As the Gaming and Sports Betting Vertical Lead at Genesys, I see first-hand how the industry is evolving. For years, operators focused on the service economy: delivering fast, reliable responses to player issues. That was enough. Today, however, we’ve entered the experience economy – where players expect more. They want interactions that are personalised, proactive and seamless. They want every touchpoint to feel valued, consistent and trustworthy.

In this new environment, the winners will be those who can move beyond servicing transactions to orchestrating experiences. And at the heart of that transformation are people. Agents are not just there to resolve issues; they are the human face of the brand. How well they are supported directly shapes the customer experience – and, ultimately, business growth.

Across the sector, three challenges consistently rise to the surface.

Challenge 1: Speed to competence in a complex landscape

Gaming and betting contact centres deal with a uniquely broad set of interactions: from deposits and withdrawals to bet disputes, technical glitches and safeguarding conversations. Each requires different knowledge, tone and skills.

Traditional training models – weeks in classrooms, shadowing, and testing – simply can’t keep pace. New agents often take months to feel confident, yet many leave within the first year, creating a cycle of constant recruitment, retraining and lost productivity. During that time, the risk of inconsistent or inaccurate service puts player trust on the line.

What’s needed is a smarter way to build competence – one that allows agents to contribute with confidence from the very start. By bringing knowledge into the flow of work, surfacing real-time guidance and using AI to match customers to the best-prepared agents, operators can dramatically shorten ramp-up time. The difference is striking: faster ROI on new hires, more consistent service, and an immediate improvement in player experience.

Challenge 2: Keeping pace with regulation without inflating costs

Regulation in gaming and sports betting is intensifying. From stricter KYC requirements to enhanced responsible gambling checks, the demands on agents are growing rapidly. Each change creates pressure to retrain staff – often pulling them from queues and driving up cost.

Scaling that training across global operations can be expensive and disruptive. In some cases, it even means hiring extra FTEs or outsourcing to avoid dips in service. At the same time, non-compliance carries steep financial penalties and long-term reputational risk.

A more sustainable approach is to integrate learning into daily work. AI can identify when a regulation applies during an interaction and guide the agent step-by-step to ensure compliance. Bite-sized, contextual learning replaces lengthy retraining sessions, enabling operators to maintain service levels while reducing risk. In this way, regulatory change becomes manageable – not a drain on cost or capacity.

Challenge 3: Protecting agents from burnout in emotive interactions

The human dimension of gaming support cannot be overlooked. Agents face emotionally charged conversations every day – disputes over bets, frustrated complaints or sensitive safeguarding situations with vulnerable players. These can be draining, and without the right support, lead to stress, burnout and high turnover.

Attrition in contact centres already averages between 30–45% annually, with each departure costing thousands in recruitment and training alone. For operators, the financial burden is significant, but so too is the operational impact: constant churn undermines service quality and consistency.

By orchestrating support around agents, operators can protect their wellbeing while strengthening business performance. Real-time sentiment analysis and guidance help agents navigate challenging moments with confidence. Intelligent routing prevents individuals from being left with a disproportionate share of difficult cases. And flexible workforce engagement tools give agents more control over their schedules, which is proven to reduce stress and improve retention. Healthier teams create healthier experiences – for both employees and players.

From service to experience – and the case for change

The shift from service economy to experience economy is redefining gaming and sports betting. Players no longer measure satisfaction simply by how quickly their issue is resolved. What they value most is the quality of the journey: was it seamless, personalised, proactive and empathetic?

Delivering that level of experience requires empowered people supported by intelligent technology. Whether accelerating competence, simplifying compliance or protecting wellbeing, the ability to orchestrate both employee and customer journeys together is now a strategic differentiator.

How Genesys can help – and what’s next

At Genesys, we help gaming operators meet these challenges head-on. By combining AI, automation and human empathy, we enable contact centres to:

  • Accelerate agent competence, reducing ramp-up times and delivering consistent player experiences from day one.
  • Embed compliance into the flow of work, avoiding retraining costs while minimising regulatory risk.
  • Protect agent wellbeing, reducing attrition and building more engaged, resilient teams.

The result is a more sustainable operation, stronger employee experience and a differentiated customer journey that builds loyalty in an increasingly competitive market.

The experience economy is here – and service alone is no longer enough. Now is the moment to reimagine what’s possible.

 

Download our AI in Gaming & Sports Betting Guide to explore how predictive routing, engagement, copilots, and more can transform agent performance, reduce costs, and create player experiences that truly matter.