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“ We have come a long way already when it comes to detection and monitoring of the gambling behaviour , and the next step we ’ re looking into is sophisticated tech support on the intervention part ”
Rasmus Kjaergaard , Mindway and the next step we ’ re looking into is sophisticated tech support on the intervention part ,” says Mindway ’ s Rasmus Kjaergaard .
“ In other words : to empower the operators to do a lot more about the at-risk and problem gambling behaviour our solutions detect .”
TIPPING THE SCALES
Although most people recognise how important AI and personalisation could be in the future , it seems the gambling industry is only at the very beginning of this journey .
“ I wouldn ’ t say the scales have quite tipped yet ,” says Justin Le Brocque , manager of operations at Yolo Group . “ Personalisation is absolutely an essential element ; it is an expectation now rather than a bonus . But we are still able to deliver this manually , and often that is the best way to achieve the desired results .”
Nevertheless , Le Brocque sanguinely acknowledges that “ things are moving extremely quickly ” and says Yolo is already in the process of implementing new AI-driven technology across the business in order to steal a march on the game .
“ For now , we ’ re happy with the balance we ’ ve struck , but we expect that to evolve rapidly ,” he says .
One of the next frontiers , according to industry experts , is the application of
AI-driven personalisation in live betting to create augmented and integrated multimedia experiences .
One of the latest products to explore this potential is BetVision , a solution from sports data specialists Genius Sports that pulls together live streaming , in-game betting and personalisation for a fully integrated sports betting experience .
Highlighting the significance of BetVision , Genius Sports product director Tom Holland describes it as “ the amalgamation of everything we can do now ”.
“ When you ’ re starting to get events being identified by a computer in real time , you can then start to tie that back and try to create personal experiences for the user to really separate yourselves and create a unique experience for the consumer ,” he says .
By gathering and processing live data from fast-paced sports events using AI , operators have the opportunity to create compelling narratives that appeal to fans ’ emotions and which then drive engagement during the game , Holland adds .
“ All the markets are essentially stories that I want to be a part of ,” he explains . “ What we ’ re trying to do is tie all of that together and make more granular stories that are focused on the narrative that you care about .”
CONVERGING AROUND A UNIFIED EXPERIENCE
Delivering this type of integrated and personalised experience is where many believe that AI could come into its own in the future .
“ Fast forward three , five years and I think it ’ s hard to dispute that you ’ re going to see major technology companies converging around this unified experience which includes gamification , real money , betting , fantasy , all under one umbrella , which is really what the user wants ,” Epoxy ’ s Angelides predicts .
“ These silos are going to break down and the things that are logically going to converge are going to converge , particularly when it comes to media and sports betting .”
In four years , Angelides says , people will also be hard pressed to find a betting operator who isn ’ t using AI to personalise their product .
For Kornilov , this situation is precisely the reason why operators should investigate the implementation of AI as a strategic decision taken at the highest level .
“ If you want to be competitive , you cannot allow yourself to not apply the most advanced way to solve your problems ,” he says . “ And the companies who implement this and can do it quickly and cheaply , they will win .”
58 • ISSUE 136 • iGB L ! VE 2024