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Artificial intelligence (or AI) is a global hot topic. You’ve probably heard the Terminator-style theories that computers are taking over, and you’ve almost certainly experienced AI in action, whether you realise it or not. If you’ve ever used a music streaming service that chooses the next song for you, or if you’ve typed something into Google and looked at the summary result at the top, you’ve used AI.
AI has the potential to shake things up in all kinds of industries, including in online slots in the UK. In this article, we’ll explore how AI could offer a more personalised gaming experience, enhance game development, and help casinos to spot players at risk of problem gambling or addiction.
Personalised Gaming
It’s likely that we’ll soon start seeing online casinos recommending games based on those you have already played. Just like AI is used by streaming services like Netflix and Spotify to offer you TV shows, films or music it thinks you will enjoy, casinos will be able to offer you games suited to your preferences.
Let’s take this a step further. It’s possible that as AI technology advances, games developers will be able to create a game that is uniquely tailored to your playing style. Perhaps over time the AI would recognise that you love playing slots with adventure or animal themes. It’s possible that it could combine the two to create a brand-new game that you’re likely to love. It could also adapt to the type of volatility that you enjoy, which affects whether payouts are larger but less frequent, or more frequent but smaller.
Bonuses could be personalised based on what the AI understands to be most motivating for you, and games could be designed to suit your usual gaming duration to create a customised slot experience.
Game Development
As well as enhancing the user experience, AI is set to revolutionise the way games developers create and analyse games. Artificial intelligence will make it easier for game developers to understand player behaviour by analysing data in real-time. Information about how long players usually play for, how much they bet, what kind of games they choose and whether they are beginners or more experienced players is all extremely valuable.
It could also be possible for developers to analyse players’ social media platforms (with their consent, of course) to develop games that suit their profile, and make games more interactive in general. Custom mini-games could be introduced based on the player’s interests, or payout frequencies could be adjusted according to player preferences.
Ensuring fairness and transparency
Regulated online casinos like Spin Genie already undergo rigorous testing to ensure that their games are fair, and that outcomes are truly random. However, AI could help to create even more sophisticated ways of making sure that games are fair.
Slot games use RNGs (Random Number Generators), which are pieces of software that use algorithms to determine random outcomes – and whether you will win or lose on a certain spin. AI could help to make these RNGs even more complex, and easier to program.
Artificial intelligence could also be used by regulatory bodies to identify and shut down casinos that are not licensed.
Tackling Gambling Addiction
Unfortunately gambling can become addictive for some players, causing issues with finances, family and mental health. Although casinos already work hard to identify players who may have a problem, AI could streamline this process and offer support and guidance to at-risk players.
Artificial intelligence could be used to spot dangerous patterns in player behaviour, such as excessive time or money spent gambling. The casino could then reach out to the player to offer support, or it could even be possible for the AI to automatically restrict them from playing in order to mitigate risk.
Identifying Fraudulent Players
Unfortunately fraud is a major issue in the online casino world, with a small minority of players who try to create accounts using fake names and email addresses, either to try to avail themselves of more casino welcome bonuses than they are entitled to, or to disguise their identity – for example, they could be under 18.
AI is excellent at identifying patterns and also IP addresses, which indicate where you are located. Using AI for these purposes could help to crack down on fraudulent players - and protect those who could be trying to gamble underage. In the future it may be possible to use face recognition for age verification, for example.
Streamlined Customer Service
AI is already being used in many casinos to enhance the level of customer service they are able to provide. In some casinos, chatbots are available 24/7 to provide answers to various customer issues.
Queries can be escalated to human customer service agents when the need arises, and the responses of online chatbots are becoming more and more sophisticated and informative.
Enhanced Security and Compliance
Although casinos like Spin Genie already have an extremely high level of cyber security, it’s likely that AI could bring even more precision in this area. Artificial intelligence could be used to quickly spot patterns and identify criminal behaviour, ensuring that customer data remains private and confidential.
It may also be able to proactively predict future threats, helping to keep both the casino and its players safe from harm.
AI could also be used to help casinos to comply with the stringent regulations of independent bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission. Artificial intelligence could use algorithms to understand regulatory requirements, and implement automated processes to ensure that the casino remains fully compliant.
What About Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is closely related to AI, but it is slightly different. AR technology allows people to use devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart glasses to view the world around them, with the addition of digital elements such as images and sounds. If you’re not quite sure what we mean, think back to the craze for Pokemon Go a few years back.
This interactive game is a great example of an AR game, which involved people looking through their phone screen at the world around them to find Pokemon that appeared on their screens – but of course, the characters were not really there!
The technology uses sensors, your device’s camera, projection and lots of behind-the-scenes processing to bring the AR world to life and create lots of exciting new gaming opportunities.
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