The University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ International Gaming Institute’s AI Research Hub, in collaboration with KPMG, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, on Thursday released The State of AI in Gaming 2026. This marks the inaugural edition of an annual global benchmarking series tracking how artificial intelligence is shaping the global gambling industry.
“Society is at an inflection point with AI, and until now there has been no rigorous, independent baseline for understanding where the gambling industry stands,” Kasra Ghaharian, the UNLV International Gaming Institute’s Director of Research and Editor-in-Chief of the report, said in a statement. “The State of AI in Gaming is designed to fill that gap, serving as an essential resource for operators, regulators, researchers, and every stakeholder navigating the adoption, ROI and responsible integration of AI within the gambling industry.”
The report examines AI adoption across four dimensions: industry maturity, regulatory landscape, innovation pipeline, and responsible use, by drawing on original survey research from 83 gambling companies and 113 regulators worldwide, a 15-year bibliometric analysis of academic publications, patent filing data, and expert contributions.
Key findings:
Early-Stage Maturity: With an average score of 45 out of 100 on the report’s AI Maturity Index, most gambling companies have strategic ambitions for AI, but infrastructure and expertise is needed to catch up to scale it.
A Governance Gap: Governance scored lowest on the Maturity Index at 30 out of 100. One in five companies has a dedicated AI governance role, and most organizations have no established governance practices or are in early stages of development.
Generative AI Widespread, Agentic AI Lagging: While more than 80% of companies have embraced generative AI for tasks like content creation and insights, far fewer have moved into agentic AI — systems that can independently plan, decide, and take action. This slower adoption may reflect the high-stakes nature of gambling operations, where autonomous decision-making must carefully balance regulatory compliance, player safety, and operational risk.
Regulator-Industry Disconnect: Regulators and operators disagree significantly on where AI is being deployed. Regulators report limited visibility into licensee AI activity and low confidence in their oversight capabilities, while both sides agree that Responsible AI practices across the industry remain underdeveloped.
An Accelerating Innovation Pipeline: Academic publications, patent filings, conference sessions, and startup activity around AI in gambling are growing, signaling that the ecosystem is building momentum even as adoption within companies remains uneven.
“What the data shows is a clear gap between ambition and execution,” said KPMG U.S. Gaming Lead and Executive Editor Rick Arpin. “Governance is where that gap is most visible. With governance scoring just 30 out of 100 and most organizations lacking dedicated AI oversight, many companies are moving faster on AI adoption than on the controls needed to manage it. Those that address this now will be better positioned to realize value and avoid unnecessary risk.”
Produced under the auspices of IGI’s AI Research Hub, the report is an open, not-for-profit research initiative designed to serve as the definitive resource on AI progress across all sectors of the gambling industry.
“The regulator industry disconnect we uncovered is one of the most consequential findings in this report,” said AiR Hub Executive Editor and Co-founder Simo Dragicevic. “Regulators believe they lack the capacity to properly oversee how AI is being used by licensees, and the data confirms they often have an incomplete picture.
“Meanwhile, Responsible AI practices across the industry are nascent at best. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in operations, this oversight gap will only become more urgent to address.”
The report can be downloaded here.
A webinar will be held in late April to further discuss the report’s findings. The State of AI in Gaming team will host a dedicated webinar to walk attendees through the report’s key findings, methodology, and implications. The session will offer an opportunity to hear directly from the authors and ask questions.
Full details, including registration information, will be announced shortly. Stay connected via www.igiairhub.com/state-of-AI for updates.
The UNLV International Gaming Institute’s Gambling Risk Taking Conference will feature a dedicated track on The State of AI in Gaming on May 27. Across the day, report authors, contributors as well as industry and regulatory representatives will discuss the findings with sessions covering industry maturity, the regulatory landscape, responsible AI, and the innovation pipeline. The conference will provide a unique forum to engage the research, network with fellow stakeholders, and contribute to the ongoing conversation about AI’s role in the future of gambling. Details and registration: https://www.unlv.edu/igi/conference
