Emilie Jirsch: ‘At iGB L!VE I’ll be talking about the opposite of AI – the importance of human connection and community’

To what extent and in what ways is AI transforming the industry?
In the betting industry, most of what we offer is commoditised, everyone offers a market on a sporting fixture, and product and brand are the only true differentiator (and promotions to a certain degree). We’re heading into a world where it won’t take 12 months to replicate your competitors new product offering, it could take two weeks. So then all operators will have the same product offering, and lose that as their edge. Brand will be more important than ever as it will be the only true differentiator, making a true human connection.

What other key trends are currently shaping the industry? 
The behaviours of younger audiences when it comes to their drivers for betting. The #1 reason for betting for all demographics over 30 has always been ‘financial gain’ or ‘to win money’. For the first time this trend has changed, with Gen Zs citing their main reason for betting as ‘for entertainment’ or to ‘have fun’. So, the focus is not so much about transaction and the odds, but how to engage this cohort through entertainment. This is forcing operators to reconsider their product offering and how they market to attract younger demographics. 

What do you anticipate will be the key talking points at iGB L!VE both in terms of the opportunities and the challenges facing businesses? 
Obviously, AI will be the hot topic, but I’ll leave that to everyone else. I’ll be talking about the opposite of AI – the importance of human connection and community. Prediction markets are an opportunity for now, but for how long? The biggest ongoing challenge is regulation: it’s becoming increasingly difficult to navigate and harder to be profitable with rising acquisition costs coupled with increased taxes. This is leading to a surge in offshore books taking market share of licensed operators. We’ve seen this in Australia with strict advertising regulation coming into place from next year. There’s never a dull day in this industry! 

Emilie Jirsch is chief marketing officer at Dabble, leading brand and marketing across Australia, the US and the UK. With 16+ years at the intersection of sport, entertainment and wagering, she has built brands for Stan Sport, Rugby Australia, Sportsbet and William Hill. Her focus is creating culturally relevant experiences that spark conversation, engagement and FOMO.
Her presentation The Human Connection: How Dabble Built a Betting Community in the Digital-First Age is on 1 July 12.10 – 12.30.

Register for the 2026 edition of iGB L!VE (1-2 July) at igblive.com