In this episode, hosts Jon Bruford and Dr. Michael Auer engage with Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We discuss various aspects of gambling, including responsible gambling, prediction tools, and the complexities of regulation. The conversation delves into the challenges of incentivising responsible behaviour, the role of AI in risk detection, and the need for standardised frameworks in the gambling industry. Kasra shares insights from his background in poker and academia, while the hosts explore the implications of gambling behaviour on both a personal and regulatory level.

All the things we talk about:

1. The importance of a national framework for gambling regulation.
2. Incentivizing responsible gambling behavior can be achieved through various means.
3. Prediction tools should be used proactively to prevent gambling issues.
4. The US online gambling market is still developing compared to Europe.
5. Chasing losses is a significant marker of harm in gambling.
6. Algorithmic risk detection needs to be transparent and explainable.
7. Feature engineering in AI may soon be automated.
8. The gambling industry requires standardized terminology for better communication.
9. Understanding player behavior is crucial for effective regulation.
10. The commercialization of gambling can hinder responsible practices.

Choice quotes:

1. "Feature engineering is going to be automated."
2. "The research is constantly evolving."

Chapters (But you should probably add 75 seconds to each one because Jon reads a sponsor message, and we have the music…):

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

03:00 Kasra's Background and Journey to Vegas

06:00 Discussion on Problem Gambling and Player Protection

09:08 The Role of Prediction Tools in Gambling

12:05 Incentivising Responsible Gambling Behavior

14:58 Challenges in Gambling Regulation and Data Collection

18:01 The Importance of Market Understanding in Gambling

21:14 Revenue Distribution in Gambling and Its Implications

24:00 Public Health Approaches to Gambling Regulation

26:56 Algorithmic Risk Detection in Gambling

29:53 Benchmarking in AI for Gambling Risk Detection

33:00 Challenges in Data Labeling and Algorithm Training

35:51 The Future of Automated Machine Learning in Gambling

39:10 The Need for Explainability in Gambling Algorithms

42:00 The Role of Regulation in Gambling Algorithms

44:52 Innovative Approaches to Risk Detection

47:59 Chasing Losses as a Marker of Harm

50:55 The Complexity of Gambling Behavior Analysis

53:57 Commercialisation vs. Regulation in Gambling

57:06 Conclusion and Future Directions

Kasra Ghaharian on LinkedIn: