Latest News

Twitch hack: the real cost of unreported streaming app cybercrime (data & analysis)

Published

5 years ago

October 7, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As news breaks of a Twitch hack that has exposed 125GB of users’ personal data, a recent study by UK phone refurbishers Repair Outlet reveals the hidden cost of streaming app cybercrime.

Combining data from Action Fraud with global search data around app cybercrime, the study has revealed that app users lose an estimated £183 per break-in, with streaming site users potentially losing £3.3M a month.

Typically, Twitch users search for advice on account security 600 times a month, which could be costing £109,800 per month.

Though the data revealed in the mass leak may not have an immediate monetary impact, the personal data exposed could leave other accounts at risk and, for streamers on the site, could have a drastic effect on the money they can generate.

More broadly, Youtube is the most commonly searched streaming app, with 6,000 searches per month, costing an estimated £1M.

Netflix is the second-most vulnerable app, with 3,900 searches surrounding account break-ins, totaling £713,700 a month.

The most vulnerable streaming apps

App	Category	Global Monthly Search Volume	Estimated Cost	Cost in USD
Youtube	Streaming	6000	£1,098,000	$1,506,000
Netflix	Streaming	3900	£713,700	$978,900
Spotify	Streaming	3800	£695,400	$953,800
Disney+	Streaming	3600	£658,800	$903,600
Twitch	Streaming	600	£109,800	$150,600

App users search for cybercrime advice 92,120 times a month, meaning the global total could be as high as £16,857,960.

You can find the full data, along with online safety advice, in our original post here: https://repairoutlet.co.uk/blogs/news/the-state-of-app-security-report

Comment from Tom Peet, manager of Repair Outlet:

“Streaming service vulnerabilities may not always have an immediate monetary value but this can result in cybercriminals gaining access to your personal information which leads to further fraud online.

One of the most common mobile issues is operating system vulnerabilities which can occur when your device isn’t regularly updated. This is even more significant as your device ages as some models may stop receiving updates.

Smishing has also increased by as much as 700% in 2021, highlighting the serious risk to all app users of losing access to their accounts and losing money in the process.

It’s vital to keep on top of your online safety, practice good password hygiene and protect your device with antivirus software.”

Comment from Ian Reynolds, cybersecurity expert at SecureTeam:

“It’s hacks like this that reinforce the importance of the very basic levels of cybersecurity that we are still seeing large companies such as Twitch not take seriously enough.

The foundation of cybersecurity password protection is two-factor authentication. For example, you’ll notice this being enforced if you ever try to log into your Google account on a new device.

If Twitch had multi-step authentication as a defalt, the risk of vulnerable accounts would be much smaller, which in turn would give users more confidence when interacting with the app.

These are very basic cybersecurity pracitises that companies should already be enforcing to prevent attacks happening, not as reactive measures after a disaster has already struck.”

Methodology

The UK’s fraud prevention agency Action Fraud reported that the cost of social media and email cybercrime was £2.6M a year, or £183 per hack. Repair Outlet then calculated the cost per hack based on the number of people searching for app-specific terms globally to calculate the estimated total monthly cost.

Contributors Program

Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice

Published

4 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

gamblers-connect-names-gali-hartuv-as-seventh-2026-contributors-program-voice

The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.

Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.

The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.

Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.

Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.

Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”

The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration

Published

5 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-extends-tonybet-partnership-to-alberta-after-securing-supplier-registration

St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.

Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.

St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:

“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta

Published

5 hours ago

July 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-continues-partnership-with-tonybet-with-an-expansion-into-alberta

Casino game aggregation platform and full-service technology provider St8 has extended its ongoing partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, furthering both companies’ expansion into Canada.

As part of the extended agreement, Tonybet will benefit from St8’s next-generation platform via a single API integration, unlocking seamless access to a wide portfolio of games from the industry’s leading providers and enhancing its casino offering for players in Alberta.

The move is the latest in St8’s successful relationship with TonyBet, having previously launched in Ontario earlier this year in a bid to continually grow in regulated markets worldwide.

This expansion was made possible thanks to St8’s newly acquired registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, enabling St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in the region, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration.

Featuring over 3,000 games from more than 60 providers, TonyBet, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength in its 17-year history, establishing itself as one of the industry’s leading game studios by delivering engaging titles that combine player appeal with premium gameplay.

Holding licenses in 10 different jurisdictions including Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Estonia, among others, Tonybet’s partnership with St8 has seen them now launch in two separate territories in Canada, with both companies working collaboratively to explore the opportunities available in exciting new markets. This latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry, and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

Speaking on the expansion, David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, had this to say: “We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.