Golden Whale Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Claudia Heiling has spoken to iGaming Review about the evolution of AI-powered decision-making in iGaming and why practical, measurable value must remain at the centre of technology investment.
In the interview with iGaming Review, Claudia reflects on the journey that brought Golden Whale‘s founding team back together, the rapid growth of player data across the industry, and the opportunity to move beyond slow, manually managed CRM processes towards predictive decision-making.
As player data has increased in both volume and complexity, the challenge for operators is no longer simply collecting more information. It is turning that information into better decisions at the right moment.
Claudia explains how Golden Whale approaches this through machine learning, using behavioural data to help determine when to give what to whom, while maintaining a layer of human oversight. Crucially, Golden Whale’s decision-making modules are designed to work alongside operators’ existing infrastructure rather than requiring them to replace the technology they already use.
From retrospective decisions to predictive intelligence
The interview explores how machine learning can help operators move from decisions based predominantly on historical analysis and human judgement towards a more predictive approach.
Claudia discusses the challenge of orchestrating the many tools operators already use to engage players, from CRM and loyalty programmes to gamification and incentive systems. Golden Whale’s FOUNDATION technology layer, together with BONUS PILOT, is designed to provide the decision intelligence that helps determine the appropriate action, timing and value at player level.
For Golden Whale, however, the value of AI is ultimately determined by what it delivers in practice.
“Technology must create practical value.”
Claudia Heiling, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Golden Whale
Putting measurable results at the centre of AI
A major focus of Claudia’s conversation with iGaming Review is how operators should evaluate AI suppliers and technology investments.
She identifies three important areas operators should challenge: how success will be measured, whether the technology can benchmark against or outperform existing in-house approaches, and what success should actually look like after 12 months.
That means looking beyond the initial appeal of new technology and establishing clear KPIs from the outset. Wager, activity and deposits may all be relevant measures, but Claudia stresses that the right KPIs depend on the individual operator, its objectives and its current stage of growth.
As she explains in the interview:
“Everything is new and shiny in the beginning, but it’s all about the results in the end.”
This results-focused approach is central to Golden Whale‘s wider philosophy. AI should help operators make more precise decisions, measure the impact of those decisions and continuously improve performance against clearly defined commercial objectives.
Building AI around the operator
The discussion also covers Golden Whale‘s approach to integration.
Rather than asking operators to replace established CRM, loyalty, gamification or other engagement technology, Golden Whale‘s decision-making modules sit alongside existing infrastructure. The objective is to make the wider technology stack more intelligent by providing predictive, player-level decisioning that can be put into action through the systems operators already use.
Claudia also discusses BONUS PILOT, which officially launched in January 2026 and has since been rolled out across multiple operations globally, as well as Golden Whale’s continued development of new ways for operators to access its technology.
Read the full interview
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