwise
Generally, these showcases occur on an actual casino floor for real money, unless specifically stated otherwise. Most slot channel creators are good about noting the exceptions – when they’re at G2E, for instance, or visiting a slot manufacturer’s showroom for a demo.
We can’t vouch for every creator, but we can confirm this is our policy – we will always be clear where we’re filming the content, so you know what you’re watching. And from what we’ve seen, this is pretty common for most creators as well.
The Game is Played with Real Money, Not Fake or House Money
Creators will ALWAYS play with real money when they play on live casino floors. Some viewers will comment that because it’s sponsored content it’s a fake session designed to show wins or isn’t for actual stakes, but this is never the case.
Sponsorships are income for the creator and their business, not a gambling budget – the creator will decide how much they wish to play the machine at and what their budget is for a game, just like anyone else. This is definitely the case for Brian Christopher, and many other creators. These decisions will be made factoring in their normal budget, what viewers expect, what they can afford, etc.
The Payback is Set By the Casino, and Isn’t Changed for the Event
The games are being played live on the casino floor, and the paybacks are set up before the event, and they aren’t changed after – you’ll often see others hopping right on the machine as soon as a creator leaves – casinos aren’t shooing people away and taking the machines back offline.
As we’ve discussed previously, casinos don’t set machines higher during a launch because the natural curiosity of players towards new machines is enough to get people to play (and paybacks aren’t public anyway, so players won’t know this has been done). Meanwhile, manufacturers sponsoring videos want an authentic experience, so having the payback players can expect in a casino is certainly a helpful aspect to that.
And the video content can still be quite amazing, as we’ve shared here elsewhere on the site in the past. Remember, you can lose your pants on the highest payback setting, and win a massive jackpot on the lowest setting – there’s enough variance within a short session for both to be quite possible.
And since the outcome is determined at the time of the spin and not by any outside party, there’s no guarantee of a big win outcome on a sponsored video. So when it happens it’s still quite special.
Takeaway
Ultimately, a manufacturer-sponsored video will be identical to any other video shot in a casino with the exception that it’s purpose-built to showcase a particular game or games. The slot video creator will still set the tone for budget, bet amount and other decisions to maintain an authentic experience for them and their viewers.
There’s real money at stake on a real casino floor, just as in any other video, so these are important aspects to remember.
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