We spoke to Alexander Korsager about how AI is going to impact the gaming landscape
Right now, it seems like we cannot move without AI being implemented, discussed, or speculated upon. Is it a bubble? Will it just burst as the e-commerce bubble did? Will there be any jobs or creative opportunities left for humans? Will the robots take over?
The term AI is bandied about so much, but the significant change in consumer recognition has come since the introduction of Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, and Google's DeepMind. It seems embedded in everything, and even pops up (or invades) our private chats on WhatsApp. There are also grave concerns about how much of our private data is being used to train the technology.
However, algorithms and machine learning have been running in the background, influencing our social interactions for several years. We wanted to better understand how AI will impact the gaming landscape, so we sat down with Alex Korsager of Casino.org for an inside industry view.
Wizard of Vegas
Welcome, Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your intelligence on AI. What we want to know is whether it truly revolutionizes the industry, or if its impact is overstated.
Alex Korsager
Well, thanks for letting me share my thoughts on this subject. There is so much speculation on what the future will look like that it is a pretty subjective topic. No one really knows the full impact it will have, but it will almost certainly change player engagement, fraud detection, and how games are developed and delivered. Many people in the industry remain very skeptical, while some operators have fully embraced it, while others are holding back or adapting human-centric business models.
From a player's point of view, AI will only be beneficial if it genuinely enhances the iGaming experience. When players in the US are looking to find an online casino for real money, what they are interested in is finding a fun and entertaining platform. Great legal and regulated casinos offer high-value, achievable bonuses, massive winning potential, loads of banking options, and excellent RTP (Return to Player) rates. Most people do not mind how this is achieved; they just want a safe but exhilarating interaction.
Wizard of Vegas
What is the most significant emerging trend in online casinos right now, and is it being served up by AI?
Alex Korsager
The irony of the answer is that human interaction is fueling much of the growth in online gaming. The online casino sector was an early adopter and innovator in all things tech and ecommerce. Tech development is absolutely central to the industry's success. However, right now, what has got everyone excited is Live Dealer gaming – live dealer gaming is all about competing against a human being. Online casino players have been playing against the robots, algorithms, and Random Number Generators for decades!
Many in live dealer gaming are outspoken about the importance of real live dealers (you could say this is hardly surprising, as it is their business model), but AI or mechanical dealers cannot replace authentic, human croupiers – it could almost be seen as a backwards step. It would be like promoting a live entertainment show, only to deliver a hologram!
Wizard of Vegas
So, where do you think we might see the impacts of AI, if not directly in the gameplay?
Alex Korsager
Undoubtedly, AI will have a significant impact behind the scenes. It will become a major tool for personalization, delivering player experiences tailored to their requirements. AI is also being leveraged creatively to enhance products and drive development.
Where AI is going to really come into its own is in the recognition of cryptographic verification (provably fair) as the standard for ensuring game fairness. Many believe this will replace the current Random Number Generation standard. There could also be some exciting cross-industry collaborations that could reshape the entertainment industry as we know it.
AI could accelerate hybrid experiences that combine streaming and betting, live games, games of chance, and casino-style sports betting. While it is never easy to see into the future, AI might unlock possibilities that we have yet to imagine.
Wizard of Vegas
So if the future is hard to predict, how is AI currently being deployed?
Alex Korsager
Hey, that is an excellent question because we can often get our best insights from looking at the here and now. Innovation usually comes about organically, so the biggest impacts are likely to come where AI is already working. So these are the most common places we currently find AI. It is up to us all to imagine how AI might improve itself, making it even more useful.
- Personalized recommendation – operators already use AI to offer a tailored gaming experience for play. Rather than pushing every opportunity to players, AI looks at your past activity and uses it as a springboard for future recommendations.
- Real-time odds -online casinos and betting sites adjust odds in real time and react to betting trends and live game data. AI can crunch changing data in seconds, whether that's the weather, on-pitch injuries, or changes in gaming patterns. What would have taken humans hours to compute is delivered almost instantaneously.
- Intuitive customer support – a bad customer experience can leave players looking for an alternative online platform. Waiting for a human agent, out of hours, can ruin the experience if a player has a problem with forgotten passwords, bonuses, or withdrawals. AI is now integrated into almost 80% of customer service models, and smart escalation tools can deliver human agent support when it is needed. The latest bots can even seemingly understand tone and interact in a quasi-human way.
- Fraud detection – AI has been detecting suspicious behaviour for a while, keeping customers and operators safe. Fraud can be a two-way thing, and while our aim at Casino.org is to protect players from dodgy operators by stress-testing systems, AI can protect the platforms from fake accounts and suspicious transactions.
Wizard of Vegas
Are there any pitfalls of AI that you think players should watch out for?
Alex Korsager
Online gambling is supposed to be fun. There is a danger that unscrupulous operators could let AI get out of control with sales and marketing messages or targeting players who are vulnerable. As with all things tech, human intervention will always be required to keep the machines on track and under control. After all, AI has learned from human behaviour up until now, so if it is only learning from itself, things could get pretty hairy quite quickly.
Wizard of Vegas
Thank you, Alex. Guess we'll have to keep a watching brief to see what happens next.
