xQc Gets Honest About His Gambling Addiction

xQc is, in many ways, an enigma of the streaming world. He's simultaneously controversial – collecting many bans throughout his tenure – and beloved. Apparently, xQc's real-life behavior is surprisingly polite, and other streamers have spoken out in the past about how nice he is in person. In addition to his behavior on and off stream, xQc is also known for his participation in various Twitch metas, and is even partially responsible for the popularity of the site's recent gambling meta, in which streamers would spend real money playing gambling games online. 

It's not hard to fall into extreme debt from gambling – as viewers saw when they learned the hard truth about Trainwrecks' slots wins – and xQc has previously spoken out about his intentions to quit gambling and stop streaming gambling games altogether. Still, quitting an addiction is difficult, if not impossible, for many people, and it seems that xQc's old habits are a bit more complicated to defeat than he anticipated. The streamer recently got honest about his gambling addiction, opening up to fans about his experience with gambling on-stream.

In an April 24 stream, xQc flat-out told his audience, "I like gambling." The admission seemed simple, but xQc went on to elaborate how his gambling addiction has affected him both in and out of games. Here's what he had to say while getting candid with his audience.

xQc confessed that even though he previously said he was sick of gambling streams, he still loves gambling however he can. In a June 2021 stream, xQc explained that he believes he becomes addicted easily, and that he could feel himself becoming more and more enamored with gambling. Even though xQc vowed to stop streaming his gambling, he's still found other ways to continue.

"You cannot find another streamer that uses anything and everything to gamble. In every game I play, all I do is gamble," xQc confessed. "In 'GTA,' I gamble ... everywhere I go, I just gamble. It's all I do. I enjoy it. I think it's fun. I'm addicted. ... I'm addicted to everything I do."

xQc went on to say that he believes he has a type of personality that makes it easy for him to become addicted to things. Once he begins enjoying a new type of gameplay, it's not hard for him to become a little too interested with it, sometimes playing for hours on end. xQc became passionate in his speech about gambling, yelling, "So I shouldn't gamble. I still do it! Is that good? No! That's terrible! That's illness! That's illness! I'm ill!"

Even though xQc clearly seemed frustrated with his own behavior, going to far as to say his gambling is an "illness" he can't shake, he urged his fans to leave him alone about it, explaining that there's one silver lining to the entire situation.

Unlike a lot of people who struggle with addictions, xQc explained, he can "afford to be ill." The streamer said that he's fortunate to make enough money to cover for his addiction. He said that if he gambles with his Bitcoin wallet, he doesn't feel like he's really losing that much money and it ultimately doesn't affect him. For others who suffer through addictions, that's not the case, and becoming addicted to gambling might mean the loss of everything they have.

Gambling streams are the trend that no one asked for, but they continue to remain popular despite personalities like xQc talking about their addictions. Gacha-based games like "Genshin Impact" offer gamers a gambling-adjacent thrill when pulling for a new character or gear. In fact, recent studies show that loot boxes offer a similar physiological response to gambling, triggering the same response in the brain and providing a rush of dopamine. Even though gamers have shared their feelings on the dangers of loot boxes time and time again, developers continue using them as a key mechanic in many titles, and especially in games with an online component. While the gaming industry isn't ready to say goodbye to loot boxes and microtransactions just yet, seeing streamers struggle with spending money in games might work to sway public opinion even further.

xQc is just one of many streamers who have gotten honest about their addictions – and not just in terms of gambling. In 2021, PewDiePie shared that he has worked to quit drinking alcohol entirely, while Logan Paul shared that he dealt with a marijuana addiction. By speaking out about their own personal struggles, streamers simultaneously humanize themselves to their audiences while also raising awareness about the dangers of addiction. After all, addiction can affect anyone, famous or not.