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Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the online gambling industry, mainly in the way it collects, analyses and handles user data. This will represent a milestone in the historic growth of gambling.
The new technology will collect information about the websites users visit, advertisements users engage with, purchases users make, updates users post on social networks and many more things and devise an optimum strategy for each customer based on his or her potential.
It’s something that’s illustrated by the fact that the worth of the big data market was $35 bln in 2017, a figure that’s expected to triple by 2027.
In the gambling industry, data is also crucial. Gambling companies invest time and money on data collection and analysis, since the industry is closely connected to statistical probability, it’s hugely beneficial for casino operators and software developers to be informed of the needs of their potential clients.
When it comes to calculations, the human brain cannot beat a computer. In fact, we are overloaded with information that we simply cannot analyse. Therefore, AI software can become the perfect aide in analysing consumer habits and predicting what products will be interesting to them in the future.
Another aspect where artificial intelligence can bring benefits to the gambling industry is creating odds. With skilful experts analysing data collected by artificial intelligence software, online casino operators can provide players with highly realistic odds.
Nonetheless, not only operators can use artificial intelligence engines. There are services that can be used by players, for instance, Sharkscope analyses online poker data and provides statistics, so that players could win more often and larger sums.
That being said, AI is not the sole source of help: bots have already learned how to defeat a real person, this became possible due to artificial intelligence software learning now to continually adapt to their human opponents. As proved in January 2017, when the artificial intelligence programme “Libratus” beat a professor of Carnegie Mellon University and his PhD student and famous poker players Jimmy Chou, Daniel McAuley and Dong Kim.
Much of the controversy about gambling relates to the issue of addiction. With the development of AI, the situation can improve considerably, utilising the software BetBuddy a player who is inclined to addiction and prevent negative consequences can be identified before the problem becomes too serious.
According to the Gambling Commission’s report in February 2017, the most common age framework of people participating in gambling activities is 35–64 years. With the expansion of such kind of artificial intelligence as virtual reality, this framework can include younger ages, since younger generations have a greater interest in digital and VR in particular. It has been found that the younger the person is, the more he or she prefers playing online over playing offline. Therefore, it is more likely that younger people will spend time on gambling.
Artificial intelligence has great potential to take the gambling industry in exciting new directions. Even in its relatively nascent form, it is already influencing and shaping the way developers look at gaming innovations to entertain future generations. Expect less of the human touch going forward!
Source: totallygaming.com
Source: European Gaming Industry News
