When it comes to high-stakes bets and trades, few on Crypto Twitter have amassed a fervent following like pseudonymous influencer Gainzy. Now heβs made waves for swapping a sponsorship with one crypto gambling site for a competitor, as the former platform’s utility token takes a tumble.
While Members of Parliament in the UK have compared regular crypto trading to gambling, Rollbit and Stake.com are examples of popular platforms that specifically tap blockchain tech in areas like sports betting and casino games, while catering to degens.
βAfter careful consideration, Iβve left Rollbit and partnered with Stake,β Gainzy said on Twitter. βFirst live stream tonight […] Letβs fucking gamble.β
As Gainzy swaps one sponsor for another, they join the ranks of rapper Drake. The artist backs Stake.com and has a highlight reel of wins up high on his Instagram page for his 142 million followers to seeβalongside the occasional payout post.
Gainzyβs wagers tend to generate social buzz, but the influencerβs sponsorship with Stake.com has had a relatively quiet start. A gambling livestream titled βplz workβ generated around 140 views on Monday, compared to their 200,000 Twitter followers.
After encountering technical difficulties on Tuesday, the influencer said the βmiseryβ of setting up for a one-hour stream was too much, offered to pay top-dollar for some help, and then signaled he would have a βbeer and a swim to decompress.β
Regardless, a token associated with Rollbit fell after Gainzy signaled he was shedding his sponsorship. Rollbit Coin, dubbed the gambling platformβs utility token, was down 5.3% to $0.124 over the past day, according to CoinGecko.
βWhat could be better for Gainzy than playing these casinos against each other like a fiddle?β Crypto Twitter influencer Gabriel Haines told Decrypt. βHe’s probably making at least six figures a month streaming slotsβwhat a way to live.”
Gainzy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Decrypt.
Even though degens have displayed an aptitude for betting of all forms, no-matter how nascentβthink, the short-lived success of on-chain hamster racesβsponsorships with online personalities are a common method for gambling sites to drive attention and traffic.
Market trading as if Rollbitβs only profits were from gainzyβs losses
β Evanss6 (@Evan_ss6) September 18, 2023
Follow the Money
Gainzy became sponsored by Rollbit last December, according to one of many now-deleted Tweets. At the time, the influencer said Rollbit was βobjectively the best on the marketβ due to a referral link that gave gamblers 10% back on sportsbook losses.
Since Gainzyβs sponsorship took shape, Rollbit Coin has notched notable gains, according to the influencer themself. Gainzy has highlighted the tokenβs $0.02 price at the time he joined several times while talking about the platform on Twitter.
As Rollbit garnered intrigue in July, Gainzy took the opportunity to clarify on Twitter where his commission on referrals went.
βNow that Rollbitβs got renewed interest, itβs time to once again shameless[ly] shill the ref[erral],β they said. βThe ref[erral] commission isn’t going to donations, itβs going to degenerate trades and sportsbets.β
Around two months into their sponsorship, Gainzy claimed on Twitter that they had wagered over $10 million on Rollbit. A month later, the influencer then claimed, βEverything I bet is my own funds, and the funds Iβve received from Rollbit constitute a minuscule part of my overall volume.β
While Gainzyβs sponsorship with Rollbit has generated notable exposure for the platform, a person involved in its creation acknowledged Rollbitβs sportsbook business isnβt leading the charge on Tuesday.
A pseudonymous co-founder of Rollbit, Lucky, said on Twitter the companyβs βsportsbook revenue is lagging behind for nowβ compared to βrecord-braking volumesβ across the siteβs other revenue streams.
Lucky did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Decrypt.
Record breaking volumes across our three revenue streams in the last 24 hours has resulted in $2MM+ revenue and over $300,000 in $RLB burned π₯
The RLB burned today equates to just under 0.1% of the circulating supply!
Sportsbook revenue is lagging behind…for now π οΈ pic.twitter.com/RclDHBMntK
β Lucky (@Lucky_Rollbit) September 19, 2023