for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
Industry experts at the Regulating the Game 2026 conference in Sydney agreed that artificial intelligence is already transforming gambling operations, with predictive analytics, fraud detection, and player protection leading the charge over flashy generative AI tools. Dr. Paul Devlin, Global Lead for Betting, Gaming & Sports at Amazon Web Services, moderated a panel featuring Bryan Jenkins from Angel Australasia, Troy Nyi Nyi from SEON, Jane Lin from NSW’s Department of Creative Industries, and Nicole Pelchen, Crown Resorts’ Chief Technology Officer. They discussed how AI handles real-world challenges in casinos and online platforms, while regulators work through oversight issues.
Predictive Tools Spot Gambling Harm Early
Crown’s Pelchen downplayed generative AI buzz, saying operational priorities stick to proven predictive analytics that sift through behavioral data for harm signals like sudden betting spikes, marathon sessions, or odd pattern shifts. She said AI scales interventions across busy resorts where thousands play at once, moving beyond reactive checks to proactive care. The tech spots risks in real time that staff alone couldn’t catch, letting venues step in before problems deepen.
Fraudsters Up Their Game Online
SEON’s Nyi Nyi described online fraud as an escalating battle, with deepfakes dodging ID checks and bots mimicking human hesitations like coffee breaks to fool systems. His firm uses machine learning to detect small digital signals that are beyond the capacity of humans to perceive, preventing bonus scams, account takeovers, and multi-account frauds before significant financial damage is done.
Smart Tables Revolutionize Casino Floors
Jenkins highlighted AI’s land-based role through smart tables pairing overhead cameras with chipped games to log every bet and outcome live. The system flags statistical outliers or dealer slips instantly to pit bosses, cutting human error and safeguarding game fairness. While it spots advantage play like card counting, casinos decide follow-up, with AI just lighting up the patterns.
Regulators Demand Transparency
NSW’s Lin stressed explainability as regulators’ top worry with AI’s “black box” decisions on player restrictions or bans. She said authorities won’t accept machine outputs without clear reasoning, pushing human oversight so AI acts as a smart aide, not a lone judge—especially when livelihoods hang in the balance. Frameworks requiring staff review of AI flags aim to keep accountability human.
Balancing Privacy in Data-Heavy AI
Privacy came up as AI digs deeper into behaviour. Pelchen noted Crown anonymises most data, linking it to individuals only at harm thresholds for interventions, framing it as duty of care. Lin called for “privacy by design,” baking protections into AI from the start rather than tacking them on, ensuring monitoring serves safety without overreach.
Layered KYC Fights Deepfake Threats
Nyi Nyi said old-school document KYC falls short against AI fakes, so modern setups layer biometrics, device fingerprints, and behaviour checks. AI blends these signals seamlessly, verifying users without hassle. On floors, Jenkins added that smart tables make advantage patterns obvious but leave response to operator policy.
Governance Shapes AI’s Future Role
The panel showed AI woven into gambling’s fabric for fraud fights and harm reduction, from online bots to table monitoring. Regulators like Lin aren’t blocking it but want transparent, overseen systems aligned with player welfare. As technology advances further, the challenge would be how to strike the right balance between innovation and privacy and explainability to ascertain if AI is really providing safer and fairer play across different spaces and venues.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief (AGB)
