Virtual currency coming soon to Twitch

Streaming site set to introduce a virtual currency that allows for gambling, owners Amazon have revealed.

The video game streaming site Twitch, popular in the poker community, used Thursday’s annual Twitchcon convention in San Diego to announce its plans to introduce its own virtual currency.

The site’s owners Amazon plan to introduce their new currency, which is based on a loyalty points system, in their very own release title Breakaway, a 4-on-4 multiplayer game that has been billed as a direct competitor to games such as Hearthstone.

Although, it is still unsure how the currency, Stream+, will work, Patrick Gilmore of Amazon Game Studios had this to say, "Stream+ is a loyalty points system where players can earn points by watching streams [which can then be used for] polls and wagering".

Stream+ points, which can be earned for doing as little as watching other gamers' streams, can then be used by players to gamble on the outcomes of other games, despite the increased scrutiny being applied to game streaming services like Twitch from the authorities concerning real-money gambling.

The announcement included a demo presentation that showed a player using his banked Stream+ points to bet on a Breakaway match.

Does the potential betting element on Twitch excite you? Will this be a new way to gamble in poker?