A recent survey has uncovered that VIP account managers in the online gambling sector are largely reliant on spreadsheets and manual decision-making, rather than utilizing specialized automation or AI systems. This dependence heightens the risk of "silent churn," in which high-value players become inactive unexpectedly, challenging operators significantly.
The report, titled "The State of VIP Operations," was compiled by The Playa in collaboration with Gaming Operations Academy and WarriorLab. Conducted in 2026, the survey involved 70 professionals actively engaged in VIP management, including account managers, heads of VIP, and consultants, with 64% of these individuals working directly for gambling operators.
The report sought insights into the daily management of VIP portfolios, the tools used, and various operational challenges. Despite three-quarters of respondents rating their VIP data positively, 71% indicated that their data was scattered across multiple systems. Alarmingly, half of the respondents admitted to making decisions based on incomplete or outdated information.
The phenomenon of "silent churn" was a notable concern, with nearly half (46%) highlighting that VIP players often or very often became inactive without prior notice. Furthermore, about 48% of respondents lacked indicators showing the behavioral signals or health of players. Viktoriia Grygorenko, CEO of The Playa, described this as the "clearest commercial case in the report," stressing that the findings regarding portfolio overload, fragmented data, and reactive workflows all lead back to lost revenue without warning.
Interest in prioritization tools was significant, with 75% of the participants valuing daily prioritized action guidance for each player. However, 38% were apprehensive that implementing AI could diminish the personal touch essential to VIP management.
The survey also revealed that none of the respondents chose AI or automation as their main method for managing VIP portfolios. Instead, 30% cited spreadsheets and business intelligence dashboards, while 24% used CRM platforms. Only 15% reported using AI/automation tools, and typically as secondary support.
A key challenge emerged as large and demanding VIP portfolios, with 64% of managers overseeing 100 or more VIPs, and one in five managing more than 500. This intense workload was illustrated by estimating that a manager in charge of 250 players would have only about 100 seconds to devote to each player daily if their time were evenly distributed. Issues regarding data quality and fragmentation also posed challenges. Grygorenko emphasized that effective prioritization is critical for managing these large portfolios, noting that beyond approximately 150 players per manager, personal knowledge becomes difficult to scale.
Satisfaction with current tools averaged a score of 6 out of 10, which co-author Gali Hartuv, CEO and co-founder of WarriorLab, identified as "the most expensive kind" of middling satisfaction. While VIP managers welcomed AI for workload prioritization, the report noted their reluctance to rely entirely on opaque automated systems for final decisions. The authors made it clear that VIP managers are not seeking replacement but rather tools to assist with triaging and identifying priority players while retaining human judgment.
Respondents outlined several priorities for enhancing VIP operations, including a unified system for player data, communication history, and task management. They also requested consistent guidelines with performance indicators focused on relationship outcomes, real-time, detailed data, and predictive behavioral signals. Managerial autonomy supported by senior leadership was another theme that emerged.
Grygorenko remarked, "VIP operations is the most human function in iGaming, run by the smallest teams, on the least purpose-built technology, against the shortest-horizon metrics." She highlighted that VIP managers are looking for clearer signals regarding who requires attention, the changes that have occurred, and where their judgment can make the most impact.
Next week, Grygorenko and Hartuv will further explore these issues during the iGB webinar titled (How) Should AI Engage High-Value Players?
In the UK, VIP operations have dramatically evolved over the last decade. A new code of conduct came into effect in October 2020 after consultations between the Gambling Commission and the Betting and Gaming Council. This new regulation mandates rigorous player checks before new VIP registrations, including close monitoring of betting behavior.
Operators are prohibited from incentivizing customers based on losses, and reward programs must be overseen by senior management. Players under 25 years of age are also restricted from participating in these programs. According to a Gambling Commission report from 2025, the number of VIP customers per operator has dropped by 95% since these restrictions were implemented.
