Latin America has emerged as a frontrunner in artificial intelligence adoption for player safety, according to a new industry report.
SBC and 1xBet have collaborated on a series of International Player Safety Index Reports examining AI deployment across key global jurisdictions.
1xCare Advisory Committee Member Quirino Mancini provides the analysis in the conclusion of a two-part special focused on LatAm, Africa, and Europe.
The report labels Latin America as “positioned as the global leader in AI adoption for player safety,” a notable distinction in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Mancini attributes this to the open-minded nature of regulators across the region, describing them as innovation-friendly rather than conservative in their outlook.
“Latin American regulators have a fresher approach, because they are just starting to roll out the new rules, and they have to onboard AI like it or not. That’s why their approach is more proactive when it comes to AI,” he explains.
The picture is considerably different across Africa, where the deployment of AI for player tracking or harm identification currently sits at zero, according to 1xBet’s findings.
Africa’s regulatory development in gambling has not stalled entirely, but a clear disparity exists in the speed of progress being made continent-wide.
Europe presents a more complex situation, with Mancini describing it as “fully ripe” given that most of its markets have been regulated for many years.
He notes a broad sweep of Western European nations that have adopted comprehensive gaming regulations, citing Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland specifically.
“When it comes to licensing and the use of AI as applied to the gaming industry, the problem in Western Europe is that these rules are not harmonised,” Mancini states directly.
Malta stands out as a positive example within Europe, having taken a “quite proactive” approach to regulating AI use for its licensees, according to Mancini.
He contrasts Malta’s position with other European nations where conservative regulatory stances may work against the adoption of common, cross-border AI rules.
The EU AI Act is highlighted as an important reference point that applies across all industries throughout the bloc, offering some hope for future harmonisation.
“Certainly, the EU legislation, the EU AI Act, is a good reference, which applies across the board to all industries,” Mancini concludes.
The findings collectively paint a picture of a global iGaming industry navigating AI adoption at very different speeds depending on regulatory maturity and appetite for innovation.
