AI customer support in iGaming is no longer plug and play
AI customer support in iGaming is no longer a quick fix for ticket backlogs or headcount cuts. It’s becoming a frontline defence against regulatory breaches, reputational damage, and player churn. When the rulebook thickens and patience thins, a fast reply won’t cut it. Support needs depth, timing, and a touch of emotional intelligence. It’s intelligent escalation, emotional nuance, multilingual empathy, and, critically, regulatory fit. This is where Estonia’s Tugi Tark believes it has found an edge.
Headquartered in Tallinn and newly launched after a period of stealth development, the company is pitching itself as an infrastructure-level partner for operators rethinking how customer support functions in 2025 and beyond. In exclusive comments to SiGMA News, summing up the changing role of support, Harpo Lilja is clear:
“Support isn’t just about answers. It’s about actions that match intent, brand, and regulation.”
Support has become a core operational layer, influencing player satisfaction, safeguarding VIP programmes, and reinforcing a regulator-ready environment.
How AI is reshaping player care
Tugi Tark, literally translating as “smart support,” has trained its AI agents on more than 10 million resolved iGaming tickets. But it’s not about speed for speed’s sake. Lilja’s focus is squarely on measurable accuracy, brand adaptability, and emotional tone. He calls it a move away from “plug and play” towards bespoke, embedded support systems that understand policy, not just language.
At launch, the platform supports over 250 languages, but with a caveat. “The current model is focused on a smaller subset,” Lilja explains. “We use multiple language models, especially slower, more accurate ones, to refine emotional accuracy. Ultimately, the quality of interaction depends on the quality of the training data.” This focus on emotional nuance and authentic player connection echoes findings from a recent SiGMA News article, which explored how female leadership is shaping the future of ethical, inclusive AI in iGaming.
In other words, it’s not just about what the agent says. It’s a matter of how, when, and in what regulatory context. Take VIP escalation as an example – a frustrated high-stakes player in Sweden expecting a formal, fast response may require an entirely different tone and escalation path than a casual user in Brazil making a first-time complaint. Tugi Tark’s system is trained to recognise these nuances, not just the language, but the sentiment, urgency, and legal implications tied to each market.
From friction to flow
Tugi Tark’s proactive model is designed to intercept and resolve issues early before they become friction points or result in lost revenue. Failed deposit? The system receives an API call from the payment provider, instantly triggering a relevant, branded chat response that often resolves the issue before the player raises a ticket. For operators, it delivers where it matters: fewer failed journeys, faster payment resolution, leaner workloads, and stronger retention across segments.
But the benefits extend further. The framework also monitors player behaviour and flags potential red flags, from erratic spending to RG-sensitive activity, before they escalate. “The actions taken are then customisable per brand,” Lilja says. “We can measure the module’s accuracy and adjust quickly as legal requirements change.” This proactive approach aligns with recent industry shifts, as covered by SiGMA News, where AI is increasingly viewed as a foundational safeguard in responsible gambling systems.
That flexibility is critical for operators juggling different regulatory frameworks, where missteps can trigger not only fines but also friction. AI customer support in iGaming, then, is being reshaped not just by language scale but by real-time adaptability.
Still, even with automation handling more of the heavy lifting, not every support scenario can be solved upstream. Some cases still demand human judgement, emotional sensitivity, or a formal review process, and here, Tugi Tark is pragmatic about where the boundaries lie.
What AI can, and can’t do. Yet
When it comes to high-stakes queries, disputes, emotional stress, and VIP escalation, Tugi Tark acknowledges its limitations. 바카라ers asking to speak to a human are routed according to a basic ruleset, with plans to expand this functionality as the platform scales. “Our AI agent knows both the player data and brand configuration, so customising this behaviour is trivial,” Lilja says.
Financial disputes are not yet handled by AI, but they are on the roadmap. Think less black box, more glasshouse. For operators, that level of visibility is more than a technical bonus. It’s a trust-builder. In an industry where missteps are costly, Tugi Tark’s explainable architecture provides compliance teams with what they need: audit trails, permission boundaries, and confidence that support agents whether human or AI are operating within policy.
And what about the architecture itself? How much of the system is truly AI-driven versus rule-based logic? Lilja is candid: “It’s not an either/or situation. Rules are guardrails. LLMs are the only way to process and create human responses at scale, but they require constraints. Around 70 percent of the agent’s functionality is pure AI, ranging from ticket categorisation to complex reasoning tailored to a customer’s needs.”
That breakdown matters. For operators weighing up solutions, understanding what’s under the hood is now a due diligence necessity. This reflects a broader global trend, as , which states that AI systems used in regulated industries must demonstrate traceability, fairness, and explainability at every decision point.
Built for scale, trained for nuance
Tugi Tark’s roadmap includes full CRM integration, affiliate support, and brand voice adaptation for multi-brand operators. It’s positioning itself not as a one-size-fits-all tool, but as a system that mirrors each operator’s tone, workflow, and escalation policy.
This is particularly relevant for iGaming groups juggling different licence requirements across markets like the UK, Sweden, and emerging jurisdictions in South Asia or Africa. AI customer support in iGaming must now meet not just player expectations but also regulatory intent.
Lilja is clear that full autonomy is the goal.
“We’re aiming to grow the AI’s agentic capabilities to the point where it handles the majority of cases. Anything predictable, known, or governed by policy should never need a human.”
Still, for now, hybrid systems are the reality. But designing that hybrid layer isn’t just about escalation. It’s about tone, timing, and trust. The real challenge is making sure that when a human takes over, the player doesn’t feel like they’re starting again. Tugi Tark’s transition system carries over player context in full, ensuring seamless escalation from AI to human support without friction or repetition.
For operators, this level of seamlessness protects brand perception, reduces friction from complaints, and reinforces that support is working as a unified system, not a piecemeal one.
The takeaway for operators
If 2023 was the year of AI hype, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of AI accountability. And when it comes to support, the stakes are higher than ever. 바카라ers don’t just want quick answers. They want answers they can trust.
Tugi Tark’s model suggests that the future of AI customer support in iGaming won’t be defined by speed or scale alone but by empathy, context, and control.
That control matters. From adjusting RG modules to match shifting legal demands to tailoring tone and workflow per brand, operators will need systems that adapt as quickly as regulations evolve.
In 2025, automation without accountability is a risk. Tugi Tark’s offer is not just speed. It’s a customisable, transparent platform built for scrutiny as much as scale.
The industry may not be fully autonomous yet. But it is finally moving beyond the plug-and-play approach and into a future where support isn’t just reactive, but regulatory by design.
