Attending Betting on Sports Europe was the CBO of Digitain, Simon Westbury, who highlighted the importance of innovation in the industry.  

People are too afraid for their jobs, Westbury noted, growing too comfortable into what has been tested and proven to work rather than exploring new grounds that can see the player experience flourish even more. 

Asked about how he sees such innovation being implemented into the gaming industry, he explained: “It doesn’t have to be a new product. It can be an existing product that we change a little bit to make it more appealing, more structured, more desirable for players. 

“When we talk about what we can learn is that we’re in the entertainment industry and we need to focus on the players and our end-users more, rather than worry about our jobs and saying we don’t need innovation or change because what we have works. 

“So, my message to the industry is that we need to look at ourselves as an industry, understand what innovation is and not be scared to take risks around innovation.”

A big chunk of the general developments in the industry can be attributed to AI and the advancements that come along with it. According to Westbury, operators are widely using the technology for profit and often do not see past this, missing the opportunity to capitalise on all other improvements that AI can bring into their business. 

He added: “When you look at AI, it’s not just about player behaviour, it’s about what AI can achieve for you, and I think that’s the question that you have to ask. A lot of operators talk about AI and see it as a way of making money, but it can also be involved in player protection, monitoring player behaviour, and understanding the player. 

“I dont view AI as just a money-making tool, I view it as a KYC tool to understand player behaviour and give players a personalised experience. But it can also be a very effective tool for monitoring and managing player behaviour to avoid problem gambling.”

On what can be expected from Digitain in the near future, Westbury concluded: “You can expect momentum, drive and energy. There will be some new product launches, it’s going to be continuous growth. 

“The most important thing for Digitain right now is momentum and keeping it going forward. We’re going to work very hard to hit our corporate goals, develop sales, move more and more into regulated markets, and basically keep driving the business forward.”