TRENDS IN IGAMING
AI to power growth, compliance and player experience
Harpo Lilja, CEO of AI-powered iGaming customer service company Tugi Tark, provides his thoughts on how AI (artifi cial intelligence) is infl uencing many areas of the iGaming industry now, and offers his predictions for how this may develop further in the future.
T
he last year has seen AI move from being a theoretical buzzword to a practical tool across the iGaming value chain. By the end of 2025, most iGaming operators will have experimented with AI, either in responsible gaming initiatives, personalisation or customer support. But in 2026, the trend will shift from experimentation to integration, making AI a core layer of iGaming infrastructure that powers growth, compliance, and player experience.
AI AGENTS TAKE ACTION The biggest leap ahead we anticipate in 2026 is execution. AI agents will no longer simply just answer questions; they will be empowered to take action. Eligible bonuses will be applied independently, failed payments resolved before frustration sets in, and responsible gaming interventions triggered in real time.
At the same time, I believe the next iteration of AI to power the iGaming industry will be brand-adaptive. What that means is that instead of sounding generic, systems will increasingly reflect each operator’s unique voice, tone, and regulatory framework across multiple languages. This ability to deliver authentic, compliant conversations at scale will redefine how operators engage with players globally.
BOLDER, YET FINE-TUNED Market expansion is another area where I predict that AI will prove transformative for operators in 2026. Entering a new market once meant building out large, costly, native-speaking teams. Now, AI translation engines fine-tuned with iGaming terminology make it possible to deliver local-quality support from day one. For
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much of that workload, fundamentally reshaping what it means to be a support professional in iGaming.
TRENDS FOR 2026
The trend for 2026 we see is clear: human agents are moving to the top of the value chain. Their role is shifting toward focusing on oversight, decision-making, and empathy- driven interventions. They will refine policy documentation, train AI systems, manage sensitive escalations, and ensure compliance standards are met across jurisdictions. Far from being replaced, human expertise will become the strategic layer that makes AI effective at scale.
operators, this unlocks faster scaling and a more sustainable cost structure. For players, it builds the trust that comes from being understood in their own language. Alongside these advances, we are entering a new era for customer support teams themselves. Traditionally, agents have been weighed down by repetitive tasks like password resets, balance checks, or bonus eligibility queries. AI is automating
This reinvention of the agent role is also opening new career paths within support organisations. Roles such as AI governance specialists, compliance architects, and training leads will turn support into a hub of operational intelligence. For operators, that means support will no longer be just a cost centre: it will evolve into a driver of loyalty, regulatory trust, and long-term growth. Looking ahead, 2026 will mark a turning point for iGaming support. AI will move from the sidelines but into its core infrastructure, while human teams evolve into strategic specialists. The convergence of these trends will redefine the player experience. One thing is certain: in 2026, leaders in iGaming won’t just have the best games; they’ll have the smartest support.
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