Stake Captures 60% Of iGaming Brand Mentions On Livestreaming Platforms As Kick Ownership Solidifies Market Dominance

Stake leads iGaming brand mentions on Twitch and Kick, capturing 60% of the market. StreamHatchet report highlights Kick's role in Stake's dominance.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 23, 2026, 10:41 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from iGB

Dominating the Digital Airwaves through Strategic Vertical Integration

The current landscape of iGaming visibility is being shaped by a singular force: Stake. According to a March 20 report by analytics firm StreamHatchet, Stake has achieved an unprecedented level of penetration across the world’s leading livestreaming sites. By appearing in 6,600 stream titles in January 2026 alone, the brand accounted for 60% of all operator mentions in the sector. This dominance is not merely a result of traditional advertising but a byproduct of a vertical integration strategy. Because Stake’s parent company owns Kick—the streaming platform founded in 2022 as a gambling-friendly alternative to Twitch—the operator has created a closed-loop ecosystem where its brand is the default choice for the platform's top-tier talent.

The Kick Advantage and the "Bankroll" Recruitment Model

While Twitch remains the market leader in total hours watched, Kick has successfully siphoned away the most influential gambling content creators. StreamHatchet found that the top ten iGaming streamers globally all utilized Kick in January, generating 88.4 million hours of watched content. Leading the pack was Trainwreckstv, who recorded 15.7 million hours of watch time. According to StreamHatchet’s Mark Rowland, this success is driven by a unique financial model where Kick streamers are provided with direct bankrolls by Stake. This allows creators to wager high stakes on-stream without personal financial risk, provided they include the brand’s name in their titles, creating a high-visibility marketing engine that traditional operators struggle to match.

Competing for Remaining Market Share in a Bipolar Market

Beyond the shadow of Stake, other operators are fighting for visibility through more traditional sponsorship avenues. 1xBet secured the second-place spot with 1,800 mentions, followed by Betano with 837. Analysts suggest that these brands derive their visibility primarily from the world of competitive gaming and professional sports. 1xBet’s heavy investment in esports team sponsorships ensures its brand remains relevant to the gaming-centric audiences of Twitch and Kick. Meanwhile, Betano’s aggressive sponsorship of football clubs in Latin America and Spain has paid dividends, as sports-related content continues to be a massive driver of engagement on these platforms.