A recent study has uncovered a concerning trend in the online gambling industry's VIP management practices. VIP account managers often rely heavily on spreadsheets and manual decision-making tools instead of utilizing advanced automation or AI systems. This dependency heightens the risk of "silent churn," where valuable VIP players become inactive without any prior indication, creating a significant challenge for operators.
Titled "The State of VIP Operations," the report was produced by The Playa in conjunction with the Gaming Operations Academy and WarriorLab. Conducted in 2026, it surveyed 70 professionals involved in VIP management, including managers, team leaders, and consultants, with 64% of respondents employed by gambling operators. The survey aimed to examine how VIP portfolios are managed on a daily basis, the tools in use, and the principal operational challenges.
Despite three-quarters of respondents rating their VIP data as good or very good, a striking 71% indicated that their data was fragmented across multiple systems. Additionally, 50% admitted to occasionally making decisions with incomplete or outdated information. The phenomenon of silent churn was reported by nearly half of the participants, stating that VIP players frequently became inactive without prior notice. Alarmingly, approximately 48% of managers lacked indicators to gauge players' behavior or overall wellbeing.
Viktoriia Grygorenko, CEO of The Playa, emphasized this issue, declaring it the “clearest commercial case in the report.” She explained, "Every other finding – portfolio overload, fragmented data, reactive workflow, no behavioral signal – resolves here, in revenue that walks out without notice, without warning and without anyone getting the chance to intervene."
The survey revealed a strong interest in prioritization tools, with 75% of respondents rating daily prioritized action guidance for each player as highly valuable. However, 38% expressed a concern that implementing AI could diminish the personal touch that is vital to VIP management.
AI and automation were not the favored tools for managing VIP portfolios, as none of the participants selected these technologies as their primary resources. Instead, 30% relied on spreadsheets and business intelligence dashboards, while 24% used CRM platforms. Only 15% incorporated AI or automation tools, and those were used as secondary aids.
A significant workload challenge was highlighted in the survey. Sixty-four percent of managers were responsible for 100 or more VIPs, with one in five managing over 500. The report estimates that a single manager looking after 250 players would have about 100 seconds per day to devote to each individual, emphasizing the need for efficient data management and prioritization.
Grygorenko noted that the key to adapting portfolio sizes lies in prioritization. She stated, "Above roughly 150 players per manager, personal knowledge stops scaling. The fix is not fewer players or more managers – it is showing each manager which few accounts actually need them today."
Average satisfaction with current tools rated at 6 out of 10. Gali Hartuv, CEO and co-founder of WarriorLab, regarded this level of satisfaction as "the most expensive kind.” While VIP managers acknowledged the potential benefits of AI for managing their workloads, they remained wary of ceding final judgment to automated systems.
The authors of the report stressed that VIP managers seek support from technology, not replacement. They desire tools that can help prioritize players while maintaining human oversight.
Respondents identified several priorities for enhancing VIP operations, including the need for an integrated system that combines player data, communication history, and task management. They also called for structured guidelines tied to relationship outcomes and real-time, detailed data along with predictive behavioral signals. Managerial autonomy, supported by senior leadership, was another important aspect mentioned.
"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," Grygorenko remarked. She articulated that managers require clearer signals regarding which players need attention and what changes have occurred.
Next week, Grygorenko and Hartuv will further discuss these topics in an iGB webinar titled (How) Should AI Engage High-Value Players?
The landscape of VIP operations has seen significant changes over the past decade. In October 2020, a new code of conduct was implemented in the UK, following consultations between the Gambling Commission and the Betting and Gaming Council. This code mandates that operators conduct rigorous checks on players before admitting new VIPs, including close monitoring of their betting behaviors. Moreover, it prohibits incentivizing customers based on losses and requires oversight of reward programs by senior management, restricting participation for players under the age of 25. According to a report from the Gambling Commission in 2025, the number of VIP customers has plummeted by 95% per operator since the implementation of these stricter rules.
