Aristocrat Joins UNLV AiR Hub as Founding Member

Aristocrat has joined the UNLV International Gaming Institute’s AI Research Hub (AiR Hub) as a founding member, adding its gaming content and technology expertise to a collaborative program focused on artificial intelligence across the gambling sector. Launched in May 2025, the initiative aims to accelerate trusted, responsible AI adoption in igaming and land-based gaming by studying operational opportunities, risks, and policy implications with input from industry and academic stakeholders.

As part of its role, Aristocrat will participate in the Hub’s industry advisory panel and support research streams examining applied AI use cases, including analytics, product development, and player protection relevant to regulated igaming markets. The founding cohort also includes Action Gaming, Axes.ai, Evoke plc, Gaming Analytics, Kindbridge Behavioral Health, Playtech plc, ROGA, and Walker Digital Table Systems, reflecting a cross-section of suppliers, data firms, and harm-prevention partners active in igaming. The addition of Aristocrat further broadens the Hub’s remit as it explores frameworks for governance, testing, and measurement designed to help operators and suppliers align AI deployment with regulatory expectations in igaming and adjacent categories.

“We are thrilled to welcome Aristocrat to AiR Hub as a founding member,” said Kasra Ghaharian, IGI Director of Research and co-founder of AiR Hub. “Having a global leader with Aristocrat’s scale, technological depth, and commitment to innovation is a monumental step for this initiative. Its perspective will be invaluable as we work to create actionable research and practical tools for the industry.”

“As a leader in the gaming industry, we have a responsibility to uphold high standards of governance, and to positively impact our people, customers, and communities,” said Anastasios Dagkos, Group General Manager, Responsible Gameplay at Aristocrat. “Collaborating with IGI and others on AiR Hub presents an opportunity for us to contribute our industry expertise to the important conversation around AI and its application in gaming.”

Simo Dragicevic, AiR Hub co-founder and IGI Adjunct Fellow, noted the growing momentum of the initiative. “As the world’s largest gaming technology company, Aristocrat’s addition as a founding member demonstrates the strategic importance of AirR Hub and its mission to develop the industry’s ecosystem for collaborative AI research. We look forward to working with Aristocrat to help build a growing and sustainable entertainment industry,” said Dragicevic.