Gambling may be entertaining, but at what point does it cross the line into problematic behaviour? We have all heard the tragic tales of those who lost everything to their gambling habit. Betting sites have responded to the potential for their customers to develop gambling addiction by implementing new policies designed to assist those at risk. But is that all?
Meet Optimove, an Israeli company that uses AI to analyze customer data and create targeted online ads. When it comes to online gamblers, though, the company has programmed its AI to identify those most at risk of developing addictive behaviors.
Optimove’s AI can identify gamblers by studying their play and blocking them if they exhibit addictive tendencies including playing at odd hours, spending too much time on the betting site, and “chasing their losses” by continuing to play even after losing streaks.
How Does This Work?
Optimove assigns a risk score between one and ten to each user, independent of the game being played. With this data in hand, the casino business may contact customers with messages suggesting they take a break, lower their wagers, or get some treatment for their gambling problem.
Some gambling websites even restrict players from engaging in certain types of wagering behaviour, such as making repeated wagers quickly or increasing the frequency with which they may fund their accounts.
In addition, Optimove’s AI uses predictive analytics to identify the most effective channels to reach out to gamers. From mobile push alerts to daily wagering limits, it conducts a battery of experiments to determine which marketing is most likely to attract each segment of its target audience.
Long-term users of an Optimove-analyzed gambling website more reliably fit into one of the AI-designated client categories. According to Motti Colman, Senior Director of Sales at Optimove, this assists marketers in identifying which customers to target in which methods.
Long Way to Go
Unfortunately, problem gamblers are difficult to identify since no universally accepted criteria exist. Colman argues that it is impossible to determine with absolute certainty the characteristics of an individual make them prone to gambling problems because of the ambiguity between the two.
The AI was trained by studying and learning from past data and facts relating to compulsive gambling. This may not be sufficient as perceptions have continued to shift.
Still, it is a massive step forward. BetMGM, Penn National Gaming, and Rush Street Interactive are just a few of the big gambling organizations using Optimove’s AI. The innovation represents a major step forward in the fight for responsible gambling, allowing bettors to keep doing what they love while reducing their vulnerability to compulsive behaviour.