As apps and handy technology continue to fine-tune for user convenience to rise to prominence amongst vast competition on the market, as of late, there has been a clear trend toward simplifying user interfaces. Experts agree that zero AI is the future, and people are showing a particular affinity toward voice-controlled apps. Though this is primarily a phenomenon relevant to sports betting right now, casinos are testing the waters in their games as well.
Today, we are going to talk about the great benefits that voice-based gambling offers in the modern day world, as well as its drawbacks, and whether it’s the future or a mirage.
How Gambling by Voice Works
At its core, voice-controlled gambling leverages speech recognition and natural language processing to convert spoken commands into ongoing actions within a gambling app. But to truly understand how it works, we need to break down the process from both a technical and user-experience perspective.
Imagine you’re using a sportsbook app. Instead of having to screw around with and navigate menus to place a bet on an upcoming football match, all you have to say is, “Put 50 euros on Arsenal to beat Chelsea,” or “What are the latest odds on the Super Bowl?” A well-built, efficient voice-controlled app will interpret that request in a jiffy, confirm it, and execute it — sometimes even providing audio feedback to boot. This eliminates the need for manual input, offering a hands-free experience that feels more like talking to a digital bookmaker than using an app.
Voice control functionality could be passive, used to retrieve information or navigate, or for actual immediate transactions in an active way. Also, since username and password logins have been eliminated thanks to social media accounts and face ID, voice metrics may be used for logging in as well or to a variety of other things like access to responsible gambling tools, such as limits and lockouts.
Here are the types of technologies it calls for:
- Speech recognition engines: Systems like Google Speech-to-Text, Apple SiriKit, Amazon Alexa, and custom AI models listen to and transcribe spoken input.
- Natural language understanding: Once a user speaks, the system must understand intent. This is where NLP models interpret the meaning behind phrases like “Put twenty bucks on red” or “Bet max on next hand.” Or “Select 3x multiplier” for a crash bet in a round of JetX Game;
- Command parsing: The app converts intent into specific actions, like selecting a game, choosing odds, setting the stake, and confirming a bet, powered by backend APIs and secure databases.
- Real-time confirmation: For legal and ethical reasons, many apps include a step to confirm bets verbally (saying things like “Do you want to place this bet now?”), often with voice or visual cues.
- Security measures: Voice-based authentication, anti-fraud checks, and usage logging are essential, especially when financial transactions are involved.
Other Benefits
A lot of senior citizens are quite averse to technology, but they can view a computer or cell phone screen, talk to it, and confirm bets with much less discomfort. Another big benefit is that currently, cell phones, which people most commonly use for betting worldwide, require occupying the hands, restricting what other activities people can engage in.
If people are able to use voice, they can multitask, doing things like:
- going for a jog
- vacuuming at home
- cooking
- using wearables instead of a phone
Voice commands remove the friction of navigating complex betting menus, making gambling faster and easier. This could particularly appeal to casual or time-constrained users who don’t want to scroll through options or type in selections.
Enhanced Accessibility
Voice interfaces can significantly enhance accessibility for users with physical disabilities, impaired vision, or reduced dexterity. Traditional gambling apps normally require you to have sharp eyes and the ability to make different gestures with your hands – both of which requirements cut out many people within particular groups of the population – namely, the visually impaired or blind as well as individuals with conditions like Parkinson’s.
Faster Transactions
Speed is critical in fast-paced betting environments, such as live sports betting or in-play casino games. Voice commands can cut down on decision-making time, letting users:
- Place or adjust bets within seconds
- Quickly ask for stats or results without leaving the betting interface
- Get real-time odds and market changes through verbal updates
This instant communication could make the difference between locking in a favorable odd or missing a betting window entirely – especially when time-sensitive markets are involved. People can say such simple phrases as “Same bet as last week” or “Put 100 on my favorite team this week”.
People won’t even have to take their phones with them but can use smart home devices or watches.
Current Availability of Voice Controlled Gambling
Right now, sports betting is a lot more involved in voice than online casino games. The latter remain for the most part experimental.
FanDuel recently launched AceAI, the first chat-based betting experience, offering a smart assistant to serve players via voice, giving them updates on odds, scores, real-time commentary, and informing them of their account balances. Virtual reality casinos like Slots Million and Casino VR Poker not only give people the final frontier of escapism with a 100% simulated world, outdoing the already lavish escapism of physical casinos and apps, but it also has implemented voice commands.
The appeal of live dealer games and virtual reality also lends credibility to the idea that people will eventually gamble en masse via voice, since some people like to have a greater feel as if they are gambling in person and interacting more naturally. Just as they prefer to tell the dealer to hit during blackjack in a live game, they would also enjoy telling the AI assistant to update them on the bonuses.
Key Concerns and Drawbacks
It’s not all smiles and exclamations of excitement. There are problems and shortcomings associated with audio betting and gambling too.
- Voice recognition is a big problem: there could be all kinds of sounds going on, especially if you’re somewhere in public. Just one word could be taken wrong and whoops, you’ve bet on the wrong time, or the wrong amount, or on the wrong event. That could end up costing money.
- Voice-enabled apps typically require constant microphone access, either passively listening for commands or actively recording input. So people would be wise to be pretty nervous about the potential for voice mimicking and surveillance from the state.
- Perhaps the most serious long-term concern is the way voice control might normalize or accelerate compulsive gambling. By removing friction – the need to log in, navigate menus, and confirm bets – voice control makes betting more immediate and habit-forming.
- On top of that, if you’re used to betting on the go all the time, that could turn into a dangerous situation. Especially if you’re driving. If you’re in bed or supposed to be having dinner with your family too, it could take away from family time, or sleep.
There is a lot of promise in voice technology in general, but for now there are some risks in terms of using it as a secure authorization method and preventing the wrong noises from being input. For now, voice remains more of a futuristic experiment than a proven game-changer. Whether it becomes a staple or proves a gimmick will depend on what strides engineers and security exports make in technology.
