The perception that AI can eliminate risk and replace luck with foolproof strategy is concerning. Will this lead to more newcomers getting hooked and larger sums being lost?
The over normalisation of betting is increasingly becoming a problem and the industry’s latest ‘coup’ has the potential to open an ever larger can of worms.
While having a bet on a sporting event once required a visit to the local bookies, a litany of instant phone apps like Bet365 have allowed folk to gamble money instantly for years now, and there are live odds on almost everything.
As someone who draws the line at Fantasy Football, you can’t help but notice the insane amount of betting sponsorships popping up on broadcast hoardings, TV ads, and players’ kits throughout a weekend of Premier League football. You almost feel like the weird one for abstaining.
Accessibility and convenience haven’t been barriers to gambling for what feels like an age, but the action of placing a bet has now become even further removed from reality with the introduction of AI – yes, it’s coming for every industry.
If you think about it, the shift was all but inevitable. In a game of chance, the technology has the ability to turn hopeful spectators into strategic players where odds are redefined by data. Go on, place that bet, you’re making an informed decision.
My facetious tone aside, the ability of AI to crunch huge datasets and discern patterns at speeds beyond human comprehension is undeniably a useful tool in the realm of gambling.