Chinese iGaming broadcasters on Douyin currently employ localized terminology and phonetic substitutions to navigate platform content filters, according to Affmoment. The analysis outlines specific lexical patterns used to maintain compliance while promoting betting products.
Terminology and Moderation Workarounds
Streamers replace direct gambling references with coded vocabulary to avoid automated moderation blocks. The term 菠菜 (bōcài), literally "spinach," functions as a blanket term for betting and lottery activities. Financial transactions are described using 米 ("rice") for currency and 充值 (chōngzhí) for deposits, with the latter frequently shortened to 充. Cryptocurrency and RMB are identified by the Latin letters U and W respectively.Tournament and product terminology follows similar substitution patterns. Esports events are labeled as 城市争霸赛 or PC竞赛. Betting markets use phonetic disguises, with 波胆 (bō dǎn, "exact score") presented as 播单 (bō dān, "broadcast list") and 稳胆 (wěn dǎn, "sure bet") replaced by 稳过 (wěn guò, "sure to pass").
User acquisition flows reference 绿色软件 (lǜsè ruǎnjiàn, "green software") to direct viewers to WeChat for lead nurturing.
Broadcasters also apply intentional phonetic distortion and character splitting to further reduce filter detection. Standard terms such as 直播间 (stream room) are deliberately altered to variants like 啵啵间 (bōbō jiān). These lexical adjustments allow content creators to maintain promotional messaging while operating within Douyin automated review systems.