Will AI-Game Development Dehumanise Live Casino Gambling?

While humankind has always been drawn to gambling, it is also a pastime that has held a certain stigma. With the advent of the internet and the invention of online casinos, players could spend less on gambling trips and avoid seedy underground gaming rooms.

Join us as we delve into the impact of technology on the shared gambling experience, how live dealer games breathed life back into it, and whether the latest AI tech once again threatens to dehumanise the industry.

Looking Back On Where It All Began

By the late 90s, all the fun and entertainment of your favourite casino destination was available at the push of a button. All that was needed was a stable internet connection and a half-decent home computer or laptop.

Online gambling meant more casino enthusiasts could readily play online slots, blackjack, roulette, and video poker without their friends, family, and associates prying into their private business.

What was lost was the social interaction and camaraderie that came with chatting with the pit boss, the croupiers, and other players. The shared experience of big wins, hot streaks, and bad beats was a fundamental part of the casino dynamic.

Bringing Back a Human Touch

Evolution Gaming was the first casino software developer to reimagine online casinos as immersive and interactive spaces. Founded in 2006, it pioneered live dealer casino gambling.

Thanks to advancements in internet speeds, more powerful home computers, and live-streaming video feeds, online gamblers can now play a variety of card and table games while once again engaging with professionally trained dealers and hosts.

This online resurrection of human interaction in what has always been a group, not a solo activity, saw the company become an igaming behemoth able to buy up several live game developers such as Ezugi and RNG-casino developers, including leading slot developer Netent.

They even acquired the innovative social slot streaming provider Livespins. The product has been a game changer in the online slot space, doing the impossible by bringing live engagement to the one casino game category thought to be exclusively a single-player experience.

Incredible AI and Tech Advancements

Advancements in computer processing power, innovative game design, fiber internet, blockchain security, and crypto transacting have elevated the enjoyment of games of chance to undreamed heights.

But technology doesn't increase incrementally; it undergoes exponential growth surges. In an incredible illustration of modern innovation, it has been said that if we mapped the development of mankind over the last 2000 years over a period of 24 hours, we would find the following:

• 23:50-23:59: Industrial Revolution (1760-1840)
• 23:59:30: Digital Revolution (1970 onwards)
• 23:59:50: Internet Revolution (1990 onwards)
• 23:59:58: Smartphone Revolution (2007 onwards)

The most significant milestone is that the last 6 seconds of the clock have brought us the following:

• AI and Machine Learning: Significant advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
• Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: The rise and mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
• Quantum Computing: Progress in the field of quantum computing, pushing the boundaries of what is computationally possible.
• 5G Mobile Connectivity: The rollout and adoption of 5G networks facilitated faster and more reliable internet connectivity, allowing mobile gambling to flourish.

We have theorised that combining several of these new AI and tech advancements could give us an immersive holodeck-like home casino experience. Where do we go from here, and will what happens next accentuate or smother what we have achieved this far?

Will History Repeat Itself

Just as online casinos removed the human touch from the gambling experience, one of the concerns is that in pursuing more new games, faster development times, and "good enough" AI voice and video creation, we will see AI dealers begin to replace real-world dealers.

One of the first hints at this approach to game development came from Real Dealer Studios. The company describes itself as a “cinematic casino game producer” with the following mission:

“Merging Hollywood-quality filmmaking with RNG gameplay, Real Dealer Studios deliver a premium casino experience unlike anything else on the market.”

They achieve this by filming and producing theatre-level cinematics of celebrities. These celebrities film a series of callouts for various casino games and tell stories from their lives and moviemaking experiences. These are then spliced together to offer players a faux-live dealer gambling experience peppered with pseudo-personalised insights into the lives of these famous dealers.

Their casino games feature Vinnie Jones, where the infamous actor regales you with tales from his life as you play Blackjack, Roulette, or Card Chase.

With the ability to easily recreate licensed likenesses with video AI tools such as SORA, we are very close to not needing these celebrities in studios to map out entire game modes. All that is required is to train an AI to map a virtual casino setting and fill it with any likeness the company owns.

While this allows for cheaper and faster AI casino development, it will mean losing the personal touch and small personality traits that would enable creators to be distinguished from creations.

Enjoy Live Dealer Games Today

While you can still be guaranteed to chat with a natural person, why not check out our recommended list of live casino and live dealer games and try them out for yourself? If you are opening a new account, claim the available welcome bonuses and check out the VIP program to learn how to use it to boost your bankroll.