Online gambling sites do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI). instead they use standard game programming, much like the other software that you use every day. But, with AI destined to make an appearance in almost every area of our lives in the coming years, how will online gaming be affected, and is it a good thing?

What is Artificial Intelligence?

AI is a computer program with a neat trick – it learns. With regular software, once the user has finished issuing commands the software stops operating. Ask Mario to move and he will move. Don’t ask him to do anything and he’ll just stand there looking nothing like an Italian plumber. But. AI is different – once you stop interacting with it, it updates itself with your preferences. This is why the Facebook adverts on your feed and are different from those of your friends. The AI records and analyzes your behavior patterns and makes suggestions according to your activities.

The Rise of the Robot Croupiers

Today, it takes a real person to facilitate live gaming. One person operates a table like blackjack from a studio, and the players comfortably sit at home and place their wagers. The dealer cracks jokes and answers a gambler’s questions. With AI, more live dealer games can be made possible without the need for a human dealer. Today, there are many gambling modules that do not use a dealer, but what if the dealer was replaced by a robot that can talk to you, suggest things to you, and help you throughout your game? This implementation of AI is not particularly hard to imagine being in place in just a few years.

Casino Cops

Anyone who saw the Will Smith film ‘I, Robot’ will know that AI can make for crummy police officers. However, in the real world it is entirely possible that machines will be tasked with analyzing player behaviour and building up a profile of the way each person plays, learning how to spot illegal play in each player.

Programmed with knowledge of the rules, a good AI system will be able to police an online casino in a number of ways, from identify sign-up bonus abuse to reporting suspicious play at the baccarat table, learning all the while. AI machines can watch all players simultaneously and will learn on the job what constitutes cheating or not, doing the job of a hundred pairs of human eyes at a fraction of the cost.

A Matter of Time

The rise of AI is already happening across all business sectors. It is only a matter of time before you start being greeted by a robot at the doors of an online casino or when you head to your favorite table game. Will they be a clever support system for players to utilize or simply a nuisance? Only time will tell.