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AI Takes Control of Nearly Half of Sports Betting Markets
Artificial intelligence is no longer a silent engine behind the scenes of sports betting. It is now a central force shaping how odds are priced, bets are built, and risk is managed. Fresh data from sportsbook technology provider Kambi reveals just how far that shift has progressed, with automated systems now handling almost half of all bets placed across its global network.
AI Rapidly Replaces Human Trading Desks
According to Kambi’s latest figures, 48% of all bets processed on its platform in 2025 were priced and managed by AI-driven trading systems. That marks a sharp increase from 28% in 2024 and just 18% the year before. The change reflects a decisive move away from manual trading towards algorithmic models capable of adjusting odds in real time.
Kambi supplies odds-setting and risk management technology to sportsbooks across the United States, Europe, and Latin America. The company first rolled out its AI trading tools ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, positioning them as a way to cope with surging volumes and increasingly complex betting products. Since then, adoption has accelerated steadily.
Faster Odds and Scalable Betting Experiences
The growing reliance on AI is not simply about efficiency. Automated trading systems allow sportsbooks to offer faster and more accurate pricing, even across highly complex wagers. Multi-outcome bets, including bet builders and same-game parlays, can be priced instantly without the need for manual intervention.
Kambi says this capability enables its partners to deliver a consistent, premium betting experience at scale. Odds can be updated within seconds as match dynamics change, while risk exposure remains tightly controlled. During high-traffic events, this level of automation becomes essential rather than optional.
Bet Builders Drive Market Expansion
One of the clearest signs of AI’s impact is the explosive growth of bet builder markets. These products allow bettors to combine multiple selections from a single match into one wager, creating a highly personalised betting experience.
Football has been a major beneficiary. In the UEFA Champions League, the number of bet builder options available per match has increased severalfold since AI trading was introduced. Automated systems can generate and price thousands of combinations instantly, something human traders could never realistically achieve at scale.
The trend extends to domestic competitions. Since AI trading was deployed for football markets, total betting options have grown by 65% in the Dutch Eredivisie and by 45% in England’s Championship. Bet builder-specific markets have expanded even faster, with growth exceeding 300% in certain leagues.
A Structural Shift in Sportsbook Operations
Year-on-year data underlines how quickly AI has moved from a supporting role to the core of sportsbook operations. In just two years, the share of bets traded by AI on Kambi’s network has jumped from under a fifth to nearly half.
This transformation goes beyond product expansion. Automated trading delivers more consistent margins, faster odds updates, and greater combinability across markets. It also reduces reliance on large trading teams, particularly during peak betting periods when volumes spike dramatically.
While Kambi’s report focuses on operational performance, it also points to a deeper industry shift. Decision-making that once relied on human judgement is increasingly being delegated to machine-driven models designed to optimise speed, accuracy, and scale.
AI Set to Define the Next Major Betting Cycle
If Kambi’s data reflects broader market trends, artificial intelligence is fast becoming a must-have capability for modern sportsbooks. Speed, personalisation, and volume are now the defining features of competitive betting platforms, and AI underpins all three.
The next FIFA World Cup could prove a landmark moment. As betting volumes surge and markets multiply, AI-driven trading is likely to determine how odds are priced, risks are managed, and customer demand is met during the industry’s most high-profile events.
AI Becomes the Backbone of Modern Sports Betting
AI has moved from the margins to the mainstream of sports betting. With nearly half of all bets now priced and managed by automated systems, the balance of power has clearly shifted. For sportsbooks aiming to compete at scale, artificial intelligence is no longer an innovation. It is the foundation of the modern betting ecosystem.
