Sports gambling operators are using artificial intelligence to track and limit problem gambling exposure for their users, but the introduction of this technology and the use of personal data also raises questions about whether it could be used for the wrong reasons.
The sports gambling world is still largely unregulated, relying mostly on self-governance, which raises the possibility of a conflict of interest when it comes to responsible gambling.
Access to bettors’ data, behavior and habits opens the door to the potential for predatory behavior by sports-gambling operators.
Timothy Fong, co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, believes that AI could spell trouble for gamblers susceptible to addiction, who could be easier targets for sportsbooks.
“It’s really the use of AI that creates predatory scenarios, where people who are already vulnerable because of mental health issues or a gambling addiction could be manipulated or targeted without their knowledge,” Fong said.