Artificial intelligence may dominate the conversation in gaming boardrooms and conferences, but the industry is still far from deploying it at scale, according to Rosalind Wade, chief executive of Winna Media.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with SiGMA World, Wade said a widening gap is emerging between the hype surrounding AI and its real-world application, with most operators still confined to early-stage experimentation. According to her, operators are yet to achieve full-scale deployment of AI, while investors are struggling to assess risk.
“Most [operators] are still definitely in experimental mode,” she said, pointing to a gap between early-stage pilots and enterprise-level deployment. Despite growing investment, she added that “full orchestration at an enterprise-level is some way off”.
Industry demand for practical AI guidance
Wade highlighted a lack of practical knowledge across the sector as a key barrier to adoption. While awareness of AI tools is increasing, both operators and investors often lack clarity on available solutions and how to deploy them effectively.
“There has been much discussion about its potential, but there is no specific forum addressing the practical aspects of implementation,” she said.
This gap has contributed to fragmentation across the ecosystem, where founders, operators and investors rarely engage in detailed discussions about execution challenges, including onboarding, integration and measuring return on investment.
Investor concerns and regulatory lag
Investor understanding of AI risk in regulated gaming remains uneven, according to Wade, particularly given the technical complexity of the technology and the evolving regulatory environment. “The risk to investors is huge if their next unicorn turns out to be a dud,” she said, noting that assessing AI propositions requires a high level of technical knowledge.
At the same time, regulators are still catching up. Wade suggested that the pace of AI development is outstripping the ability of authorities to fully understand and supervise its applications, especially in tightly controlled sectors such as gambling. The combination of regulatory uncertainty and technical complexity creates what she described as a “minefield” for stakeholders attempting to evaluate new AI-driven products.
From hype to deployment
The industry’s current challenge lies in moving beyond high-level discussions towards measurable outcomes, particularly as AI becomes more embedded in areas such as marketing, compliance and game development.
Wade pointed to a proliferation of AI-focused panels and webinars that remain largely conceptual, offering limited insight into real-world deployment. “There’s a difference between understanding AI at a high level and learning what it takes to actually deploy it,” she said, emphasising the need for operator-led insights and case studies.
European focus, global ambitions
Efforts are now underway to bridge these gaps through more targeted industry collaboration. A new European-based forum is being developed to bring together AI startups, gaming operators and investors in a single setting focused on practical implementation. Winna Media and SO Events announced the launch of the AI Gaming Forum (AIGF), a London-based event focused on the practical deployment of artificial intelligence in regulated gaming markets.
The initiative comes at a time when companies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate tangible returns from AI investment, rather than simply signalling innovation. At the crossroads of AI and iGaming, startups are rapidly reshaping the way the industry approaches personalisation, compliance, and product development.
The global AI in gaming market was worth around $3.3 billion in 2024. The market is forecast to grow to over $51 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of about 36 percent. Meanwhile, Europe’s AI gaming market generated approximately $795 million in 2024 and is expected to surge to over 10.3 billion by 2033.
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