TLDR
- Predictive AI tools are being used to spot gambling harm early by tracking betting patterns and session lengths
- Online fraudsters are using deepfakes and bots to beat identity checks, with machine learning fighting back
- Smart tables with cameras and chipped games now log every bet live on casino floors
- Regulators want clear explanations for AI decisions, rejecting “black box” outputs that affect players
- Privacy concerns are pushing casinos toward anonymised data use and “privacy by design” frameworks
Industry experts at the Regulating the Game 2026 conference in Sydney said artificial intelligence is already changing how casinos and online gambling platforms operate. The focus is on practical tools for fraud detection and player protection, not generative AI.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Paul Devlin from Amazon Web Services and included voices from Crown Resorts, SEON, Angel Australasia, and the NSW Department of Creative Industries.
Crown Resorts’ Chief Technology Officer Nicole Pelchen said the company’s priority is predictive analytics, not generative AI. These tools scan player behaviour for warning signs like sudden betting spikes, unusually long sessions, or odd pattern changes.
She said the technology allows Crown to act before harm deepens, scaling across busy resorts where thousands of people are playing at once. Staff alone could not catch these signals in real time.
SEON’s Troy Nyi Nyi described online fraud as a growing battle. Fraudsters are now using deepfakes to get past ID checks and deploying bots that mimic human behaviour, including fake pauses, to fool detection systems.
His firm uses machine learning to pick up on tiny digital signals that humans cannot perceive. The goal is stopping bonus abuse, account takeovers, and multi-account fraud before money is lost.
AI on the Casino Floor
Bryan Jenkins from Angel Australasia explained how smart tables are changing land-based casinos. Overhead cameras paired with chipped games record every bet and outcome in real time.
The system flags statistical outliers or dealer errors instantly, sending alerts to pit bosses. It can detect advantage play like card counting, though what happens next is left to casino staff, not the AI.
NSW Department of Creative Industries’ Jane Lin said regulators’ biggest concern is explainability. When AI makes decisions that restrict or ban a player, authorities want to understand why.
She said regulators will not accept machine outputs without clear reasoning. Human oversight must remain part of the process, especially when a person’s livelihood is at stake.
Data Privacy Under the Microscope
Privacy was a key point in the discussion. Pelchen said Crown anonymises most of its data, only linking it back to individuals when a harm threshold is crossed and an intervention is needed.
Lin called for “privacy by design,” meaning protections should be built into AI systems from the start, not added later. The goal is to make sure monitoring serves player safety without going too far.
On identity checks, Nyi Nyi said traditional document verification is no longer enough against AI-generated fakes. Modern systems now layer biometrics, device fingerprints, and behaviour analysis together.
Jenkins added that smart tables make unusual patterns easy to spot, but casinos set their own policies on how to respond.
The conference panel showed AI is now embedded across gambling operations, from online fraud detection to physical table monitoring.
