Gaming1 CTO Christophe Boniver: ‘AI must serve players in a more personalised and responsible way’ 

Gaming1 is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, personalisation and responsible gaming. According to CTO Christophe Boniver, the future of the gambling industry lies not in offering even more games, but in creating experiences tailored to the individual player. 

Because Gaming1 develops its own platform and technology, the company says it can innovate more quickly than operators who rely on external suppliers. Speaking to SBC News, Boniver explains why, in his view, technology, data and AI will be decisive for the next phase of the online gambling market. 

How does Gaming1 ensure it remains at the forefront of technology? 

“Staying at the forefront of technology requires both structural investment and the right corporate culture. We deliberately invest more in technical talent than many other companies within the gambling industry. This is not just about the number of employees, but above all about seniority and specialisation. 

At Gaming1, we have internal knowledge groups focusing on emerging technologies such as AI. Engineers from different parts of the organisation share knowledge and challenge one another within these groups. In this way, expertise spreads much faster than through traditional top-down training programmes. 

In addition, we consciously compare ourselves with the best technology companies. Conferences such as LeadDev and KubeCon are not just ordinary networking events for us. We use them to assess where we stand in relation to organisations that are among the world’s best in terms of technology. 

A good example is our approach to AI. We didn’t simply roll out AI tools just because everyone else was doing so. First, we investigated where our real bottlenecks lay. Translating ideas into clear, actionable specifications and ensuring quality within complex systems proved to be major challenges. 

Based on this, we developed a targeted AI strategy.” 

How do you determine whether new technology actually adds value for players? 

“The player is at the heart of our way of working. This isn’t something we only add at the end of a development process. 

We have mapped out the entire player experience. This starts with registration and continues through the first moment of play to interactions with promotions and loyalty programmes. 

We carry out ongoing satisfaction surveys at every stage. We combine these results with behavioural data and the impact on our business results. This gives us a realistic picture of what is working well and where improvements are needed. 

Importantly, player satisfaction also serves as a performance indicator for our entire technology department. As a result, engineers, product owners and designers are directly responsible for the quality of what we develop. 

If any part of the player experience scores poorly, it is given priority. I believe that direct link between feedback and development makes a significant difference.” 

What advantage does Gaming1 gain from owning its own platform? 

“In my view, our own platform is our most important strategic asset. 

Many operators rely on external technology. They use a third-party platform, integrate various providers and build their product around that. 

That model has its limitations. You’re dependent on what suppliers develop, how quickly they move and how well their products integrate with your systems. When something needs changing, you often end up on a waiting list. 

We have taken a different approach. Over the past few years, we have built our platform from the ground up using a modern architecture. Different parts of the system can operate independently, whilst remaining part of a single, cohesive technological ecosystem. 

This enables our product teams to develop and launch new features independently, without having to constantly wait for other teams or external suppliers. 

Because we manage the technology, data and integration points ourselves, we can develop functionalities that are specifically tailored to our products and players. Examples include personalisation, artificial intelligence applications and new game mechanics. 

A generic solution from an external supplier is always a compromise. Such a product is built for everyone and is therefore ultimately not fully optimised for anyone. 

With the possibilities AI offers for delivering personalised experiences on a large scale, having the right technological infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.” 

What innovations is Gaming1 currently developing? 

“Our innovation agenda focuses on three closely interlinked areas. 

The first area is the way in which we develop software. We now use AI for much more than just writing code. 

We are looking at more complex issues. How can we turn a product idea into something that can actually be built more quickly? And how do we ensure that new features do not compromise existing components of a complex system? 

If we succeed in this, we can launch innovations faster than our competitors. 

The second area is the player experience. We are developing in-house AI-driven systems for personalisation and rewards. This technology is built specifically around our own products, data and players. 

We have deliberately chosen not to use generic solutions from external suppliers. We want to own this technology ourselves and be able to improve it continuously.” 

What role does responsible gaming play within that strategy? 

“For us, responsible gaming isn’t just a box we have to tick to comply with regulations. It’s a product priority. 

We’re exploring how we can use the same data and personalisation technology to give players better insight into their own gaming behaviour. 

This means we can display relevant information about their behaviour and, at appropriate moments, offer players actions that allow them to maintain control over their gaming behaviour. 

Responsible gaming must become part of the player experience and not feel like an interruption to it. 

The same technology that makes a gambling product more appealing and personalised can, and must, also contribute to safer gambling behaviour. 

Faster product development, smarter personalisation and responsible gaming reinforce one another. We believe the industry has a greater need for that combination.” 

In your view, which technological development will change the gambling industry the most? 

“In my opinion, the most significant change is the transition from purely transactional gambling products to fully-fledged entertainment platforms. 

Gambling will, of course, remain at the heart of the product. But the competitive landscape is changing. 

Consumers nowadays have virtually unlimited options for spending their time and money on entertainment. The operators that will be successful are not necessarily the companies with the most games. 

It will be the companies that can offer the most attractive, personalised and responsible player experience. 

Technology makes that change possible. Operators must be able to understand individual players: their preferences, behavioural patterns and the times when they are active. 

They must then be able to respond to this on a large scale and in real time. 

AI is a powerful technology in this regard, but it is merely a means to an end. The ultimate goal remains the player’s experience and earning a place within their leisure time in a responsible and sustainable manner. 

For CTOs in the gambling industry, the most important question should therefore not be: ‘How can we use AI?’ 

The real question is: ‘Do we have the technological foundation to deliver a truly player-centric experience?’ 

Companies that have invested in sound architecture, proprietary platforms and high-quality data will be able to move the fastest. With AI, but also with the next technological development that follows.”