Machine learning and artificial intelligence are technologies that have been around for a relatively long time in computer technology terms. In recent years, machine learning has become more sophisticated and applied across multiple industries to improve processes such as customer service, customer experience, operational efficiency, and more.
Myriad benefits have already been realized from applying machine learning to sectors such as healthcare and agriculture. Machine learning is now slowly being introduced to the global gaming industry, revolutionizing the way we play and creating unprecedented new entertainment experiences.
Table of Contents
Machine learning in online casinos
New Zealand has strict laws regulating gambling, which include not allowing New Zealand residents to own or operate online casinos. However, a loophole in the law means that residents are allowed to gamble in offshore online casinos to their heart’s content.
Spending on gambling increased tenfold in New Zealand between 1985 and 2008 and constant innovation across the industry has kept players coming back time and again.
One of the most recent innovations has been the inclusion of machine learning, with several online casinos now testing the ability of and demand for this technology. Players can find detailed information when looking for the best casino in New Zealand to search out those that are offering machine learning as a feature.
The most common applications of machine learning in online casinos to date include analysis of favorite games and playing style to customize each player’s experience and provide suggestions and guidance towards games they are likely to enjoy. Machine learning has also improved customer care in many online casinos, such as introducing chatbots to be on hand to answer any questions players may have 24/7.
Machine learning in game development
Game development is another area that is seeing huge improvements through the application of machine learning, providing players with a more intuitive experience.
Developers are beginning to implement algorithms that can respond dynamically to the individual actions of each player, delivering an immersive and imaginative experience where elements of the game react to player interactions and change accordingly, rather than being hand-scripted.
Huge increases in the amount of available data and improvements in processing speeds have made it possible for developers to create unique experiences for each player. Machine learning technology uses huge subsets of data to perform tasks autonomously, learn from past actions change outputs based on the environment, and provided inputs.
Machine Learning in mobile gaming
Mobile gaming is highly popular and as technology improves, more people turn to their mobile devices to play games. Mobile already accounts for around half of all global gaming industry revenue, with many people attracted by the convenience of being able to play any time in any place.
Power and storage restrictions have previously limited the scope for mobile games, but advances in technology now mean that smartphones and other mobile devices can be fitted with specialized processing power in the form of AI chips. As the hardware improves, mobile gaming begins to compete with console and PC gaming in terms of quality as well as convenience.
Playing against the machine
Machine learning has opened new avenues of online gaming, facilitating the introduction of previously offline games such as chess or Go, allowing players to compete against non-human opponents.
Machines can use deep learning to imitate the moves of a human player even in games of high computational complexity. Today, even the most basic applications for playing chess can learn how to beat human opponents and provide challenging experiences that mimic real life.
Machine learning for player retention
Land casinos are designed using information gathered from customer behaviors to encourage as many people as possible to stay for as long as possible. This information advises things such as the layout of games on the floor and allows casinos to anticipate how customers will progress through the casino.
Machine learning is now helping online casinos to recreate this type of customer analysis by gathering large amounts of data, which can then be used to optimize the site for maximum player retention. Many online casinos operating in New Zealand have adopted this technology to improve the customer experience.
As new technologies emerge and existing technologies improve and become more affordable, there is unlimited potential for revolutionizing the gaming industry. Online casinos, video games and more are all being improved through machine learning to deliver the best quality experience possible, tailored to meet the needs of each individual gamer.
