Just Slots: Leveraging AI to Supercharge Development
The iGaming industry is ever-expanding, and with that comes increased competition. Companies within this space will need to aim to deliver top-tier solutions to attract and retain players, as well as develop games quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality.
Christine Parkhill, Chief Commercial Officer at Just Slots, examines how AI can help developers streamline development processes, helping to reduce overheads, shore up security and retain staff.
The Growth of iGaming and the Rise of AI Automation
While the global economy did grow in 2024, albeit at a modest rate of 2.7 per cent, the gaming industry has seen exponential growth. We have seen some major expansion in the UK and US markets, showcasing the continued potential of sports betting and online gaming.
Focusing our lens on the UK, there was a reported gross gambling yield (GGY) of £1.32bn in 2024 during its third quarter, marking an 11 per cent increase year-on-year, compounded by other market factors such as the rise in gambling revenue, which saw a 13 per cent rise, in comparison to the same quarter in 2023. What is clear from these figures is that the UK iGaming landscape is fertile ground for industry development and innovation.
Slots in particular was an offshoot within the iGaming industry that saw particularly robust growth, with a sizeable increase in revenue, reaching record highs of £689 million. Outside the UK, the iGaming landscape captivates a global audience with figures indicating that the industry’s revenue will surge by 52.4 per cent by 2030.
It is safe to say that the runaway momentum of the iGaming industry does not look set to stall in the near future. As the industry has continued to grow, so too has technology which is helping to advance its development. Technology such as AI is no longer a buzzword or futuristic concept; it is helping drive iGaming forward.
Before the rise of AI, developers and operators faced numerous challenges, from evolving security threats to increasing demands to enhance player retention rates. AI is now a tool that is helping to bridge this gap and more, as well as alleviate ever growing costs of game development.
Cutting Costs, Not Corners
Developing an innovative and impactful game that will resonate with your target audience is easier said than done. It requires time, effort and most importantly funds. iGaming development costs vary, but when you factor in aspects of development such as UX/UI design, frontend and backend development, testing and project management you are looking at costs starting at $30,000 and possibly exceeding $75,000 for an original game.
These expenses do not account for peripheral costs such as advertising and marketing, which help a publisher target the right operator for the right audience. With all this in mind, it pays dividends to use all available resources to limit the costs associated with the above. Finding ways of limiting these costs can be difficult. However, AI can strategically address low-level tasks and streamline processes.
One use case where AI can be implemented is the smart implementation of AI chatbots and virtual assistants. These enhanced chatbots can be used to handle high-volume queries and answer more generalised questions, leaving human operators more time to deal with complex player-raised points of contention.
AI chatbots enable businesses to handle a higher workload, with research indicating they can effectively manage 80 per cent of queries. In addition, AI chatbots have in some cases, reduced the average resolution time from 11 minutes to just two, underscoring its value in optimising workflows.
Playing it Smart with Agile AI
The advancement of AI technology means that it can be used for more than intelligent administrative tasks; it can be implemented to make agile, smart, personalised customer suggestions. This can be done through sophisticated algorithms that analyse player behaviour, such as time spent playing certain games, player habits, and other features, and transform these insights into tailored suggestions individually.
Personalisation is a key pillar in retaining a healthy player base within the industry, with statistics showing that players who received a targeted experience are 25 per cent more likely to stay active on the platform.
By leveraging these insights, an operator can make more informed decisions on optimal marketing offers and incentives, such as bonuses, free bets and VIP schemes that are more likely to appeal to individual players. It also allows players to utilise AI insights to understand their playtime better and self-limit their time, contributing to healthier player habits.
AI is also vital in dealing with cyber threats, which can be used to detect fraudulent and suspicious behaviour in real time. Advanced machine learning models have helped with this, enabling the rapid analysis of large data sets, making it possible to identify patterns that might threaten players or the platform.
Other suspicious activities such as account sharing can also be flagged instantaneously. In addition, AI can implement responses such as account blocks faster and on a 24/7 basis, to prevent further fraudulent activity. From 2022 to November 2024 fraud has seen a 73 per cent surge – costing the sector $1bn annually. AI has exacerbated this with criminals utilising deepfakes and other generalised fraud techniques such as account manipulation and bonus abuse.
The pace of fraud has only been matched by criminals’ willingness to utilise the latest technological advancements. Counteracting the threat of AI-enhanced fraud with AI-enhanced detection is clearly effective, with such tools showing a success rate of 98 per cent, which can help protect the losses from both operators and players. With cybersecurity measures enhanced by integrating AI oversight, operators can ensure their systems remain resilient to threats.
AI is also being used creatively to enhance visual elements of game design. Whereas traditional assets would be generated by a concept artist from scratch which can be a lengthy process, AI models can be fed one concept and produce multiple other assets as a result.
Characters, landscapes and textures can now be generated at a fraction of the cost but at vastly greater speeds, meaning the time to develop games is lowered all together. Using AI to produce visual assets has been a boon to smaller developers, as it reduces the amount of designers needed to make a game whilst scaling out the ability to create a high quality game.
We Need AI Oversight, Not an AI Overlord
There is a clear use case for AI within the iGaming industry, whether in streamlining development processes, managing low-priority bulk issues, or even in strategic marketing efforts. As in most cases mentioned throughout, AI is used to augment existing offerings so that a business can better allocate resources and address issues efficiently.
However, its implementation in iGaming development must be carefully managed, especially regarding customer data. As AI relies on huge datasets, developers must exercise extreme care around data privacy and ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR.
Failure to adhere to these requirements can result in reputational damage and hefty financial penalties. However, with the proper governance, it is perfectly feasible to enhance iGaming development using AI without compromising user data.
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence has its place not only in iGaming but arguably in every profession around the world. Whilst certain tasks can be outsourced to AI if it can produce the same result, to an equal standard at a lower cost, I do believe AI should always be used in conjunction with human oversight. Understanding the limitations of AI also plays a vital role in how it is effectively used, such as in the case of customer care agents.
Here and in other similar roles, the human touch is just as important as issue resolution. Research confirms this notion, showing that 96 per cent of customers believe empathy is “very important” during support interactions. Whilst AI chatbots can use sentiment analysis to interpret human behaviour, in the words of Marvin Gaye “there ain’t nothing like the real thing”.
