Brian Christopher: Demystifying online slots
Brian Christopher has reached peak influencer status in casinos all over the world and is now focused on doing the same for online slots.
For almost ten years, Christopher has been filming his trips to casinos all over the world and sharing the highs and lows for millions of fans to see through his YouTube and social media channels.
Prior to taking the gambling world by storm, Christopher was an actor. After moving to Los Angeles to further his acting career, a trip to Las Vegas opened up a whole new world of possibility.
“I took some videos of myself gambling for fun,” he tells COMPLETE iGAMING. “I posted five three-minute videos in one day, and was never going to do it again, but those videos exploded. I was like, ‘What the heck was that?’. So, I posted some more, and they exploded too.”
Within a week he had 1000 subscribers and after three months he decided to make slots videos as a full-time job. Brian Christopher Slots, the first of his three channels, was born.
Christopher went on to post videos of himself playing slots every day of the week, as well as running events all around the globe bringing his community together.
Having built a massive following, Christopher expanded his horizons from the buzzing floors of land-based casinos into real-money online slots a year ago.
Cannibalization is a myth
Christopher is a strong believer that online and brick and mortar casinos can co-exist, growing the industry together.
While some in the land-based industry fear that online gambling will cannibalise the market, contributing to the slow spread of icasino in the US, Christoper sees online slots as an entry point for people who may not yet have the confidence to enter a land-based casino.
“A lot of casinos fear it’ll take away from their business”, he says. “I don’t believe it does at all. It’s a win, win in my opinion. A lot of online casinos have figured out a way to do omnichannel games, so you can play the same game online as in the casino. And that way, you know how to play it when you go to the casino.”
He admits there are differences though, a visit to a casino is an incomparable experience to, in his words, “playing on the toilet, or in your underwear!” But that’s what online is for, he explains, “That’s what I want if I’m relaxing at home when I don’t want to go to a casino. There’s an extra budget for that, it’s not a case of ‘I’m gonna spend it here or there.’ It’s ‘I can do this as well.’”
That said, his love of land-based casinos is not dimmed one bit by the availability of online games. “Nothing is ever going to take away from the excitement of a land based. That’s where you can go have drinks, you can hang out with your friends, go crazy, see a concert –the glitz and the glamor of everything is there.”
Advocating for online slots responsibly
Behind his passionate advocacy for all forms of casino gaming is a strong foundation in transparency and integrity, which has been his hallmark since day one. From his very first video he has publicized both his winnings and his losses, to show with complete clarity that there are no guarantees of a massive pay out, and that a loss is actually far more likely.
“I thought it was important to showcase that because there are channels out there that will only show their wins. I thought that was very misleading,” he says.
Christopher uses the phrase “entertainment budget” to describe the money he sets aside to gamble and encourages his followers to play responsibly by choosing their own ‘entertainment budget’, that they can afford to lose. The idea is that you set aside an amount, in the same way as you would to buy concert tickets or go out to a restaurant.
“I use my own money. I won’t use money from an online operator,” he adds. “That makes it authentic. When I’m excited or upset, that’s real.” This authenticity has helped Christopher build trust among a devoted audience, many of whom have followed him from his land-based casino days into the emerging online casino space.
Nevertheless, online gambling hasn’t yet eclipsed his original channel’s popularity. “Land-based casinos are still the most followed,” he admits. “But I’m trying to convince everyone that playing online is really good. The selection is amazing. You can play anywhere you want, and it has better payouts.”
Preparing for online casino in the US
Part of the challenge lies in access. Real-money online gaming is still limited to just a handful of US states. Christopher believes broader regulation is coming, though slowly. “It won’t be this year,” he says. “But within five years, especially, I think it’ll definitely happen.”
When it does, he expects to be ready. Alongside his content channels and event-hosting business, Christopher also runs an affiliate site, FlipTheSwitch.com, which educates players on how casinos work and publishes articles on topics ranging from slots strategy to responsible gambling.
He’s highly selective about which operators he features. “They have to be a well-known name, and it’s got to be a good deal for our fans,” he explains. “If I don’t like your payout structure, I’m not promoting you.”
Transparency and player protection are non-negotiable. “Play through your money once should be enough,” he says. “And whoever we partner with needs to have good responsible gaming aspects – like limiting play time or money.”
This commitment to doing things the right way has opened doors for Christopher that go well beyond YouTube. In partnership with SportsGrid, he is currently developing a TV show focused on casinos which goes into production this summer. He also recently launched a new slot machine, Brian Christopher’s World Cruise. The slot reflects Christopher’s ongoing collaboration with Carnival, in which he leads themed casino cruises with between 750 to 800 fans, blending the community vibe of his streams with real-life luxury.
Christopher’s emphasis on trust, responsibility, and player-first content has made him not just a star, but a standard-bearer for bringing online gambling out of the shadows and promoting it as a legitimate entertainment offering that can be enjoyed responsibly. “Nothing will ever replace the excitement of land-based casinos,” he says. “But online has a place too – and I’m here to show people what’s possible.”
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