It’s no secret anymore: Customers crave personalization. Just about every industry and business in the world has turned its focus to this concept, providing all sorts of tailor-made experiences to their clientele. When Netflix knows exactly what type of content we want to watch, Spotify curates the perfect playlist for our workday, and Amazon makes it effortless to buy the right office supplies, we become much more inclined to keep doing business with them.
While casinos have historically provided certain VIP services and ways for players to feel seen and heard, AI could swoop in and change the game with better game recommendations and customized bonuses. Are we getting closer to seeing experiences that mimic the personalization of custom-fit clothing or personal training plans—all with the glitz and excitement of casino gaming?
How Does Casino Gaming Operate Today?
Unsurprisingly, providing a personalized casino experience in person can be much easier than online. Staff can recognize the high rollers and VIPs by name and face, incorporate face-to-face interaction, and offer recommendations and rewards that suit their play style. There’s something much more intimate, tactile, and personable about in-person service, which helps foster trust quickly.
In contrast, online casinos operate through an app or website, where the experience is supported by algorithms and programming rather than the human touch. If we think of online banking, for instance, the app is typically used for “all business.” You check your transactions and move money around, and you’re not exactly expecting special service or engagement.
Online casinos can feel quite similar—after all, both are designed to be functional more than anything. However, just like online banking has started incorporating more personalized features, online casinos have started following suit. We’ve already seen massive improvements in slot apps for iPhone and Android since their early days, so we can’t help but wonder: what’s next?
How AI Could Personalize the Casino Experience
Personalization has been slowly making its way into the casino landscape, but it’s by no means at its full potential yet. We’re talking about basic experiences like loyalty programs or targeted promotions, which, at their core, are still fairly generic. What this means is that if you play blackjack a lot, for example, you might get a $5 bonus after a couple of games. Yet, this isn’t just given to you but also to other blackjack enthusiasts.
When we mentioned an experience backed by algorithms, we were referring to personalization that’s simply driven by patterns. If casino operators harnessed advanced AI to its full potential, it could learn players to the point where timing, recommendations, adjustments, and other aspects of the gaming experience could be perfectly tailored to each player.
AI can capitalize on human behavior and psychology. Perhaps a player is typically online late at night, around 11 pm. Based on this fact, the AI could adjust the casino experience by displaying a more vibrant, Vegas-style interface and recommending games with higher stakes and jackpots that cater to a desire for bigger rewards. Similarly, maybe a player has been playing for a while and needs some motivation to continue engaging. The AI could trigger special bonuses or rewards that keep them playing, helping them avoid those slumps or negative emotions from unsuccessful rounds.
Improving Game Design
While we’ve been focusing mainly on user experience, something AI can also enhance is the inherent game design of slots and table games. Typically, these games rely on a one-size-fits-all approach when, in reality, the online casino experience can surpass what brick-and-mortar casinos can offer. That’s all thanks to tech and AI.
When we talk about game design, we’re talking about improving gaming past a basic five-reel slot machine featuring a couple of generic symbols and betting amounts. It’s more about using those adaptive gameplay features to hold the player’s interest and make them feel like the game was designed for them. For players who take the high-risk, high-reward route, AI could adjust the reward structure and present more thrilling elements like special bonus rounds and significant jackpots. For players who prefer the opposite approach and are risk averse, the game might provide a calmer, milder experience with a slower pace.
AI can also study player behavior, building up a database that tells them when players typically start burning out, getting bored, or feeling disengaged. This will help with engagement, allowing the interface to intervene rather than having the player close the app and move on. Being able to manage these inevitable human emotions and responses in real-time means integrating an extra layer of proactivity for a fluid experience.
Are There Challenges?
As we’ve seen over the past few years, AI comes with challenges that need to be faced head-on. Especially since it’s still considered a newer, experimental technology, any large-scale implementation should be done with caution.
Why? Because AI systems aren’t perfect or easy to deal with. Developing an AI system for the online gambling industry that accurately adapts to and understands human behavior is no easy feat. As well, once you let AI “loose,” it could have an effect on data privacy, something that online users take extremely seriously these days. AI thrives on and needs data to operate, but players will need to be okay with their playing habits being tracked and sensitive information being stored.
That calls for strict compliance with data protection regulations, a transparent approach to data usage, and clear communication with players to avoid driving them away.