The UNLV International Gaming Institute’s AI Research Hub (AiR Hub), in collaboration with KPMG LLP, has released The State of AI in Gaming 2026, the first edition of an annual global benchmarking series tracking how AI is shaping the gambling industry.
The 113-page report draws on survey responses from 83 gambling companies and 113 regulators worldwide, a 15-year analysis of academic publications, patent filings, conference programs and trade news, and contributions from industry experts. It introduces the industry’s first AI Maturity Index.
Key Findings
- The industry has ambitions, but remains in the early stages of maturity. The industry scores 45 out of 100 on the AI Maturity Index.
- A governance gap runs through the industry. Just one in five companies has a dedicated AI governance role, and most have no established governance practices.
- Generative AI is widespread, but agentic AI has yet to arrive. More than 80% of companies use generative AI, while adoption of AI agents lags far behind.
- Regulators and industry are not on the same page. They disagree on where AI is being used, and regulators lack confidence in their oversight capabilities.
- The innovation pipeline is accelerating. Research, patent filings, product development and conference discussion of AI are all growing.
In the News
The report’s release was covered widely across gaming trade and Las Vegas media:
- Las Vegas Review-Journal: Few gaming companies have AI governance plans, UNLV report says
- iGaming Business: Is AI poised to become the next big industry divide between gaming companies, regulators?
- SiGMA News: The State of AI in Gaming 2026: Inaugural benchmark report
- Casino.org: UNLV finds AI oversight and management gap in gaming
- 8 News Now: Gaming industry leery of AI integration, but moving forward, UNLV report says
- News 3 Las Vegas: UNLV gaming institute examines AI’s rapid rise, weighing benefits and risks
- CDC Gaming: Land-based casinos have fallen behind on AI, but it could enhance operations and guest experiences, from the report’s session at the International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking
About AiR Hub
AiR Hub (Artificial Intelligence Research Hub) is the industry’s first academic-led ecosystem dedicated to collaborative AI research. Its mission is to advance the emerging discipline of AI within the gambling sector and create the industry’s ecosystem for collaborative AI research. Created within UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, AiR Hub conducts novel, critical, and impactful research focused on the most pressing areas from a business and societal perspective, and aims to accelerate the adoption of trusted and responsible AI through international collaboration across industry, academia, regulators, and support sectors.