Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Data Interpretation and Analysis Programs, Smart Cities and Big Data – all are concepts which become reality and practice in almost all industries and aspects of life, be it private or public. The governments of the most powerful states of the world turn these trends into national policies and long-term strategies.
Large corporations invest enormous amounts to stay at the forefront of this genuine “race” for excellence in innovations and further developments. The stakes are tremendous, considering the domination of “the machines” in the near future, a computer-controlled universe, data-driven industries and new types of marketing, based on computerized interpretation of behavioral analysis, data collected and stored in digital centers around the globe.
How does the gaming industry prepare for this real revolution?
How do both players and operators adjust? What changes in responsible gaming practices and what can … be extracted from technological progress to be applied in responsible gaming policies?
„Technological progress is enormous: what until yesterday helped us to keep up with the achievements of humanity globally, is now becoming a universe in itself that marks a paradox. Will we develop these technologies until we get rid of them? Will we end up really afraid of singularity?
Are computers and applications of artificial intelligence a support or are they becoming a danger?
As in every field, it is important to regulate and draw strategies with predictable results which, in the end, is exactly what computers do. The gambling industry is again challenged, much deeper and more complex, especially because it is a business in which the human factor is extremely important. Emotion, feelings, human-machine / machine / software-man interaction are everything. On the other hand, if we talk about a completely computerized gaming universe (with the exception of land based casinos, probably), the behavior of players will be easier to analyze and … controlled, to stop or curb abuses that can lead to an alarming behavior, „says Mr. Dan Ghită, President of ROMBET. More and more Western gambling operators use and implement technologies designed to „observe”, with the necessary discretion and with the consent of the players, depending on various parameters: age, sex, amount played, time, geographical region, and then programs „seek” to make various associations to achieve a logic, a predictable path for a certain type of behavior that could cause problems for the player.
«I think it›s good for everyone to understand the role of technology in every kind of business, especially in the gambling industry. Technological industry manufacturers know this better than anyone. Now, it is important to take an extra step and become early adopters, as Americans say, early followers of technology meant to help players, prevent them from developing dangerous patterns for themselves, their families and others. Romania has a phenomenal capital when it comes to developing and absorbing technology and, paradoxically, this is only found in sophisticated gaming machines.
Operators collect anonymous data about game habits, but to my knowledge this time in Romania they are not used to determine behavioral analyzes for responsible game policies and programs. But steps can be taken, and very fast. At the events and fairs where ROMBET participates in, we often hear ideas in this regard. No later than June this year, the UK Gambling Commission has released a report, an analysis in which … it revealed its expectations from operators in the sense of the use of data for non-commercial policies. More specifically, to adjust management efficiency, to highlight or report dangerous practices, but also to share good practice. We are therefore entering a new area, the one of „proactive responsible gambling”, a paradigm in which operators will have to apply what … finds the majority in terms of data interpretation.
Moreover, operators may be required to invest in technology research and development, to become a voice in trend setting and to make a contribution to the overall policy of the gaming industry. It opens an extremely interesting horizon, with totally unexpected challenges, especially in a country like Romania, where there is a particular reticence towards the technologies that process data on a general level, „says Mr. Bogdan Coman, ROMBET Executive Director.
