Pool Shark

About Pool Shark

When Spain captain Rodri lifted the Fifa World Cup trophy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in July, a nation celebrated its team’s return to the summit of world football. Across five weeks and eight matches, Spain had proved itself the best team on the planet, overcoming its strongest rivals to claim the trophy for a second time.

As Spain celebrated the successful end of their campaign, Kambi was reflecting on a significant achievement of its own. For the sports betting technology provider, the tournament represented a major technological milestone: its first World Cup traded entirely by AI.

Across 104 matches and more than 100 million bets, AI handled every stage of the pricing lifecycle – from ingesting data and creating the offering to managing liabilities and settling bets. The platform recorded zero downtime, delivered an operator trading margin of 18% and, during the final alone, processed more than one million unique bet combinations.

What is Pool Shark?

Now, with Japan promising to open two more IR licences in 2027, ambitious bidders are craning their necks for a leg up over the competition. But Japan has telegraphed mixed messaging on the casino industry.

Depsite it having liberalised gambling in pursuit of the economic benefits that casinos can bring, its regulatory architecture and deeply ingrained social attitudes are not particuarly pro gambling.

The regulatory framework strictly keeps the casino component in check. Casino floor space is capped at 3% of the total floor area of the IR, while Japanese residents are restricted to three visits per week and 10 visits within any 28-day period. Each visit also carries a mandatory ¥6,000 entry fee, reinforcing the government’s intent to curb excessive gambling even as it opens the door to casinos.

About Pool Shark

Before betting, they accepted personal responsibility provided that information was clear. 

During immersive play, however, they wanted operators to take a more active role, through mechanisms such as pop-ups and reality checks.

After play, some looked to banks or regulatory bodies for oversight on total spend across platforms.