- Poker streaming has seen a major decline in viewership.
- More people are trying to stream poker despite the drop in viewers.
- GGPoker introduced Streamer Mode to support poker streamers.
- The new mode offers financial incentives and improved technical integration.
GGPoker has made a bold declaration that “poker streaming is dying.” Their numbers back this up emphatically.
According to GGPoker, Twitch poker streaming in 2025 has experienced a staggering 44.2% decline in average viewership compared to the previous year. Total watch time and peak viewership have also dropped significantly.
Yet there’s a curious paradox. While viewership crumbles, the number of individuals attempting to start poker streaming has actually risen by 8.9%. This suggests the problem isn’t lack of interest from content creators – it’s the difficulty of building and maintaining an audience.
The decline threatens the entire ecosystem. Fewer viewers mean less incentive for streamers. Less quality content leads to further audience erosion. It’s a vicious cycle that has plagued online poker streams for months.Content creators face other issues. Recently, a new YouTune policy has age-restricted a lot of poker content, which means it cannot be viewed unless the user is logged in and age-verified. This decimates views on content and the algorithm will stop recommending the content. Shorts — Youtube’s version of short-format, Tiktok-style vertical videos — are particularly affected when content is age-gated.
Kevin Martin, a GGPoker ambassador and one of poker’s longest-standing and most-watched streamers, brought attention to this issue last week.
“It might be over for poker creators,” he wrote on X. “All online poker content is COOKED with new YouTube Policy.”
“The part that kills me is my audience is 99.8% adults,” he continued. “Minors watching my content is not a problem. I’m going to keep creating on youtube. The dream remains alive in many ways.”
“I’ve been making poker videos for 10 years and it’s unfortunate the platform has now put a handicap on poker creators,” he added.
GGPoker’s diagnosis is clear: streamers haven’t been properly supported. Without professional tools, putting on a good stream is hard. Without platform integration, they struggle to reach the right audience. Without financial incentives, they can’t justify the time investment.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
GGPoker’s solution: Streamer Mode
The new Streamer Mode represents perhaps the most comprehensive streaming support system ever implemented by an online poker operator. It addresses both the technical and financial challenges that have historically plagued poker streamers.
To qualify for the full 100% cashback, streamers must meet specific requirements. They need at least three months of streaming history on YouTube or Twitch. Their channels must average a minimum of 40 concurrent viewers. Once approved, every session played while streaming generates complete rakeback.
The technical innovation is equally impressive. GGPoker’s proprietary “dual-display technology” creates two separate views – one for the streamer showing complete information, another for viewers with sensitive data hidden. This eliminates the complicated third-party overlays that previously made streaming a technical nightmare.
Streamers can hide hole cards, balances, and casino games from their broadcast. A special Streamer Panel helps manage multiple tables in one place. Everything integrates directly into the GGPoker client.
The platform even notifies other players when someone at their table is streaming. With one click, tablemates can watch the stream directly from within the poker client. Active streamers receive prominent placement on GGPoker’s homepage, exposing them to the site’s massive player base.
This comprehensive approach dwarfs previous industry attempts. While PokerStars introduced Twitch account linking in 2019, it was limited to rewards for channel subscribers. Run It Once Poker’s StreamR program offered up to 110% rakeback but lacked the technical integration.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. As GGPoker prepares for major events like the 2025 WSOP Online series and the WSOP Paradise in December, a thriving streaming ecosystem could amplify interest and participation.
Whether this ambitious program can reverse streaming’s decline remains uncertain. But GGPoker has thrown down a significant gauntlet. For aspiring poker streamers, the message is clear: the platform is finally ready to properly support your content creation dreams.
