Over the last couple of years, Artificial Intelligence has become a hot topic. Endlessly debated, sometimes praised, more often than not feared, it seems like a genie that has definitely been released from the bottle.
There’s even a feeling that those in power need to sit up and take notice of where it could lead. And, while it’s of relevance to many sectors, for some it promises to be a true game changer. Included in these is the gambling industry. This is because operators lie at the perfect intersection of technology, leisure, legal responsibility and math.
This is particularly true of online casinos as well as sportsbooks. What’s more, their digital existence places them very much on the front line when it comes to AI. Add to this the hyper-competitive nature of the industry – you only have to hop online or watch a game of sport on the TV to appreciate how crowded it is – and it makes for the perfect storm.
But the real question is whether AI is a good or bad thing for operators and players, and that’s a complex issue.
For players
Let’s look first at the effect that AI could have on players.
Already, AI is enhancing game development as operators use it to create new variations on roulette, blackjack and baccarat. It is also playing a key role in enhancing the user experience on their sites. Some poker sites are also already using AI to help players enhance their skills with training programs and exercises.
The dynamic nature of AI also means that it can use intelligent learning to fine-tune games to suit a player’s preferences or skill level. This may involve a subtle enhancement, but it’s one that is sure to increase the level of engagement.
Similarly, some players respond better to certain offers and incentives than others. AI helps to draw up fairly complex and detailed profiles of individuals. As a result, they can benefit from incentives that are precisely what the player wants to receive. One of the weak spots for many online casino operators has been in the communication options for players. Often, they have queries that need answers, and the 24/7 nature of casinos means that they can arise at any time.
Today AI is transforming chatbots so that they can provide an even better experience for users, going into greater detail and providing more accurate responses than ever before. However, we have seen some issues with them as they’re still in their infancy.
Problems with nuance and language limitations can be frustrating and time-consuming, and if you’re playing at a casino with real money, that’s the last thing you want. Thankfully, there are sites like Casino.org that rate the customer service of sites like this, meaning you don’t have to go in blind and spend 3 hours navigating an AI chatbot if something goes wrong.
For gambling operators
There’s considerable crossover in the benefits promised for players with those that operators will receive with AI. Being able to profile players with ever greater accuracy will be of huge value. By giving them more of what they want, in the way that they want it, is sure to drive business on. Offering better service through enhanced chatbot comms will also work very much in their favor.
But there are other features that will uniquely benefit the operators and the first one of these is enhanced security. As you’d expect from a business that involves the transfer of considerable amounts of money, gambling is always going to be open to fraudulent activity. The more complex algorithms generated by AI can identify markers that suggest crime is being planned or is in progress.
This not only protects the operator but the players too.
Increasingly, there is also more and more pressure being placed on operators to ensure that players are gambling safely. AI has a role to play in identifying those who are at risk of developing damaging habits allowing the operator to step in to prevent this. In the longer term, this could head off more restrictive legislation being imposed on the gambling industry thanks to effective self-policing.
Last, but not least, sportsbooks that rely on the accurate setting of odds to remain attractive to players and profitable too. The data-crunching nature of AI means that these can be far more accurate than ever before.
So good or bad?
As with many debates, this is one of nuance, not absolutes. And, even though many people have a knee-jerk reaction that AI is not altogether positive it obviously does offer a number of advantages for the players and gambling operators too.
The one reservation might be that it allows far more information to be gleaned about players and their habits. In an age when we are all told to guard our data carefully this could be a cause for concern. However, as AI takes even greater hold there are certain to be closer restrictions introduced on the storing and use of this data.
So, on balance, one would have to consider AI’s benefits for the gambling sector to greatly outweigh the disadvantages. And that should prove to be better for everyone.
