Global Gaming Expo Opens in Las Vegas With AI Taking Bigger Role on Casino Floors

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) opened at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas this week, bringing manufacturers and developers together to showcase new gaming technology, including a growing but still developing role for artificial intelligence across casino floors, according to KSNV News 3 Las Vegas.

Vendors at the expo showcased AI products spanning customer service and gaming operations. Rodney Liebfried, who owns Sales Dragon AI, said his company's technology is designed to help casinos "answer the phone better" so staff can focus on guests already spending money on the floor. 

On the game-development side, Aristocrat Gaming chief product officer Matthew Primmer said AI is becoming central to a competitive market, helping the company "test more quickly" and get games into different online channels faster.

"We're still on the front end of it, but it's been a really helpful tool to us to engage," said Andrew Burke, CEO of Bluberi, adding that for a smaller company, AI is about enabling staff to do better work rather than replacing them.

The Influence Of AI

Attendee reactions were mixed. Some said they were already comfortable with AI in slot machines, while others expressed caution, though several noted interest in AI-driven cash recognition features on the show floor. 

Alan Feldman of UNLV's Global Gaming Institute said the institute's own state-of-AI research shows operators are adopting the technology "very slowly, carefully" as they work to understand its value.

G2E is one of the largest annual conventions in Las Vegas, drawing about 25,000 attendees last year; final attendance figures for 2026 are expected once the expo wraps up.

Now in its 25th year, G2E was launched in 2001 by the American Gaming Association and organizer RX (then Reed Exhibitions) after just under 10,000 attendees turned out for the inaugural show. 

What Venetian Expo Offers 

This year's edition, running September 28 through October 1 at The Venetian Expo, drew more than 25,000 industry professionals from over 120 countries and nearly 400 exhibitors. 

For the first time, G2E introduced a dedicated Business Solutions & Tech Zone spotlighting AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and other enterprise tools reshaping casino operations beyond the gaming floor. 

The Main Stage lineup also featured MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle, Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg and Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings discussing the industry's global expansion and technology push, alongside a panel on AI-driven surveillance now used to flag dealer errors and cheating at high-limit tables.