Between Assistance and Influence in AI-Driven Digital Platforms

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It’s logical to expect developments in algorithmic personalization to influence user behavior on high-stakes digital platforms. Technology tracks betting behaviour, helps personalize retention strategies, and provides tailored promotions, improving the player experience. At the same time, users who decide to cash out early or receive personalized bonuses tend to adjust their betting frequency and stake sizes systematically, an indirect effect of technological reinforcement. These behavioral patterns raise questions regarding algorithmic transparency and user autonomy and protection, among others.

Personalization algorithms may strengthen loss aversion and reinforce the belief that player actions can alter the outcome, prompting players to keep betting to recover losses and exacerbating potentially problematic behavior. On the other hand,a study of 6,352 players between early 2022 and late 2023 demonstrated that machine learning models and AI algorithms could effectively predict problem gambling across countries. Frequent in-session depositing, taking self-exclusions, frequent balance depletion, and shorter average session lengths were all indicators of a greater likelihood of self-reporting problematic gaming patterns. 

In the future, AI may be able to spot a user’s unique risk patterns in real time and include a personalized nudge, such as temporarily reducing their maximum allowed wager. The degree of transparency is what determines whether AI can be beneficial or cause harm.

An emphasis on transparency to yield positive change

AI decision-making is sometimes seen as a black box, a system that is opaque even to platform operators. This lack of transparency can become a problem, especially when automating significant financial decisions. AI can be a tool for positive change when it is transparent and built to enhance the user experience, as when generative AI is used to create well-structured, fair, and unique games with only player input.

SlotGPT remains among the earliest adopters of AI in the slot industry. Its users provide a simple prompt, have a slot game developed to production grade, and can play the game for free or for real money, the essence of “pure creation.” The player provides a slot theme, mood, or artistic style, and SlotGPT generates sounds, symbols, reels, music, logic, and visuals.  The game can then be played or integrated into a platform. The creation process does not involve developers or third parties, eliminating the risk of unfairness. Each game on the SlotGPT platform is generated by players, with the build and launch process handled entirely by the platform.

Players do not need any specific knowledge, experience, licensing, or subscriptions. The games are launched on stake.com platforms, where millions of players can access them. Users are onboarded through stake.com, and channels such as X. They can leverage pure community power by accessing everyone else’s creations, and effective ranking and search features let them quickly find what they’re looking for.

AI is a boon for predictive analytics, support, and fraud protection

Every click, wager, and interaction can yield valuable insights for the slot industry, where AI’s strengths lie. AI can process vast datasets, identifying patterns in real time and predicting outcomes. AI-powered predictive analytics enhances live betting, and algorithms analyze betting trends to dynamically adjust odds and increase engagement. Predictive models help operators make better decisions about promotional strategies and risk exposure.

AI gaming analytics has also become a frontline of online casino security. The ability to process thousands of data points per second helps protect platforms and users seeking fair games. Some AI tools can “fingerprint” devices, stopping people from creating multiple accounts to milk welcome bonuses. They can identify predictable, robotic betting patterns that are a telltale sign of a bot trying to crack a game code and even detect money laundering. AI can also compare ID documents to official records, reducing the time needed to approve a new account.

Platforms become more efficient by streamlining backend operations and automating customer support with chatbots. Virtual assistants help resolve player issues, potentially reducing operational costs and response times.

The future brings both promise and risks

AI agents may enter the slot industry in the foreseeable future, using natural language processing algorithms to provide more accurate responses and improve customer satisfaction. An AI could be programmed to gauge the mood at the table and encourage live dealers to adjust their tempo and commentary, after which the game will feel friendlier to novices or move faster to keep experienced players happy.

Game designers are increasingly using AI to run a myriad of simulations, letting the machines stress-test new games. This process balances innovation and creativity, meaning the slot and table games people will see will be more solid from the get-go.

AI cannot rig games now, as an RNG determines the results, and the game’s return-to-player rate, a verifiable fixed number, is part of its design from the start. A platform can’t instruct AI to limit payout rates when a player is on a winning streak, and every spin is independent of the previous and the next, a fundamental fact that tools don’t mess with. Using bots to run casino games is a sure way to get banned.

Will the use of AI mitigate or increase risks in the future? The unconscientious will keep trying to cheat the system using AI, but AI is already being used to detect AI. The line between assistance and influence will continue to grow thinner, with only time telling whether this will be to the player’s benefit or detriment.