AI is becoming a routine part of sportsbook operations, but much of the real progress is happening out of sight. Trading teams are using automation to expand the number of markets on offer, risk teams are deploying it to flag problematic behavior earlier, and product teams are adapting to shifting bettor habits across emerging areas like women’s sports.
In this interview with Yogonet, PowerPlay Product Manager Bill O’Brien explains how AI is actually being used inside a sportsbook today, what they learned from overhauling their same-game parlay product, and how the upcoming FIFA World Cup is likely to reshape bettor behavior in North America.
AI is everywhere in betting conversations right now, but where is it actually delivering the most value inside a sportsbook today?
AI is delivering value across multiple areas of a sportsbook, but the clearest impact is in the breadth of markets we are now able to offer. Automation allows us to price and manage thousands of markets that simply wouldn’t be feasible if traders were required to create and maintain each one manually.
As a result, bettors can move seamlessly from complex same-game parlays in major leagues to niche leagues from around the world within the same session. That level of scale, speed, and consistency is only possible through automation, and it has fundamentally expanded both choice and accessibility for customers.
How are AI tools reshaping safer-play monitoring, particularly in terms of earlier risk detection compared to traditional models?
AI tools have significantly improved safer-play monitoring by enabling earlier and more nuanced detection of potentially risky behaviour. Rather than relying solely on fixed thresholds, modern models focus on changes in patterns of play, which allows operators to identify concerning behaviour before it escalates.
This shift enables softer, earlier interventions that can often prevent harm before it materialises. However, it’s important to recognise that outliers will always exist — whether in safer play, risk management, or trading. For that reason, AI should complement, not replace, human judgment. Maintaining a human element remains critical to ensuring decisions are proportionate, empathetic, and context-aware.
Same-game parlays and player props continue to dominate engagement. What do you think explains their staying power with bettors? PowerPlay recently upgraded its same-game parlay product. What were the main lessons from that process?
SGPs and player props strike a strong balance between entertainment and perceived skill. For players who want a single bet that keeps them engaged throughout an entire game, SGPs are ideal. They can be constructed so that every possession matters, creating multiple moments of excitement as selections are ticked off. They also allow bettors to express their own view of how a game will unfold, which adds to the sense of control and engagement.
Through our recent upgrade, including the introduction of pre-baked SGPs alongside traditional builders, we learned that many players value simplicity. A large segment of customers wants an easy, ready-made multi-selection bet that enhances the viewing experience without requiring significant time or effort to construct.
Women’s sports are gaining momentum globally. How is that translating into betting activity? Are you seeing different betting behaviours emerge around women’s sports compared to traditional men’s leagues?
The rapid improvement in the quality of betting products available for women’s sports tells the story. A few years ago, many women’s leagues were offered with limited confidence and only in core markets. Today, customers can access the full range of player props, SGPs, and deeper markets they expect elsewhere.
The Caitlin Clark-led growth in the WNBA was particularly striking and has turned the league into a core product for us at PowerPlay. What we’ve observed is that basketball bettors enjoy betting on basketball — regardless of gender. NBA bettors were always willing to engage with the WNBA; the key was offering a compelling, well-priced, and feature-rich betting product, which is now firmly in place.
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to North America, how do you expect bettor behaviour to change during a tournament of that scale? What kinds of bet types or engagement patterns tend to peak during global events compared to regular seasons?
The 2026 World Cup has the potential to be a landmark moment for North American bettors. Football’s popularity continues to grow, but during regular seasons, it often competes for attention with established North American leagues, and major European fixtures don’t always suit local time zones.
Those barriers disappear during the World Cup. With the tournament hosted locally, fans will be able to fully immerse themselves. We expect strong demand for outright markets, as bettors look to back a team and follow that narrative over a short, intense period.
Same-game parlays will also be extremely popular, particularly pre-baked SGPs. These will appeal to casual bettors who may be less familiar with certain teams and players, allowing them to place enjoyable, intuitive bets without extensive research.
From an operator’s perspective, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities when preparing for major sporting moments like the World Cup or Winter Olympics?
The World Cup and Winter Olympics present very different challenges and opportunities. Both are excellent customer acquisition moments, with many first-time bettors looking to enhance their viewing experience.
For the World Cup, we expect extremely high turnover and significant volatility. With a limited number of matches compared to a full season, liabilities can concentrate quickly around popular teams, leading to large swings that require careful management.
The Winter Olympics, by contrast, will likely generate lower overall volume, but with far less pricing confidence. Niche sports and specialist events increase the risk of sharp play, and there will inevitably be occasions where we are exposed. In those cases, we rely on broader recreational activity to help balance outcomes.
From an operator’s perspective, both events demand strong preparation, disciplined risk management, and resilient systems — but in very different ways.
