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Betting firms deploy AI to get gaming machine addicts to 'cool off' from their gambling

Gaming machine - PA
Gaming machine - PA

Betting firms are installing Artificial Intelligence (AI) on all gaming machines which spots addictive behaviour and switches them off to stop punters playing.

The Anonymous Player Awareness System (APAS) tracks a player’s behaviour second by second looking for evidence of them chasing losses, playing erratically, speeding up or spending too long on the machine.

If the algorithm finds the player is taking risks, they are locked out of it for a “cooling off period” of at least 30 seconds while managers are alerted. Safer gambling warnings are immediately displayed on the machine’s screen to the customer.

The technology has been introduced by the newly-formed Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in an attempt to head off mounting concerns over the growing number of addicts including thousands of children and the prospect of tougher legislation.

It is initially being introduced on all gaming machines in Britain’s 8.500 betting shops including William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power but is seen as a potential model for gaming or gambling machines across the industry..

Betting firms are also introducing a separate mandatory automatic alert which triggers when any player has spent 20 minutes on a machine forcing them to take a shorter 20 second “cooling off” period with staff also alerted.

Dr Alan Smith, the bishop of St Albans and a campaigner on gambling, said it was a “first step” but he questioned that 20 or 30 second breaks were too short and called for an independent academic review of its effectiveness.

‘It is strange that industry chiefs are fighting any further regulation for their remote operations while at the same time trumpeting their efforts on the high street," said Dr Smith.

“What we have seen so far, however, continues to put the onus of responsibility on the consumer and not on the industry who are then free to create and then promote addictive gambling products.

Wes Himes, BGC interim chief executive, said: “I see this as an opportunity to champion the highest standards and share best practice on safe betting and gaming and we hope these measures are a sign of intent.

“I’m convinced that this approach can help restore public trust and I look forward to working on further betting and gaming initiatives across the industry.

"‘Even if the responsibility were put solely on the punter, a subsequent impact will certainly be felt in the lives of over-stretched, and often poorly paid, staff in bookies.

"The violence associated with these machines is a worrying trend and I hope this will not lead to a degradation in worker’s experiences who often pay the price for decisions made in boardrooms."

A spokesman for BGC, which represents 90 per cent of the betting and gaming market, said. “The algorithm tracks a range of factors to determine when an individual is at risk of harm.

“This includes erratic play, chasing losses, speed of play and time spent on the machine, therefore the alert and ‘cooling off’ period could be triggered at almost any time during play. It is specific to the individual playing the machine.”