AI and Gambling – Does Artificial Intelligence Make Playing at Online Casinos Better?

by Mia
AI and Gambling - Digital Technology - MGJ

AI is everywhere, including gambling.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like AI is everywhere these days. It’s in the news, it’s online, it’s in my phone, it’s a part of the smart devices in my home, it’s where I work, it’s at restaurants, airports, shopping centers, etc. Artificial intelligence is something that most of us can’t escape no matter where we go.

Since it’s a growing part of our lives, and it seems to be a top conversation no matter the industry (gambling included), this got me thinking…

Just how ingrained are AI and gambling?
Why and how do online gambling operators use it?
How does it affect me (good and bad) as a player?
What’ s the future of AI and gambling?

AI and Gambling – How It’s Used and Why (as a Gambler) You Should Care

What is AI?

How AI is used in online gambling

AI technology is ever evolving and has made notable strides in recent years. It’s transforming a wide range of industries from healthcare to finance to online gambling. In the case of online gambling, high speed internet, smartphones, and ground-breaking graphics opened the door to AI integration. This integration made it possible for online casinos to provide immersive experiences to players.

AI and Gambling - Laptop - MGJ

Today, there are various opportunities for machine learning systems to be used within the industry.

Some areas were AI and gambling are combined include:

  • Tailored marketing
  • Automation
  • Enhanced security
  • Facial and voice recognition
  • Fraud detection
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Predictive analytics
  • Algorithms
  • Responsible gambling
  • Improving user experience
  • Customer behaviour analysis
  • Identifying loyal/valuable customers
  • Customer retention
  • Customer service

Ultimately, regardless of how AI is used by gambling operators via the artificial intelligence systems they employ, the primary purpose of AI and gambling is to streamline processes, make predictions, and enhance player experiences.

Why operators are using AI for gambling

While the ultimate reason for using it is to retain customers and boost revenue, more specifically, here’s why iGaming operators and other sectors within the industry are using AI for gambling.

  • Enhanced game development – Software developers can develop intelligent and adaptive games using machine learning algorithms. With machine learning integrated into the game, games can learn from the behaviour of the user and offer the player a more engaging and personalized experience that is also less predictable.
  • Personalized player experience – An artificial intelligence casino can analyze the behaviours and preferences of a player, learning the type of gaming experience the player prefers. This allows the casino to tailor game recommendations and promotions specific to players. By doing this, there is a greater chance of improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Customer behaviour analysis/user-retention – By analyzing player behaviour (e.g., how often we play, the games we play, the promotions we claim, how often/much we deposit, our average bet amount, etc.) gambling companies gain insight into their customers. This helps them to better understand our preferences, giving them a better shot at increases user engagement and having higher retention rates.
  • Tailored marketing – Competition is massive in the online gambling industry. AI generated customer insights can help an operator create tailored marketing strategies. Targeting players with promotions and advertisements that appeal to them can help to maximize conversion rates.
  • Improved security practices – Preventing fraud is important to the survival of online casinos. AI’s skill for advanced algorithms that analyze patterns allow it to speedily detect suspicious behaviour. This makes it an invaluable tool for identifying and preventing fraudulent activities, guaranteeing a secure environment.

How AI benefits casino players

Knowing why the online gambling industry is using AI for gambling, probably gives you a pretty good idea as to how AI can benefit our gaming experiences as players.

More to the point, we primarily benefit from:

Enhanced user experience

Better games

When AI is used to develop games and is incorporated within the game itself, it learns as we play. This provides software companies with better insight into the types of themes and features we enjoy and those we don’t. This technology – among others – helps the iGaming industry create content and entertainment that is more engaging, innovative, and responsive. It’s the difference between playing an online slot with ground-breaking mechanics and features compared to one outfitted with the 5×3, fixed paylines, cookie-cutter format. Or the difference between playing online poker against traditional computer software and online poker against intelligence computer software that learns how to bluff.

Customized experiences

Who doesn’t enjoy it when a company remembers your personal preferences and offers you services suited to your tastes and/or requirements? We like to matter as customers, and artificial intelligence helps gambling sites show us that they’re paying attention to our likes and dislikes. Through our gaming trends, they discover what games we enjoy, the promotions we like, and how often we play. By tracking us (with rather impressive accuracy) they can point us in the direction of new gaming experiences we might like, alert us to promotions we’re likely to claim, and reward us for loyalty. For instance, where I play, the online casino is very aware I’m an online slots fan and frequently offers me free spins promotions or notifies me about special slots campaigns or tournaments.

Responsive customer service

Safe gambling practices

AI and gambling technology is a definite plus for us in terms of overall security. Personally, I’m far happier making deposits and betting real money in an online environment that I know uses top security protocols. AI technology can help to prevent data theft and boost fraud detection to ensure a safe entertainment space.

Responsible gaming systems

AI and Gambling - Human hand reaching out to robot hand

How AI and gambling can be harmful

One of the biggest issues of AI and gambling – as can be said for just about any industry – is that artificial intelligence is still a new technology. It learns quickly, but it’s far from perfect and can be just as easily used for nefarious purposes as it can for good intent. This makes its rapid expansion a cause for concern.

Some ways in which AI and gambling can be harmful include (but is not necessarily limited to):

  • Tracking customers to exploit players and manipulate their behaviour
  • Cheating and fraud
  • Privacy issues
  • Questionable fairness/Algorithm bias

Will artificial intelligence casino experiences be better in the future?

There’s no telling what the future holds – good or bad – for AI and gambling. That said, it’s highly likely that the use of the technology in online gambling should lead to more enhanced and (hopefully) securer, engaging user experiences. Some of these experiences may include:

  • The incorporation of more VR and AR technology – more immersive life-like experience.
  • Dynamic, real-time gameplay – games that learn from player decisions to create a more engaging and less predictable playing experience.
  • AI live dealer game integration – enhancing realism and interactivity in the live games space.
  • Mainstream use of blockchain technology – decentralized systems offer greater transparency and security and could address some AI security and fairness challenges.
  • Ongoing innovation – continuously adapting to create the most engaging and cutting-edge gaming experiences.

With the above potential improvements in mind, will AI lead to a better iGaming future? Only time holds that truth bomb. All any of us can say with certainty at the moment is that artificial intelligence is a huge part of the online gambling experience. Its impact is profound and is only likely to grow as the technologies and the iGaming industry grows.

Until next time, good luck and have fun.

Mia 👩‍💻

*All links and images in this post are for informational purposes only.

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