Tyler ‘Trainwrecks’ Niknam claimed his gambling streams are the “most authentic and transparent” ones on Twitch and slammed others for using “fake balance” to avoid “losing their own money.”
Twitch gambling streams have been a huge talking point in 2021, with many streamers, including Asmongold and Charles ‘MoistCr1TiKaL’ White sharing their thoughts on either side of the issue.
xQc even admitted he needed to stop because he “gets addicted to things very easily,” although leaked messages between him and Trainwrecks appear to suggest otherwise.
However, even though Trainwrecks told his own viewers not to gamble, he loves doing it himself and urged them to watch instead. After all, he has “streamer money,” and sponsorships to fund it, which he claims mitigates the “life-ruining” risk.
But despite that, his gambling streams have been subject to widespread backlash. He’s defended them in the past, and now he’s done it again by claiming that his gambling streams are “authentic and transparent.”
“I tell people not to gamble very often, especially when I win and that they will always lose,” he said.
“I gamble more off-stream than on. I use raw balance and take the risk. I don’t talk about my sponsor or code. And when I give away money, I send it to people’s personal wallets, not casino accounts.”
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He condemned people for coming after him, claiming that streamers who “aren’t gamblers” and “don’t gamble off-stream” are much worse. He accused them of using “fake balances” to “eliminate the risk of losing their own money”.
“The way I gamble is the most authentic and transparent you’ll see,” he said. “I show my withdraw and deposit addresses. I gamble in every game I play. I gamble off-stream because I actually love gambling,” he said.
i tell people not to gamble very often especially when I win & that they WILL always lose, i gamble more off stream than on, i use raw balance and take the risk, i don’t talk about my sponsor or code, when i give away money, i send to people’s personal wallets not casino accounts
— Trainwreck (@Trainwreckstv) June 26, 2021
His comments, and the broader issue at hand, have been subject to scrutiny from fans and neutral viewers alike.
Some appreciated his honesty instead of the usual face-saving riff-raff, while others denounced him for trying to justify his streams with a ‘weak’ defense.
It’s important to remember, though, that unless Twitch decides to ban gambling streams, he isn’t breaking any rules. But whether or not it gives rise to ethical issues is open to debate.
