AI Adoption in Gambling Accelerates as Research Priorities Take Shape

A survey commissioned by the UNLV International Gaming Institute AI Research Hub and KPMG has revealed the rapid adoption of AI in the industry as well as the focus of AI-related publications.

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: April 13, 2026 3:42 PM EDT • 2 minute read

Pictured: A logo of KPMG is seen as we look at it's report with UNLV concerning AI in the gambling space. Photo by REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Preview

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The rapid adoption of AI across the international gambling sector has recently prompted greater clarity as the technology transforms the industry landscape. A new report reveals the role AI now plays in gambling and betting journalism.

The State of AI in Gaming 2026 study was commissioned by the International Gaming Institute of UNLV and created in collaboration with KPMG and the institute’s AI Research Hub. The study was conducted to establish a data-based benchmark for the industry at its inflection point toward adopting technological advancements.

The research, based on the analysis of the last 15 years of academic literature, reveals a complete shift in the direction of AI studies. Sports betting has become a favorite topic among researchers, with its share rising to 26.79% of the total number of articles published on AI technology.

This is mainly attributed to the rising number of legal participants in the betting process, especially in the US market, and the availability of granular performance data for modeling purposes.

The most popular theme in sports betting publications was soccer, with 46.7% of researchers showing interest. Among the different innovations being explored, machine learning (ML) continues to dominate the scene, with its share reaching 61.6% in the total number of publications on AI in 2025.

“It's sports betting that garners most interest from academic research. AI-related gambling publications in sports betting focus on how AI methods (e.g., machine learning) can be used to predict sporting event outcomes with football/soccer being the most popular sport to analyze,” Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at the International Gaming Institute, told Sportsbook Review.  

Governance gaps and uneven adoption signal structural weakness

That research momentum runs into friction once implementation is examined. The same report flagged a governance gap that cuts across the sector.

AI governance scored just 30 out of 100 on its maturity index, and only a minority of operators have dedicated roles overseeing AI deployment. Most are still building frameworks while actively rolling out systems, creating a mismatch between capability and oversight.

Adoption itself is uneven at the best sports betting sites. Generative AI tools are already widespread, with more than 80% of surveyed companies using them for content and code-related tasks. Autonomous systems, often referred to as agentic AI, remain limited.

This appears to be connected to the regulatory experience and the increased risks associated with automated decision-making processes within a highly regulated environment. There also appears to be a disconnect between the regulatory bodies and the operators. The former believe that AI technology is primarily limited to customer-oriented applications, whereas the latter feel otherwise.

Confidence levels reflect that gap. Regulators report limited confidence in their ability to oversee AI systems and remain cautious about industry self-regulation.

Despite those issues, development is not slowing. Academic output has accelerated sharply since 2020, and patent activity is rising alongside it. The pipeline is building, even if adoption inside companies is inconsistent.

Written by:
Ziv Chen

Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.