Jon Young, Content Editor at Gamblizard, looks at why artificial intelligence is the here and now, and how the industry can maximise the usage of technology that has become a mainstay of many conversations.

“AI is no longer a trend, it’s part of the workflow,” this has been a recurring theme of recent times as the technology has become a mainstay of conversation within the industry and beyond. Many have been vehement in their belief that implementing machine intelligence into strategy determines competitive advantage. 

As major operators and their associates adopt the latest tech to drive retention, by all appearances, AI splits the market into those who’ve adapted and those who haven’t.

AI for operators: from personalisation to safer gambling

Casino operators are steadily moving from experimenting with AI to implementing it in their daily workflow. Leaders agree that automation is becoming the closest opportunity to deliver tangible benefits in terms of smoother back-office operations and a better customer journey.

Not only that: cutting-edge tech enables sound personalisation; think ML-based slot recommendations that match player tastes. There are live results to point to: in 2024, Betway rolled out an AI module for odds personalisation. Within a few months, the pilot group placed 33% more weekly bets, and 30-day retention rose by 19%.

AI can also act as a UX accelerator for adaptive experiences and automated release testing. With massive player datasets, AI will pick up trends faster, score risk more precisely, and tune offers to real behaviour. 

Systems will suggest what to do next rather than merely logging what already happened. For operators, this marks a shift from reactive to predictive operations. Proper implementation can thus significantly improve ranking factors and relevance.

Focus on responsible gambling

Just a few years ago, AI-driven tools for monitoring problem gambling were seen as innovative. Every indication suggests that during the current year, they’ll become a standard across tightly regulated markets. 

As a matter of fact, even now algorithms track hundreds of signals – from sudden deposit spikes and unusually long sessions to atypical betting patterns – to flag players at risk and route them to safer gambling teams before issues escalate.

ZipDo reports that over half of online operators already rely on machine learning to monitor risky behaviour. After all, the regulators are increasingly demanding it. 

In the UK, for instance, operators must proactively track ‘markers of harm’, such as heavy losses or rapid re-depositing, and even run automated affordability checks once thresholds are breached. Case in point: in 2025, Mindway’s AI platform monitors the playing behaviour of 9 million users monthly versus just 100,000 in 2021.

AI distinguishes occasional spikes from consistent patterns of harmful behaviour, thus allowing earlier intervention, whether we’re talking about reminders to take a break, enforced limits, or the involvement of human staff. Without AI-driven analytics, it would be practically impossible to conduct checks at such a scale.

Lisa Corti of the BV-Group previously bluntly put the advantages of developing safer play programmes tied in with AI at the SBC Summit.

“If you provide a good safer play programme, you will keep your customer longer, you will sustain longevity, but you will also build trust with the customers,” she said.

In other words, operators no longer tick compliance boxes. Cutting-edge technology makes it possible to genuinely reduce the risk of gambling harm, which, in turn, strengthens long-term customer loyalty.

Humans still matter

Despite the progress, experts have stressed that AI cannot fully replace human analysts for two simple reasons: supervision and empathy.

As Phillip Sedišiš, Country Director, Click Hunters, put it: “Because of the sheer scale and speed of AI systems, human oversight is absolutely critical. The smallest mistake can snowball if it isn’t caught in time.”

Gamblizard’s SEO team adds: “Even the smartest AI can’t fully replace a casino analyst. Automated decisions can misfire – from blocking a VIP account to sending out irrelevant bonuses. 

“And no chatbot can show empathy to a player struggling with gambling. The optimal model is a symbiosis: AI handles routine and data-heavy tasks, but strategy and oversight remain in human hands.”

A real-world case is when AI-generated promos or content – from odd bonus offers to nonsensical social posts – goes live unchecked. The problem is not the tool itself, but the lack of human review before publication.

Left uncorrected, such content can go viral for the wrong reasons, spark ridicule in the community, and damage the operator’s credibility. And for operators, loss of trust isn’t just a PR embarrassment. 

It directly hits the business. When credibility erodes, loyal players leave, retention rates drop, and acquisition costs rise because every new player is harder (and more expensive) to win back.

Affiliates & SEO: the end of old models

Recent discussions have made it clear that Google is no longer a reliable lifeline for affiliates. An overreliance on organic traffic is risky – a single algorithm update can cut traffic overnight, to say nothing of AI overviews taking over the search results. 

As Emilio Takas, Head of SEO at Gentoo Media, warns that Google can change the rules of the game in a single night. Andrew Lee, COO at QiH Group, agrees and anticipates that the winners won’t be those who wait, but those already integrating AI into their processes.

Recent events have given the industry new AI-powered approaches, including:

• Semantic clustering to better understand user intent.
• Sentiment analysis to gauge brand perception.
• AI feedback loops to validate strategies faster.

But alongside opportunities came warnings. A case study on AI spam flooding Reddit showed how auto-generated posts and comments were used for link-building. Most were quickly removed by moderators, but some slipped through and created noise instead of value. 

A valuable conclusion to walk away with is that AI can scale processes, but without human oversight, it damages trust.

Voices from Gentoo and XtendedGaming underline that the future lies in combining SEO with other channels: newsletters, socials, and communities. Mass-produced content and technical tweaks no longer guarantee growth. Trust, brand, and user value are the new SEO.

Content: from AI generation to EEAT and brand building

The message that has resonated is simple: low-effort content doesn’t cut it anymore. Algorithms are filtering out shallow content faster than ever, while users demand genuine value.

As Heiko Wulf, Casino Analyst & iGaming Expert at Gamblizard Germany, puts it: “Content must work for trust, not for mass production. AI can help scale, but without expertise and human touch, it won’t build relationships.”

The focus is moving toward EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Content must be created or validated by experts, with transparent authorship and a clear understanding of user intent. 

At the same time, the trend is evolving toward gamification and community-driven content. Affiliates are looking for ways to engage readers with interactive formats, such as quizzes, challenges, and community conversations, to build not just traffic, but loyalty.

Community-driven strategy as the new currency

One theme stands out: the future of affiliates lies in building communities and products with real value. Players want spaces where they can get advice from peers, share experiences, and take part in interactive formats. 

We’re already seeing this approach succeed in other industries, such as Web3, where community often defines the value of a token or NFT more than the product itself; or Fintech, where apps like Revolut or Monzo thrive by creating a sense of club-like belonging.

The same logic applies to iGaming. Affiliates who go beyond ‘bonus traffic’ and create an environment for conversation and knowledge-sharing win long-term loyalty from players.

AI as a springboard

2025 was the year of adaptation. Those who experimented eventually found a balance between automation and human expertise and stayed ahead. The next stage is 2026, the year of standardisation. 

AI will become a must-have across the board, starting from personalisation and responsible gambling and ending with SEO and community strategies. Only those who don’t fear change will become winners.