Yaspa has become a founding member of the newly established AI Research Hub at the UNLV International Gaming Institute, a move that brings additional industry participation into an academic initiative focused on artificial intelligence within the igaming and gambling sector. The collaboration links Yaspa’s payments and identity technology with research efforts aimed at understanding how AI is being deployed across regulated gambling markets.
The AI Research Hub, known as AiR Hub, has been created by the UNLV International Gaming Institute to examine the impacts, risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence in gaming and igaming. The initiative was co-founded by IGI Director of Research Kasra Ghaharian and industry executive Simo Dragicevic, and is structured as a collaborative environment for operators, suppliers and trade bodies to contribute to research on responsible and transparent AI adoption.
Yaspa joins a group of founding members that also includes Aristocrat, Evoke Plc, Playtech Plc and the Responsible Online Gaming Association. The mix of participants reflects the cross-section of stakeholders involved in AI development and deployment across the igaming value chain, from technology provision to operational oversight and responsible gambling frameworks.
One of the AiR Hub’s first initiatives is the annual “State of AI in Gaming” report, which is intended to track levels of AI maturity across companies while also monitoring regulatory and policy developments affecting AI use in the igaming sector. The report is positioned as a benchmarking exercise designed to provide greater transparency around how AI tools are being implemented within a heavily regulated industry.
As a founding member, Yaspa will contribute its internal AI and machine learning expertise to support the Hub’s research agenda. The company has developed AI-driven components within its payments infrastructure, including its Intelligent Payments platform and a proprietary machine learning categorisation system, experience it will draw on when contributing to research discussions. As part of its involvement, Yaspa’s Vice President of Product, Max Collinge, will join the AiR Hub Advisory Panel, which is tasked with guiding research priorities and maintaining industry relevance.
The formation of the AiR Hub comes as igaming companies increasingly integrate AI into areas such as payments, player verification, risk management and personalisation, while regulators continue to scrutinise how such technologies are governed. Through collaboration between academic researchers and industry participants, the Hub aims to support more informed and responsible AI adoption across global igaming markets.
“Joining AiR Hub as a founding member reflects Yaspa’s commitment to leveraging the synergy between AI and open banking data to drive a more sustainable gambling ecosystem,” said Max Collinge.
“By utilizing deep financial insights through AI-driven analysis, we can deliver significantly better outcomes for players and operators alike. I am personally thrilled to join the Advisory Panel to help shape this next phase of collaboration and ensure research leads to practical, responsible innovation.”
Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, International Gaming Institute, commented, “Fintech and AI are two of the most transformative technologies in the world today, and their impact on the gaming industry will undoubtedly continue to be profound. The richness of this data provides intriguing potential across the value chain, particularly regarding consumer protection and compliance. I am excited to see how we can help drive thought leadership for the industry at the intersection of these two technologies.”
Simo Dragicevic, IGI Adjunct Fellow, said, “Yaspa is building the industry’s open banking orchestration layer for player insights and risk assessment. Their expertise in payments, technology and risk will add significant value to the AiR Hub Advisory Panel and we look forward to collaborating with Yaspa as we execute our mission to develop the industry’s ecosystem for collaborative AI research.”
