YouTube restored the two slots video channels, but days later, still had not restored the feeds’ advertising.
Two of the most popular slot machine channels on YouTube were pulled from the video sharing website for inappropriate content on June 4. Brian Christopher of “The YouTube Team” and Scott ‘The Raja’ Richter of “The Big Jackpot” had their YouTube feeds taken down the site’s administrators due to “repeated or severe violations” of YouTube policies.
The problem was, Brian Christopher and Scott Richter had no idea what their violations were. YouTube’s staff gave only vague reasons in the email explaining the actions. When appeals were made, YouTube gave a flat denial and no additional information.
Brian Christopher said the YouTube Team was accused of depicting “violent or dangerous acts that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death” in their videos.
Because his YouTube channel is simply live video of him playing slot machines, neither Christopher nor his team could explain what they showed that was violent or dangerous. Attempts to get clarification went unanswered.
YouTube Team & Big Jackpot Restored
Days later, The YouTube Team and the Big Jackpot were restored to YouTube. The video-sharing site gave no explanation for the restoration — and certainly no more information on why they were singled-out in the first place. No guidance was given for maintaining their good standing.
One problem with both channels was their ability to make money from advertisements was not restored — at least immediately. YouTube told Brian Christopher that his advertising would be restored within 24 to 48 hours, though it had not happened 5 days later.
The episode serves as a cautionary tale for gambling-related YouTube channels — your status as a YouTube star and big moneymaker can be taken away in an instant, inexplicably and with no recourse. YouTube can be lucrative, but it also can be a shaky foundation for a business.
The YouTube Team by Brian Christipher
Brian Christopher’s YouTube channel is a business, no doubt. He spent two years building the YouTube Team channel. Brian Christopher says he spends 8 to 12 hours a day working on the video content. Besides that, Christopher has 3 full-time employees to help him with the YouTube Team.
Working together, they built a website with hundreds of videos of Brian Christopher playing slot machines and (sometimes) winning big jackpots. The YouTube Team now has 82,000 subscribers and 50 million total views overall — with thousands of views a day. Brian Christopher has a fan club, the “Rudies”.
Yet it was all gone and deleted with one mysterious editorial decisions. Two years of work was gone in an instant. Even after the YouTube Team was restored, Christopher and his fans still wonder what happened. Some think rivals might have flagged the channel to get rid of the competition. Others think it was a mere clerical error, or something on the video “Smokin’ Hot Gems, BIG WIN Mammoth Power Slot Machine Pokies w Brian Christopher” tripped something in a YouTube algorithm.
The Big Jackpot by Scott Richter
Scott Richter’s Big Jackpot channel has 115,000 subscribers and 2 million unique monthly views. Due to the trademark #BOOM hashtag on Richter’s Twitter feed, he has a growing fan club named “The Bomb Squad”.
Slots-based YouTube channels like Raja Richter’s are a way for slots players to learn about new game titles, while making friends with others who enjoy slots play. The “group pull” allows slots players to contribute to a common stake in famous slots, then each get their turn at hitting the spin button with a chance for a big prize.
In short, YouTube slot machine channels are a fun way to enjoy a hobby. Nothing about such feeds are dangerous, violent, or likely to cause death — even if Scott Richter’s fan club is called the Bomb Squad.
YouTube Channel Policies: Arbitrary and Mysterious
The two video stars told Forbes in a recent article about the incident that other YouTube channel owners need to be aware of the dangers. Their popular feed could be gone overnight. Original video content on YouTube is a path to fame and fortune, but video-sharing entrepreneurs need to beware that they don’t get over their skis on investments in the business.
Not many precautions can be taken, because YouTube (owned by Google) is unaccountable to its channel owners, who are its business partners. It’s a one-sided relationship. YouTube makes billions off the advertisement from such slots feeds, but they can sever the relationship at any time.
Those who own a YouTube channel need to back up their video content — all of it and before it is posted. If your channel is taken down, this allows you to retrieve months or years of work. You’ll still have lost a popular channel, thousands of subscribers, and all the links to your channel, but you at least have something with which to start over.
