Streamer Félix Lengyel, better-known by his online alias xQc, has admitted that he spaffed about two million dollars up the wall on gambling last month. xQc's career began in professional Overwatch, before he switched to full-time content streaming, and he has been for several years the most-watched personality on Twitch. According to last year's leak of Twitch internal data, he is the highest-paid star on the service: raking in an estimated $8 million since 2019.
The gambling stuff is not all that new: xQc has in the past talked about his issues, and indeed often streams himself gambling: as he's said previously "every game I play, all I do is gamble". He unloaded about it on a podcast with another highly successful streamer, Pokimane, while discussing a poker tournament, saying "it's fun, I can afford it, I can afford doing it." When Pokimane asked about whether he had as much fun gambling when no-one was watching, xQc responded:
"Yeah, I’m addicted. I lost $2 million... $1.85 million this month."
"I have one of the biggest, most insanely addictive personalities you’ll ever find. I’m addicted to everything I do [...] I still do it. Is that good? No, that’s terrible. That’s an illness. That’s ill. I’m ill. But you know what, I can afford to be ill. I’m lucky."
SCHEDULE IS PRETTY COOKED RIGHT NOW, I TOOK THE TIME TODAY TO RESET AND CHILL BECAUSE WE HAVE COOL STUFF TOMORROW. EARLY PODCAST, A CHILL CHAT WITH @pokimanelol AND THEN IT'S @LudwigAhgren POKER EVENT, WHERE I WILL CLAIM MY RIGHTFUL JUICE (1M+). SHOULD BE HUGE. THEN BACK 2 NORMALMay 1, 2022
The streamer's remarks acquired more widespread coverage than usual, with eSports site Dexerto running an article that xQc's dad spotted. This resulted in Mr Lengyel calling his son who, of course, was streaming at the time, and answered the phone saying "what's up?"
"What do you mean what’s up?" his dad responded. "Dexerto?"
"Stop," said xQc. "Stop. Yeah, I lost some money yesterday. What about it? I lose money sometimes. It happens."
"You’re my little boy!" his father responds, before switching to French to ask how he's feeling, and whether he needs to worry. He says he almost flew straight to LA when he saw the article out of worry, and "because I love you." xQc tells his dad not to believe everything he reads in the media, and ask him direct.
The call ends shortly afterwards. xQc has talked at length about his issues in the past but, even for a dude who's making a lot of money, a near-$2 million loss in one month is an eye-watering amount: no wonder his dad's pissed. The streamer has not commented since the incident, though if he did it would be in all caps.
