Artificial Intelligence (AI), as you know it, has brought tremendous benefits, not just in the digital casino industry, but across many other sectors as well. And as Exploding Topics notes, almost eight in ten (78%) of companies globally use this technology in their daily operations. As a result, Grand View Research places the global artificial intelligence market at $279.22 billion and expects it to jump to $3.5 trillion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of more than 31%.
In the online casino industry, over 70% of top companies now apply this technology in at least one area, reports iGaming Today. However, as much as AI is beneficial, it also has its downsides, just like any other innovation. And one of its downsides is that cybercriminals have been using it to advance their strategies through deepfake content.
That’s why online security has become a crucial concern for modern operators targeting highly affected areas like Asia. Take an Asian city like Hong Kong, for instance. When you check out the best Hong Kong online casinos, you’ll realise that most of them now invest heavily in identity verification tools and stricter KYC (know your customer) protocols to protect their players from deepfake-driven attacks.
Deepfake scams and their growing popularity in the Asian online casino industry
Just about two years ago, videos of Lee Hsien Loong, the senior minister of Singapore, and Lawrence Wong, the prime minister, circulated online, promoting crypto and investment products. Well, it eventually turned out that they were only AI-generated content. In early 2024, another deepfake incident cost the Hong Kong office of a multinational company up to US$25.6 million.
These are just a few examples of how malicious actors are using artificial intelligence to attack Asian internet users. Cumulatively, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime says the entire Asia-Pacific region witnessed a 1,530% surge in deepfake attacks between 2022 and 2023 alone. This made the region the second-most affected by these attacks after North America.
The word deepfake comes from two words: deep learning and fake. These types of attacks often use neural networks to generate highly realistic synthetic media content that convincingly mimics real people. Their popularity in the Asian continent is a big part of why Sumsub says AI-powered deepfake scams grew ten times between 2022 and 2023. At the same time, Bangladesh interestingly led the iGaming fraud charts in early 2024.
An in-depth look at how these scams are launched
Fraudsters no longer focus on the signup or withdrawal steps alone. Today, they have shifted their focus to targeting the deposit phase. In a recent report, Susmub noted that 41.9% of fraud happens during deposits when players are putting in real money. This is because, where money flow is heaviest, an impersonation can yield massive returns.
The process begins with a scammer generating a video call or voice that mimics a casino VIP manager or executive. They’ll pose as someone you trust to lure you in. Once they’ve earned your trust, they push you to deposit, which you do without suspicion.
This has become serious, especially now that there are organised deepfake syndicates in Asia. And if you’re keen, you may have heard about scam centres in Thailand and Cambodia using AI voice-cloning and real-time video deepfake tech to impersonate financial authorities or law enforcement.
These syndicates can combine investment scams with online gambling fraud, that are increasingly difficult to detect. This is why, as a forward-thinking operator, you can’t afford to turn a blind eye to online security.
So, what can you do in defence?
Remember, as online attacks increase, internet users, including gamblers, are also becoming more concerned about their digital security. And if they realise your platform isn’t taking proactive measures, they may as well turn to competitors and possibly never return. This gets even more serious when they hear rumours of your involvement in a breach. According to Assured Data Protection, about 35% of users would never return to a business after a data breach.
And mark you: The Asian online casino industry is super competitive. As GlobeNewswire reports, the market is set to grow from US$92.34 billion in 2024 to more than US$185 billion by 2033. To survive in such an industry where consumers are becoming increasingly security-conscious, you must have a plan for combating AI-driven deepfakes.
A good place to get started would be adopting AI-based detection tools. Since traditional infrastructures struggle to identify advanced forms of fraud, you want a system that can identify subtle inconsistencies that even human eyes often miss. Educating players is also powerful.
Simple communication through blog posts or in-app notifications can teach users how to recognise fraudulent attempts, reducing their risk of falling into the hands of malicious individuals. At least when a player knows what to look for, they’ll be less likely to become a victim.
In short, AI-driven deepfakes are not a far-fetched reality; they’re already happening. And if a digital casino has to enjoy long-term survival in the Asian continent, it must be adequately prepared to face this new wave of fraud head-on. This could be achieved by implementing advanced detection tools and creating a culture of awareness among both staff and players.
