Predicting the future of the gaming industry is always a little dangerous. The last decade alone delivered mobile betting, nationwide legalization debates, prediction markets, and enough regulatory plot twists to keep conference panels busy for years.
Still, the session titled “Predictions 2027: A Look Into the Future” at the NEXT Summit: New York attempted exactly that.
Moderated by CNBC correspondent Contessa Brewer, the panel brought together Jeremy Kudon, president of the Sports Betting Alliance; Adam Greenblatt, CEO of BetMGM; Roger Ehrenberg, managing partner at Game Changers Ventures; and Meredith McPherron, CEO and managing partner of Drive by DraftKings.
Each panelist approached the question from a different vantage point. Operators think about product and customers. Investors look for the next wave of opportunity. Policy advocates think about regulation and market structure. Together, the conversation offered a window into how industry leaders believe the next few years could unfold.
The economic reality behind entertainment spending
Before diving into long-term predictions, the panel started with a more immediate reality. Gaming is entertainment and entertainment competes with everything else people spend money on.
Brewer framed the point simply. When the cost of everyday necessities rises, it can shift how consumers think about discretionary spending. A casual sports bet, a fantasy entry fee, or any other small entertainment purchase sits in the same mental category as other non-essential spending.
The observation was not presented as a warning about the industry’s health. Gaming has historically proven resilient during economic downturns.
Investor Roger Ehrenberg noted that some of the companies now dominating sports betting actually emerged during the last major recession. Periods of economic pressure often force entrepreneurs to build smarter, more efficient products.
In other words, difficult markets can produce strong companies.
The “AI dividend”
Artificial intelligence inevitably surfaced as part of the future discussion, though the conversation was less about hype and more about how automation might reshape the broader economy.
Ehrenberg described the possibility of an “AI dividend.” As artificial intelligence improves efficiency, productivity gains could eventually flow through the economy in the form of increased discretionary time or spending power. When people gain more time or disposable income, they often spend it on experiences and sports, gaming, and entertainment all sit directly in that category.
If that dynamic unfolds, the industries built around entertainment may ultimately benefit from technological advances happening far outside their own sector.
Entertainment is becoming more participatory
Another theme centered on how audiences engage with entertainment itself.
Meredith McPherron spoke about how younger consumers increasingly expect to participate in the experiences they care about, rather than simply watch them. They want agency in how they interact with sports, media, and digital platforms.
At the same time, people are also searching for connection.
That combination is shaping how entertainment platforms are designed. Whether through sports betting, fan engagement platforms, or interactive content, companies are experimenting with ways to build shared experiences around live events.
In many ways, sports betting already reflects this behavior. Fans rarely treat wagers as purely individual activities. They discuss bets with friends, track outcomes together, and celebrate wins collectively.
Technology may simply make those shared experiences easier to scale.
Data and the future of fan engagement
The conversation also turned toward data and personalization.
Entertainment companies now have access to enormous amounts of fan data, but many are still learning how to use it effectively. The next stage of development may involve identifying the right moment to reach the right fan with the right experience. That could include personalized content, event opportunities, digital communities, or tailored offers tied to specific moments during live events.
In simple terms, the future of gaming marketing may begin to resemble the broader digital entertainment ecosystem. Fans increasingly expect platforms to understand their preferences and respond accordingly.
Gaming platforms may look more like fintech
From an operator perspective, another prediction involved the growing overlap between gaming and financial technology.
Digital wallets, payment systems, and financial infrastructure are becoming central parts of gaming platforms. As these tools become more sophisticated, gaming ecosystems may start to resemble fintech platforms in the way they manage transactions and customer relationships. For operators, those capabilities could influence everything from acquisition strategies to long-term player loyalty.
The ability to move money seamlessly across platforms may become a defining feature of the user experience.
Regulation remains part of the future
Finally, the panel touched on the regulatory landscape that continues shaping the industry.
Sports betting remains a relatively young market in the United States and state governments are still evaluating how legalization affects tax revenue, consumer protections, and market structure.
Jeremy Kudon spoke about how the conversation between regulators and operators will likely continue evolving as markets mature and new technologies emerge. Regulation, as always, will remain part of the industry’s growth story.
Looking ahead
The discussion ultimately produced fewer bold predictions and more thoughtful observations about how multiple forces are shaping the industry simultaneously. Artificial intelligence is changing how companies operate. Economic conditions continue influencing how consumers spend. Data is transforming how brands interact with fans. But beneath all of those shifts sits something simpler: People still want to be entertained.
They want competition, shared experiences, and moments that feel exciting or social. Whether those experiences happen in stadiums, on mobile phones, or inside digital communities will continue evolving.
The reason people show up likely will not.