AI central to responsible gambling, says industry leader
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key instrument in efforts to tackle gambling-related harm, with gaming operators turning to advanced models that can identify problematic patterns before they escalate.
In an exclusive interview with SiGMA News, Tom Mace, SVP, Integrity & Regulatory Services, Product & Strategy at Sportradar, details how AI meaningfully detects early signs of gambling-related harm, how the technology doesn’t reinforce existing biases or exclude specific user groups, and what responsible intervention should look like.
“Technological advances are transforming the gambling industry, including how operators identify and respond to early signs of gambling-related harm,” Mace said. “As the industry grows in scale and complexity, AI offers operators real-time monitoring at scale, allowing for faster and more effective interventions across large customer bases.”
According to Mace, AI systems are increasingly trained to recognise behavioural indicators such as “increased frequency and intensity of play, loss chasing, erratic betting, and financial red flags like cancelled withdrawals.” By aggregating these signals, models can generate risk scores that identify which customers may require support.
Bias and transparency challenges under scrutiny
With AI relying heavily on behavioural data, there are industry concerns about reinforcing bias or mistreating customers. Mace said this is being actively addressed.
“AI-driven tools are not only trained on diverse, representative datasets to avoid reinforcing biases but are also aligned with academic institutions to incorporate the latest research and ensure that the inner workings of the model are based on data-driven insights,” he noted.
To keep models relevant and accurate, he shared that “regular audits are conducted to continually refine the model in line with the latest industry trends, and incorporating operator-specific intervention feedback directly back into the model as a further training opportunity.”
Transparency, Mace stressed, is just as important. “Operators receive clear, interpretable outputs, enabling them to understand and act on risk scores with all the information necessary to ensure that all customers are treated fairly and consistently, something that is not feasible to do at the same level of efficiency and depth without advanced technology.”
Tailored interventions balance duty and business goals
Once risks are identified, the question for operators is how to intervene effectively without undermining business goals. “Effective intervention cannot be based on a single approach. It must be personalised and relevant to both the level of risk identified and the factors contributing to this assessment,” Mace said.
He outlined a tiered approach: “For example, moving from reminders for low-risk customers to prompts relating to responsible gaming tool usage for those assessed to be medium risk and direct outreach for the highest risk customers and if necessary, referrals to support services.”
These strategies, he added, can be shaped by specific behavioural markers such as “time spent gambling or frequency of deposits.” Crucially, Mace argued that the commercial side of the business does not have to suffer. “Importantly, responsible gambling must not be viewed as jeopardising commercial success,” he said. By feeding risk insights into broader business operations, operators can also meet regulatory expectations — for example, avoiding the targeting of high-risk customers with promotional offers.
“Ultimately, a robust, responsible gaming framework builds long-term trust with customers, enhances brand reputation, and strengthens regulatory compliance, all of which are crucial to driving sustainable growth in the industry.”
Industry pressed for evidence of harm reduction
A persistent challenge for responsible gambling initiatives is the lack of long-term evidence to demonstrate whether they actually reduce harm.
“To adequately assess the impact of responsible gaming initiatives, the industry must adopt a rigorous, evidence-based approach that is centred around key metrics such as the reduction in high-risk behaviours, an increased uptake of responsible gaming tools (e.g. deposit limits), as well as customer satisfaction and retention across operators’ customer bases,” Mace told SiGMA News.
He added that technology now allows operators to “monitor many of these outcomes in real-time with actionable insights into the effectiveness of their responsible gaming practices. This should be complemented with independent validation to ensure continuous improvement.”
Global operators begin adoption
This AI technology for responsible gambling is already being deployed in regulated markets. Last month, Sportradar launched Bettor Sense, an AI-powered solution that detects early signs of gambling-related risk.
“We will continue working tirelessly to protect the integrity of sport and the trust of our users, which remains our top priority,” Marcos Pereira, CEO of BETesporte, said. BETesporte, a supporter of Brazilian football, is the first operator to implement the solution.
“Bettor Sense mitigates the risk of false positives with transparent explanations for risk scores and tailored intervention recommendations that can guide employees during discussions with high-risk customers to verify the risk associated with that individual,” Mace explained. He added that this “human-in-the-loop” approach ensures that technology serves as a guide rather than a replacement for human judgment.
