Readers Still Trust Humans: What AI Can’t Replace in Gambling Journalism

_{The rise of AI in newsrooms has sparked widespread concern over accuracy, trust, and editorial standards. (Image: imageBROKER.com/Alamy)}

A new Newsworks survey of 4,000 UK adults has revealed that 84% believe artificial intelligence (AI) makes human editorial judgment more important than ever. Amid growing concerns about misinformation and synthetic content, this statistic underscores a clear public demand: AI should assist journalism, not replace it.

This tension is particularly pronounced in fast-paced sectors like gambling media, where AI offers efficiency but raises questions about transparency, trust, and the future of journalism. At Casinos.com, a platform covering both consumer and trade-facing gambling news, that balance is increasingly part of the daily editorial challenge. From bingo to poker from land based to online casinos, we cover a wide range of stories.

Public Wants Human Oversight, Not Just AI Efficiency

According to the survey, a strong majority of Britons value journalism produced by trained professionals over content created by machines. While AI-generated material is on the rise, 86% of respondents said they prefer news from qualified journalists over influencers or independent commentators. Even more (90%) want all news sources to be held to the same legal standards.

"As the world and the UK face growing uncertainty, economic pressure and huge technological change, our research reveals that journalism continues to play a vital role in helping people stay informed, grounded and connected," Heather Dansie, insight director at Newsworks, said.  

"Even as audiences grapple with stress, division and the growing influence of artificial intelligence."

_{Journalists covering a local hustings. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

Casinos.com featured an article recently where the Press Gazette named 50 ‘experts’ and linked brands publishers should treat with caution. Fake images, AI-generated press releases, and synthetic bylines have already made their way into major UK outlets, exposing flaws in editorial checks. According to Newsworks, false stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true ones, a sobering reminder of how misinformation spreads faster than facts.

Although most national outlets avoid using AI to write full articles, some use it for low-stakes rewrites, weather content, or bulk processing of council press releases. As newsrooms shrink and pressure grows, many journalists find AI valuable for research, grammar checking, and sourcing, provided it remains under human editorial control.

In the Gambling Industry, Speed Often Trumps Scrutiny

The gambling media sector is especially vulnerable to AI-driven transformation. Gambling news is high-volume and data-driven, frequently reporting on licensing changes, earnings, regulatory updates, and mergers and acquisitions. Much of this content stems directly from operator press releases or regulatory announcements, ideal material for AI summarisation.

But the volume-over-value dynamic presents risk. Newsrooms in this space often prioritise being first over being thorough. Stories that focus on harm reduction or policy nuance can be flattened into binary frames: jobs vs. regulation, economy vs. ethics. AI could exacerbate this problem by reducing friction in content production, making it even easier to amplify unverified narratives.

"From my own perspective, my work highlights a broader industry tension where speed and scale increasingly outweigh scrutiny in gambling journalism," one Casinos.com editor said. 

"Finding a balance between investigative, data, and longer slower style journalism and the requirements of the company is essential as we operate in a highly competitive market for news."

AI Is a Tool, Not a Substitute,  Yet

In day-to-day operations, AI is becoming a critical part of editorial workflows. From scraping updates on gambling law to summarising complex policy documents, tools like ChatGPT or Google Bard offer vital support. But they also require supervision.

"Imagine having to write three or four essays a day," the editor explained, 

"having researched, fact-checked, grammar and spell-checked, optimised for SEO, found a suitable set of images, and uploaded it all to the CMS. It's easy to see why journalists would want to make the most of AI in their everyday work."

The challenge, then, isn’t just technological, it's cultural. Gambling companies like The Rank Group, Grosvenor Casinos, and Mecca Bingo operate their own media arms and carefully manage public messaging. CEOs are shielded by PR teams. On the flip side, anti-gambling campaigners are always ready to amplify negative headlines.

This creates a difficult media landscape: corporate gatekeeping on one end, activist amplification on the other. AI can help journalists navigate this, but only if guided by strong editorial judgment and ethical standards.

Who Benefits from AI Journalism? Not Always the Reader

Surveys like the one from Newsworks are snapshots of public opinion. They don't reveal who gains or loses power as AI embeds itself in niche media like gambling journalism. The biggest winners could be content farms or marketing departments, where scale and speed matter more than nuance or accuracy.

Still, the survey offers a timely signal. According to Newsworks, 76% of UK adults believe advertisers should support independent newsrooms. And 74% say they turn to established outlets to verify stories they see on social media. This demand for trust and editorial integrity may yet counterbalance the push for cheap, scalable content.

In a world where speed often overrides scrutiny, the public seems to be saying: they want news that’s accurate, trustworthy, and human.

Ai was used during the creation of this article.