Watch: HasanAbi explains how Stake referral codes work

Gambling has once again become a hot topic on Twitch, and Hasan "HasanAbi" recently took to the platform to explain exactly how Stake referral codes work.

Hasan exemplified the predatory nature of gambling websites, pointing out that any streamer that advertises gambling will have some form of referral code for their website. The way he explained it, streamers who have a referral code receive some of the losses their fanbase incurs.

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HasanAbi explains the predatory nature of Stake’s referral codes

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In a recent stream, HasanAbi was watching a video on “The Puppets of Online Gambling,” where he stopped to talk about the problems on Twitch more directly. It wasn’t just about Stake, though, as many big gambling websites offer some form of referral code.

“If you are offering a code, that means that Stake is tracking all of your losses, and you are getting a percentage of your fanbase’s losses. I don’t know why Mizkif had a hard time explaining that, but that is quite literally the truth.”

According to the streamer, it creates a predatory pattern, where a streamer is rewarded for having their fanbase go and gamble on websites like Stake because they are receiving compensation for what their fanbase does.

“That is how f**king, that is how f**king bad it is, okay? Yeah, they let you in on it, dude! They let you in on the f**king, uh, on the losses of your f**king fanbase!”

A user in his chat asked if Stake reached out to him, but HasanAbi made it clear they haven’t. The streamer said he’s openly brutal about the company’s business practices, so they’d never ask him to run a gambling stream.

He went on to say that he has 50,000 subscribers, so he doesn’t need to promote gambling streams, and said xQc should be in the same boat.

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Reddit responds to HasanAbi’s discussion of predatory gambling practices

Quite a few people on Reddit understood that this kind of thing happens and wish others were more aware of what websites like Stake do to facilitate gambling addictions. These practices repulsed users, who made sure to let others know their thoughts.

This led to a discussion on xQc and his recent gambling streams. Some mentioned how xQc said drugs are harmful and then returned to promoting gambling on his streams, while others also talked about the streamer and his habits.

While not everyone agrees with Hasan’s takes on politics, several were quick to agree with his take on gambling and gambling addictions. Many found this to be an easy pill to swallow and agreed with him.

Although Twitch does not allow referral codes on their platform for gambling, some gambling streamers put their link elsewhere, such as on a personal website. It’s unlikely that gambling streams will go anywhere on Twitch, but some, like Hasan, have made it clear where they stand on the issue.