Italian gambling industry veteran Marco Tiso shares his thoughts on how gambling digitisation is changing the local market and the pivotal role that AI will play in game development, bonuses, and player safety.
The Italian Gaming Expo (IGE) concluded earlier this week. It comprised an exciting collection of industry thought leaders and technology creators. One of the speakers who caught our attention was Marco Tiso, the managing director of Sisal, a leading licensed operator in Italy.
Tiso's voice carried so much weight due to the fact not only has been in the sector for nearly twenty years but the company has been an active part of gambling and betting in Italy since 1945. This history gives Tiso and the broader leadership team a unique view of the evolving landscape of gambling and betting in a very niche market.
The Reality of Market Hybridisation
Italian gambling has seen a notable shift from offline to online thanks to advances in high-speed internet connections, cheaper access to mobile and computer technologies, and the habit of staying home that was ingrained during the pandemic.
During his IGE talk, Tiso claimed that Sisal’s data showed that online deposits for games of chance and sports betting have increased from 10% before the lockdowns up to 23% in 2024.
With 90% of Italian information gathering and research being done online through apps and other mobile access points, the company has seen up to 55% of its betting engagements taking place digitally – with an expectation that lottery and other casino games will soon follow suit.
AI Will Be The Industry’s Driving Force
With increased online customer engagement comes the demand for customised bonuses, game insights, live experiences, and more. Tiso's stance is that the only way to keep up with the latest trends, provide customised service, and ensure safer gambling standards are maintained is to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the process.
He clarified his thoughts, saying:
Quote"The most innovative technological trend is AI, both the classic one for reading behaviours and preventing phenomena such as problematic gambling, and the generative one, which has constituted the real change of pace in the last year in terms of speed. Then it is very useful in consumer assistance, to create stronger empathy and to obtain feedback analyses quickly."
He added that it can be an essential component in allowing casino software developers to create engaging and groundbreaking gaming experiences, saying:
Quote“By revolutionising our way of working, we can produce content at great speed; we are able to simulate the potential consumer. It is a tool that helps reduce time, and we see it as an innovative tool.”
He was quick to clarify that he does not see AI-driven game and content creation replacing human developers as it cannot replicate the ingenuity and creativity of the individual. However, he added that it adds pressure for developers to learn to incorporate AI tools into their skill sets or risk falling behind the devs who master these groundbreaking new tools.
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