AI, Security, Trust: The New Rules Of Digital Entertainment

SOFTSWISS, a global technology company with a growing presence in South Africa, has released its 2026 iGaming Trends Report, developed in partnership with NEXT.io. The study highlights a major shift in the digital entertainment and tech landscape, where operational AI, advanced cybersecurity, and brand reputation are becoming more critical than traditional performance marketing.

The fourth edition of this annual study offers an in-depth look at the factors driving market transformation, with key findings relevant to South Africa’s entire digital economy:

• AI goes operational: The perceived importance of AI scored 8.41/10 in 2025, up from 8.15 the previous year, with 56% of surveyed organisations listing AI integration as one of their top-three business priorities.
• Cybersecurity as a core metric: Phishing incidents have increased by 180% since 2023, while 35% of smaller iGaming operators report inadequate cyber resilience. This underscores the growing connection between trust, compliance, and user retention, especially for high-transaction platforms.
• Brand over bonus: The dominance of influencer and bonus-led marketing has dropped significantly, with brand reputation and trust now playing a bigger role in user acquisition. This signals a maturation away from aggressive acquisition tactics more in line with regulatory goals, especially in South Africa..
• Responsible gambling 2.0: As a core pillar of player protection, AI-based tools are being deployed to identify at-risk user behaviour in real time – a move increasingly expected by regulators globally to create safer digital environments.
• Regulation reshaped: The report highlights a clear trend of regulatory tightening, a pattern evident across Africa. Key examples from 2025 include Kenya’s ban on celebrity and influencer advertising, Nigeria’s new tax levies on winnings, and Ghana’s mandate for biometric player identification.
• Marketing reinvented: Operators are shifting their focus from performance-only tactics to brand-led ecosystems. Organisations are now tracking brand equity metrics, such as Top of Mind and Purchase Intent, as strategic KPIs.

While the report focuses on the iGaming sector, its findings reflect broader trends impacting South Africa’s entire high-transaction digital economy – from e-commerce to fintech. The move away from aggressive acquisition tactics toward building long-term brand trust, the operationalising of AI, and the critical need for robust cybersecurity are challenges relevant to all local organisations processing high volumes of transactions.

The report is based on a survey of over 350 iGaming-industry professionals and the AI-driven analysis of over 120 000 media headlines, making it one of the most comprehensive overviews of the global iGaming landscape to date. It combines qualitative and quantitative research methods, including independent analytics from Kantar and internal insights from 30 SOFTSWISS experts.

The report’s release follows SOFTSWISS’s recent recognition for its commitment to the continent, where it won ‘Best Platform’ at the SIGMA Africa Awards 2025. This local presence informs its global perspective on market-specific challenges.

This year’s edition introduces a new Microtrends section, exploring early-stage shifts and emerging ideas with near-term potential. This dedicated chapter highlights the smaller signals shaping tomorrow’s market opportunities.

Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, comments: “In recent years, the sector has moved into maturity. What now matters is disciplined profitability, operational resilience, and the ability to deliver durable player value. This fourth edition reflects that shift. We examine the macrotrends reshaping the sector, the micro-level tactics and technologies that improve performance, and a regional outlook developed with NEXT.io. Taken together, these chapters provide a structured view of what will shape 2026.”

Last year’s Trends Report edition attracted significant industry attention, with over 13 000 downloads, confirming its value as one of the sector’s most respected analytical resources.