Popular Twitch streamer Felix “xQc” Lengyel has been called out by fans for promoting gambling sponsors, having previously apologized for his gambling streams a year ago. In the past, xQc has openly stated that he wishes that he could “take it back”, after claiming he believes “you shouldn’t gamble on stream”.

Fans assumed that was the reason xQc stopped promoting gambling sponsors on Twitch in June 2021 after admitting he was “moderately addicted”. He also claimed he knew how impressionable his viewers could be, and the damage he could do by exposing it to them. 

However, on May 16, 2022 that mentality appears to have changed, coincidentally just after he moved back to Canada, where it is legal to gamble using offshore sites like Stake.com, which are based in Curacao. For a better understanding of the issues surrounding sites like Stake, this BBC podcast is a great resource, but the short version is that regulation is extremely weak and many governments chose to ban these sites as a result.

In one 30-second clip, xQc stated that he “might just go full book book” which was shortly followed up by him saying he was “back home”. It is unclear what "back home" refers to, with the streamer also having recently returned to his native Canada, but "book book" appears to be a reference to gambling, or "gamba" as xQc calls it.

Change of heart

Following the events of the clip linked above, the former Overwatch pro spent time on stream playing slots on Stake.com, which led to his viewers calling him out for his stance on the matter. This prompted a response from xQc, in which he attempted to explain his reasons for gambling on stream again, which you can see below.

“Everybody threw us all under the bus when the chips were down, and everybody turned on us,”  xQc said in response to the backlash. “Everyone was a bunch of b****es, but when some other streamers [returned to gambling]...(those that went back to sponsored gambling streams), everybody flipped and said, ‘oh dude, if I had that much money, I would do it too! I respect this guy!’”

He went on to angrily decry people he claims are “selectively choosing who they back up” before stating that “if your real motive is morals and ethics, you can’t pick and choose". Ultimately, though, his “love” for gambling is the reason why he decided to do sponsored gambling streams once again.

xQc has also been praised for being open about his “gambling addiction”, revealing on a recent Pokimane’s podcast that he lost $1.85M through gambling in April alone.  On the other hand, the day before the clips above were streamed, he mocked a viewer who predicted his return to gambling, calling the prediction "pure delusion".