AI

Yaspa becomes founding member of UNLV’s AI Research Hub to advance responsible AI adoption in the gambling industry

Published

4 months ago

February 2, 2026

yaspa-becomes-founding-member-of-unlv’s-ai-research-hub-to-advance-responsible-ai-adoption-in-the-gambling-industry

Yaspa, a leading fintech specializing in payments and identity solutions, today announces it has become a founding member of the newly launched AI Research Hub (AiR Hub) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute (IGI). This collaboration underscores Yaspa’s commitment to integrating next-generation financial technology with academic research to foster a safer, more sustainable gambling environment.

The UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI) established the AiR Hub to advance the industry’s understanding of the impacts, risks, and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. Co-founded by Kasra Ghaharian, IGI Director of Research, and industry veteran Simo Dragicevic, the initiative serves as a collaborative ecosystem designed to accelerate the adoption of trusted, responsible AI across the global gaming sector.

Yaspa joins a prestigious group of founding members, including Aristocrat, Evoke Plc, Playtech Plc, and the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA). This diverse coalition is tasked with ensuring that AI development in the sector is grounded in cross-disciplinary expertise.

AiR Hub’s flagship project is the “State of AI in Gaming” report, a first-of-its-kind annual study indexing company AI maturity, as well as tracking regulatory and policy developments. Through this and related projects, AiR Hub seeks to drive innovation and help ensure AI-driven systems are governed appropriately within this highly regulated industry.

As a founding member, Yaspa brings its in-house AI expertise to guide the Hub’s research initiatives, drawing from its experience in developing the technology behind its Intelligent Payments platform and proprietary machine learning categorizer. To support this mission, Max Collinge, Yaspa’s Vice President of Product, will join the AiR Hub Advisory Panel. Collectively, panel members help steer the Hub’s initiatives, ensuring they maintain deep industry relevance.

“Joining AiR Hub as a founding member reflects Yaspa’s commitment to leveraging the synergy between AI and open banking data to drive a more sustainable gambling ecosystem,” said Max Collinge.

“By utilizing deep financial insights through AI-driven analysis, we can deliver significantly better outcomes for players and operators alike. I am personally thrilled to join the Advisory Panel to help shape this next phase of collaboration and ensure research leads to practical, responsible innovation.”

Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, International Gaming Institute, commented, “Fintech and AI are two of the most transformative technologies in the world today, and their impact on the gaming industry will undoubtedly continue to be profound. The richness of this data provides intriguing potential across the value chain, particularly regarding consumer protection and compliance. I am excited to see how we can help drive thought leadership for the industry at the intersection of these two technologies.”

Simo Dragicevic, IGI Adjunct Fellow, said, “Yaspa is building the industry’s open banking orchestration layer for player insights and risk assessment. Their expertise in payments, technology and risk will add significant value to the AiR Hub Advisory Panel and we look forward to collaborating with Yaspa as we execute our mission to develop the industry’s ecosystem for collaborative AI research.”

The post Yaspa becomes founding member of UNLV’s AI Research Hub to advance responsible AI adoption in the gambling industry appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Media Troopers adds AI automation tool to Media Cruiser DSP

Published

1 week ago

May 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Media Troopers has added a new artificial intelligence feature to its proprietary media buying platform, Media Cruiser DSP, introducing an automation layer called Automation Rules.

The company said Automation Rules is a rules-based automation engine designed to optimise campaigns using real-time data. Media Troopers said the tool can support actions including setting price ranges, highlighting and pausing underperforming metrics, creating exclusion filters, and adjusting bids without prior manual intervention.

Media Troopers positioned the release as a way to increase output while reducing operational costs, describing the workflow as “a single click” to apply automation.

Shmulik Segal, Chief Executive of Media Troopers, said, “Media Troopers is always looking to improve its systems to ensure that clients have the best technology available to help enhance their campaigns while also saving them time. This new AI feature is sure to be a game-changer among customers when it comes to increasing marketing output by taking on board and managing client data around the clock.”

The post Media Troopers adds AI automation tool to Media Cruiser DSP appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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BetConstruct AI confirms SiGMA Asia 2026 presence in Manila

Published

1 week ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Supplier plans to pitch a World Cup 2026 sportsbook bundle and its AI Suite at Stand 2572 on June 2–3.

BetConstruct AI will exhibit at SiGMA Asia 2026 in Manila, Philippines, on June 2–3, the company said, appearing at Stand 2572.

At the show, BetConstruct AI said it will highlight a “Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026” bundle built around “Special Bets, Powerfull, and Bet on League.” The company positioned the package as ready for operator activation without development work.

BetConstruct AI also said it will showcase its AI Suite, including “CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI,” aimed at use cases such as churn prediction, risk consolidation, personalised casino experiences, and conversational sportsbook engagement.

As product context, the company cited its sportsbook and casino platforms, including “140,000+ pre-match events and 90,000+ live matches monthly” and “45,000+ games from 350+ providers via a single API.” It also highlighted its “Affigates Affiliate Ecosystem” with “7,000+ vetted affiliates and AI-based scoring.”

The company said new partners signing via the show can access commercial incentives, including “a 50% platform setup discount from day one,” “100% Core Suite Access free for the first 3 months (50% off for months 4–12), and third-party tools at 51% off for the first 3 months.”

The post BetConstruct AI confirms SiGMA Asia 2026 presence in Manila appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

ICONIC21 launches iDealer Blackjack with a real-time AI dealer

Published

2 weeks ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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ICONIC21 has launched iDealer Blackjack, a seven-seat RNG blackjack game that adds a “fully live, AI-powered dealer” to the traditional virtual table experience.

The iGaming content provider said the title was developed in collaboration with RAVATAR using its real-time interactive AI avatar technology, positioning the product as a response to demand for more interaction in RNG table games.

According to the companies, the dealer is real-time rather than pre-recorded or scripted, can welcome players by nickname, and can maintain conversation during play. ICONIC21 also said the dealer “remembers players and their past interactions,” while understanding players “in any language” and responding in English with localized touches.

The game’s background uses a live stream from one of ICONIC21’s studios, which the company said is designed to ground the AI dealer in a real-world environment.

Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “iDealer Blackjack is a natural progression for RNG tables. It’s important to highlight that this product is not a challenge to live casino as we know it. The AI-powered dealer is not trying to be human. It is exactly what it is: an expressive, well-built companion that makes the game more engaging.

One of the most interesting things we’ve already noticed is how players interact with it. Because they understand they are speaking to artificial intelligence, conversations go far beyond standard live casino chat. Players are asking about history, world facts, random trivia, jokes, and all kinds of unexpected topics during gameplay. This creates a completely different level of engagement around the table.

Also, the customisation roadmap is active and expanding. iDealer Blackjack is a strong foundation with a great deal still to be built on top of it.”

Ruslan Synytsky, CEO at RAVATAR, said: “The next decade of iGaming will be defined by AI-powered presence, personality, and interaction, not just better graphics or faster gameplay. ICONIC21 came to us with a strong sense of what their product needed to feel like for players.

iDealer Blackjack, built on our AI avatar platform, is the first step into that future and sets the direction for what RNG gaming can become.”

The post ICONIC21 launches iDealer Blackjack with a real-time AI dealer appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.