SOFTSWISS research points to changing jobs, rising fraud risks and new questions over consumer protection as UK debates further gambling tax increases.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring and fraud prevention in online gambling, offering an early indication of changes that could spread across London’s fintech, technology and digital businesses, according to a new industry report.
The 2027 iGaming Trends Report, published by SOFTSWISS, a provider of technology for online gambling, finds that AI skills are becoming a routine requirement across product development, marketing and operations. Businesses are creating specialist AI roles while using smaller teams and redistributing responsibilities previously held by dedicated product executives.
The findings arrive as Britain’s gambling industry faces higher taxes and renewed debate over how much it should contribute to public spending.
Remote gaming duty, which covers products such as online slots and casino games, rose from 21 per cent to 40 per cent on April 1. A separate 25 per cent rate for most remote betting is due to take effect in April 2027, with UK horseracing excluded. The government expects its gambling duty changes to raise more than £1bn annually to support the public finances.
Further increases remain under discussion. The Financial Times reported this month that the Treasury was considering higher duties on high-stakes gaming machines. Former prime minister Gordon Brown has advocated using additional revenue to help households struggling with fuel bills, while operators warn of shop closures and job losses. Those proposals concern machine gambling, distinct from the online tax increase already in force.
AI changes the hiring equation
Produced with WorldGaming, formerly Clarion Gaming, the SOFTSWISS report draws on a survey of more than 500 industry professionals, interviews with over 65 experts and market research. Contributors include Amazon Web Services and recruitment specialist Pentasia.
Its hiring outlook describes AI proficiency as a baseline expectation rather than a niche qualification. New positions include AI engineers, AI product managers and heads of AI, but greater efficiency is also reducing the overall volume of opportunities.
Dedicated chief product officer roles are becoming less common as responsibilities spread across technology, marketing and senior management. In North America, the report identifies softer demand for junior staff as AI absorbs routine work.
The UK faces additional constraints. Pentasia’s assessment describes regulation and cost pressures as limiting opportunities, with some vacancies remaining unfilled for 18 months.
For London employers and workers, the findings raise a question that extends beyond gambling: how will businesses develop future leaders if automation reduces the entry-level work through which people traditionally gain experience?
Fraud crosses departmental boundaries
The report also argues that AI is making impersonation and social engineering more convincing and easier to deploy at scale.
It recommends closer connections between cybersecurity, payment monitoring, identity checks, fraud prevention and anti-money laundering controls. When those functions operate separately, each team may see only one fragment of an attack.
The relevance to London’s digital businesses lies in their shared dependence on fast transactions, reliable identity checks and customer trust.
“iGaming is often viewed as a specialist entertainment sector, but the technology behind it addresses many of the same challenges facing every digital business,” Alexandra Kavelich, deputy chief marketing officer at SOFTSWISS, said.
Consumer protection follows AI into new territory
AI is also changing how consumers find gambling services. The report cites a March investigation in which several general-purpose chatbots could be prompted to recommend offshore casinos lacking the required licences.
It identifies growing scrutiny of whether AI platforms should check licences and suppress unlawful recommendations, alongside regulators’ own adoption of automated monitoring.
The research comes from a supplier with a commercial interest in the sector, and its findings should be read as an industry assessment. They nevertheless identify a practical challenge for digital businesses: productivity gains must be accompanied by stronger oversight.
For London’s technology sector, online gambling offers a useful case study in how quickly AI can change work, and how much harder it can be for consumer protection and organisational controls to keep pace.
