The State of iGaming 2025: 11 Drivers of the Industry (Part 1)

2025 isn’t defined by “more games” or “louder promos.” It’s a year of constraints: tighter rules, pricier traffic, and impatient capital. 

The upside? Clear separation between operators that treat compliance, payments, and data as product advantages and those that don’t. This Atlaslive article maps the key forces shaping iGaming in 2025 and the practical questions operators and investors should use to stress-test their plans.

We want to provide detailed information on each driver, so we’ve divided the list into two parts.

This is the first one, covering topics ranging from classics of our time, like AI and VR, to more complex topics, like payments and regulations.

1. AI/ML in Personalization, Fraud Detection, and Safer Gambling

In iGaming, AI/ML in 2025 is less about new technology and more about how it shifts margins and compliance risk. The most practical applications sit in three areas: personalization, fraud detection, and safer gambling.

• Personalization. Operators now rely on models to reorder lobbies based on click probability, tailor offers where the return exceeds the cost, and spot players likely to churn. It’s not about sending more promotions but about sending fewer, smarter ones.
• Fraud detection. With higher traffic and more payment channels, the challenge is filtering real threats from false alarms. AI can link devices, accounts, and behavior patterns to uncover fraud rings or account takeovers. The key metric isn’t “how many were blocked” but “how many genuine players stayed unblocked.”
• Safer gambling. Regulators increasingly require operators to act on behavioral signals before harm escalates. Deposit surges, extended late-night play, or loss-chasing now trigger proactive interventions. AI makes it possible to track these signs across thousands of sessions in real time, with actions logged for audits.

The outcome is straightforward: AI/ML is an operational layer that influences revenue and trust. Used carefully, it keeps growth sustainable in an environment where both players and regulators are watching closely.

2. Tightening AML / CFT Regulation

In 2025, tighter anti–money laundering (AML) and counter-financing-of-terrorism (CFT) rules carry real implications for iGaming, especially as more markets move toward legalization.

Let’s take Brazil as an example.

Brazil’s Law No. 14,790 (the “Law of Bets”), effective since late 2023, enforces strong local licensing and AML requirements for operators. To get a license, companies must:

• Be legally established in Brazil with a minimum paid-in capital of BRL 30 million (~US$6 million) for a five-year authorization
• Maintain a BRL 5 million financial reserve
• Meet identity checks, source-of-funds verification, and transaction monitoring standards
• Use the national payment system (PIX), with restrictions on crypto and international fund transfers.

As regulation stiffens, compliance upgrades support license retention and market trust. It's not about box-ticking; it's about building a future-proof foundation.

3. Payment Innovations

Modern payment systems open markets and shape user experience. In Brazil, PIX has become the backbone of iGaming payments. But innovation comes with its own challenges.

Brazil’s instant payment system, PIX, is used by 76% of Brazilians, processing billions of transfers across the economy. It also dominates iGaming transactions, and for a reason. 

Law 14,790 requires licensed operators to integrate with PIX while banning credit cards and international transfers as payment methods. That effectively makes PIX the go-to (and often only) legal channel for deposits and withdrawals.

4. AR/VR in iGaming: The Immersive Differentiator

The global AR/VR market is gaining serious momentum, with 2025 revenue estimated to reach 46.6 billion USD, highlighting that immersive tech is here to stay.

In gaming, AR enhances existing play by layering digital elements onto the real world through mobile devices, while VR transports players into fully simulated environments that feel tangible. Both approaches strengthen emotional connection and session time by giving players a sense of “being there,” not just clicking a screen.

For iGaming platforms, the opportunity is not mass headset adoption overnight—it’s about experimenting where immersion makes a measurable difference. That could mean introducing AR features into mobile apps to add a fresh layer of interactivity, or building limited VR experiences as premium offerings for high-value segments.

Operators don’t need to rebuild their platforms around AR/VR. The winning move is to layer immersive features into existing products where engagement metrics can justify the investment. 

For investors, the signal is clear—companies experimenting with scalable AR/VR elements are positioning themselves for the next wave of player expectations, without overcommitting capital to still-maturing tech.

5. Mobile-First: Meeting Gen Z and the On-the-Go Player

In practice, "mobile-first" means more than just responsive design. It means crafting:

• Interfaces that load instantly and support one-thumb navigation
• Onboarding flows that require minimal steps and training
• Content formats, like quick sessions or gamified interactions, that match short attention spans and social habits.

Designing around mobile-first is about matching how your audience naturally behaves, particularly Gen Z, who expect a slick, app-like environment even on web browsers. It’s also a funnel differentiator: faster experiences mean lower abandonment, higher engagement, and better retention versus competitors who treat mobile as a second thought.

When evaluating platforms or investing in new markets, make mobile-friendly options a priority. A frictionless, fast, and intuitive mobile experience is a brand advantage that’s easy to test and scale.

Conclusion

In 2025, iGaming is shaped by AI-driven operations, stricter compliance, evolving payment systems, immersive tech, and mobile-first design. These aren’t trends on the horizon—they’re the realities separating operators who grow from those who fall behind. This first part of our series highlights the drivers already reshaping the industry, with more to follow in Part 2.