Like many other countries in the world, Canada has also witnessed a substantial rise in the popularity of online gambling. And while every Canadian province has its own rules and regulations regarding such activities, they have one thing in common - influencers becoming more active with live streams of online casino action.
From 5-time Grammy award winner Drake to professional poker player Parker Talbot and many others, online streamers play a significant role in popularizing the sector. Stay tuned as we discuss the top Canadian gambling influencers. And if you're looking for legal online casinos in Ontario, you can find more on this page.
A Few Gambling Statistics for Canada
Before we go into more detail, let's look at some interesting statistics on Canadian gambling. According to the most recent studies, at least 6 out of 10 Canadians spend money on gambling. This represents around 60% of all residents in the country, with men (63%) being slightly more likely to gamble than women (57%).
Canadians gambling monthly
~60%
Average monthly spending per gambler
$6.75
Monthly gambling by gender
63% of men and 57% of women
Active online gamblers
Over 19.3 million
Average age of Canadian gamblers
Those aged 35-54 are most likely to participate in gambling activities
43% of women and 56% of men say they have gambled online. The best online casinos in Ontario, Alberta, and other provinces are becoming more and more popular, which is in line with the global tendency of a surge in participation in these types of activities. Many influencers successfully took advantage of this by incorporating such content into streaming platforms like Twitch.
List of the Top Online Casino Influencers in Canada
- Aubrey Drake Graham, known as Drake
- Parker Talbot (@Tonkaaaap)
- Mathieu Blake (Never Split 10s on YouTube)
- Brian Christopher Slots (@BCSlots)
- Francine and Marion Maric (@LadyLuckHQ)
- Ishmael Swartz (@Roshtein)
- Tyler Niknam (@Trainwreckstv)
Drake
Drake may not be the typical gambling influencer, but his notorious rapping career has made him extremely popular and influential. In recent years, he's partnered with crypto casino Stake.com, and you can catch him streaming while playing roulette and other online casino games on the site, with staggering bets reaching up to USD$10,000,000.
He's also run generous giveaways for viewers on well-known streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Kick. The latter was founded in 2022 and is backed by the founder of Stake.com. This came following the gambling brand getting banned by Twitch pretty much around the same time.
TonkaaaaP
Parker Talbot is a professional poker player from Canada. According to data from The Hendon Mob, his total live earnings amount to $2,277,938. With 132K followers on Twitch (@tonkaaaaP) and around 77K subscribers on YouTube (@TeamNeverLuckyTV), Talbot is undoubtedly among the biggest gambling influencers at legal online casinos in Ontario and beyond.
Although his focus is mainly on high-stakes poker, you can occasionally catch him playing other casino games like blackjack. There's a lot to learn from him regarding online and live poker strategy. Similarly to Drake, Talbot also runs different giveaways organized by him and his partners and sponsors. As of writing this article, he resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mathieu Blake
Mathieu Blake is a blackjack player, a serial entrepreneur, and an author. He's been on camera since 1999 and has over 500K followers on social media. Blake's YouTube channel, "Never Split 10s", has 169K subscribers. It's the perfect place for fans of blackjack who want to learn how to choose the right games based on rules and house edge and how to apply different strategies.
Black had shared that he's been playing since he was 18. He's also published a few books on blackjack. In addition to blackjack, he plays poker, Texas Hold 'em, roulette, Stacks Hold 'em, Four Card Stacks Hold 'em, Jesse's game, and more. Living in Ottawa, Black often gambles at leading Ontario online casinos.
Brian Christopher Slots
Brian Christopher was born on February 26, 1981, and was raised in Burlington, Canada. He is one of the most successful gambling content creators worldwide. His expertise is mostly in slots, and you can watch him live playing popular games at retail and online casinos in Canada and the US.
Christopher's YouTube channel (@BCSlots) has 719K subscribers. He has partnered with reputable brands such as BetMGM and Plaza Hotel & Casino. Currently, Brian Christopher resides in the US, from where he streams most of his videos. His net worth is estimated at around US$3 million.
Lady Luck HQ
Francine and Marion Maric are the couple behind the Lady Luck HQ brand. The American YouTubers and influencers have gained considerable recognition in Canada for playing and streaming mainly retail and online slot games. They aim to educate their followers about the titles and platforms as much as possible.
Lady Luck HQ have become well-known in the sector for their content mixing entertainment and education. Currently, they have 753K subscribers on YouTube alone. If you're more of a slot enthusiast or you're a newbie in Ontario online casinos, Lady Luck HQ could give you a good head start into the nitty-gritty of internet and retail gambling venues.
Roshtein
Ismael Swartz, better known as Roshtein, is not of Canadian nationality. The streamer was born in Sweden and is of Turkish, German, and Swedish heritage, but he's become very popular in Canada and many other countries worldwide. Since 2016, Roshtein has created a massive following of over 1 million people.
You can find him streaming on Kick, Twitch, YouTube, and his official website, roshtein.com. He may not be playing from Canada, but he uses internationally licensed brands, some of which are often ranked among the best online casinos in Ontario. You can find his streaming schedule on his website.
Trainwreckstv
There's hardly any online gambler who doesn't know who Trainwreckstv is. Tyler Faraz Niknam was born in the US on December 20, 1990. In 2021, he relocated to Canada, where he still lives today. Many believe that one of the main reasons behind his relocation is his partnership with crypto casino Stake.com, which remains illegal in the United States.
In 2022 alone, Niknam has been paid around US$360 million by sponsors to play live on streams. He's also streamed from some legal online casinos in Ontario and other provinces, but his main partner remains Stake.com. Niknam is a partial owner of the streaming platform Kick. He also has 2.2 million followers on Twitch.
Honorable Mentions
These are far from the only Canadian influencers partnering with legal online casinos in Ontario and other provinces. Vanessa Kade and Matt Staples are well-known around the country for their expertise in poker games. Brian Christopher Slots is your go-to guy for slots. You can find hundreds, if not thousands, of other streamers from the country.
You have to remember that popular Twitch streamers make money from sponsorships with gambling brands. Additionally, they don't always play with their own personal money. The most important thing is always to approach online casinos cautiously. Play responsibly and stick to predetermined time and budget limits.