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While players of online baccarat are not usually huge slot machine enthusiasts, those interested in online gambling may well have heard of Brian Christopher, who rose to fame via his YouTube channel dedicated to slots, Brian Gambles.
The channel was launched on June 17, 2006, and featured surprisingly engaging videos of Brian playing slots at land-based and online casinos. It quickly became popular and gained numerous viewers who enjoyed following his highs and lows on the slot machines.
However, in 2018, things took an unexpected turn. Claiming violations of their terms of service, YouTube shut down Brian Christopher’s channel, accusing him of promoting “violent or dangerous acts”. This meant that Christopher was facing the possibility of losing more than a decade’s worth of work, his thriving fanbase, and his livelihood.
The Changing Reputation of Slot Machines
For a long time, slot machines were thought of as a game for older players, while younger gamblers tended to be drawn towards sports betting or poker. However, with the advent of online gambling, slot games evolved. Developers introduced visually exciting games with creative bonus features and succeeded in attracting a new demographic.
Christopher made the most of this trend by visiting casinos across the US and documenting his slot-playing adventures. His risk-taking and the resulting ups and downs were a hit with viewers. He also strengthened his connection to fans through live Q&A sessions, in which he answered questions in real time to create a sense of community long before interactive streaming became widespread.
Christopher’s Battle with YouTube
In 2018, YouTube started sending warnings to Brian Gambles’s channel. As noted, the site told him that his videos contained “violent and dangerous acts”.
In June of that year, YouTube closed his channel, claiming repeated or severe violations of its rules. The loss of the channel must have felt devastating. Christopher had built his career around content creation and employed two full-time staff, producing hundreds of videos. His husband, Marco, also made regular appearances in the videos. For Christopher, the financial loss was huge. His ad revenue, estimated at $20,000 per month, simply stopped.
Christopher wasn’t the only person to suffer in 2018. Several other gambling-focused creators, including The Big Jackpot, which has hundreds of thousands of subscribers, were also suspended.
The timing of YouTube’s actions led to speculation that the gambling industry was being targeted. Although the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA, allowing states to legalize sports betting, just a month before Christopher’s suspension, gambling remained a sensitive topic for US-based companies.
YouTube’s reasoning was particularly strange. The platform claimed a video titled “Smokin’ Hot Gems, BIG WIN, Mammoth Power Slot Machine Pokies w Brian Christopher” violated guidelines, but the exact nature of the breach wasn’t clear.
Refusing to give up, Christopher appealed the decision, explaining that his videos followed all guidelines. His initial appeal was rejected, as were those of other creators like The Big Jackpot.
Then, unexpectedly, YouTube reinstated his channel. The platform acknowledged he had not violated its rules and restored his content. The about-turn prompted speculation that an AI error triggered the original suspension.
Although Christopher regained his channel and renamed it Brian Christopher Slots (BC Slots), the suspension had a lasting negative impact, particularly in regards to monetization.
BC Slots Today
Nonetheless, despite the setback, Christopher continued creating videos and even expanded his brand by collaborating with Gaming Arts to design his own slot machine, Pop’N Pays More, which debuted in Las Vegas in July 2022.
By January 2025, BC Slots had amassed over 711,000 subscribers and more than 500 million views. Furthermore, his net worth from ad revenue and merchandise is estimated at $3 million, making him one of YouTube’s most prominent gambling creators.
However, the suspension showed just how precarious the nature of YouTube’s platform governance can be. Arbitrary enforcement of rules can leave creators in difficult positions, especially when their livelihoods depend on the platform.
While Brian Christopher is now in a stronger position, the question remains: could it happen again?
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