Artificial intelligence will separate the next generation of sportsbook platforms from the competition, according to FIRST.Bet co-CEO Ian Bradley, who took the role in June 2026. The supplier is investing heavily in AI to speed up product development and give operators tools to build on its SportOS API, a shift that Bradley said will determine which businesses win.
AI's impact on the product lifecycle
Bradley said AI's use goes beyond the obvious applications like modelling, pricing, and risk. "AI is changing the whole product lifecycle: how quickly an idea gets to market, how we personalise the experience, and how much operators can extend the platform themselves," he said. He pointed to AI for Product Development as a serious area of investment, noting that it accelerates delivery across the board and changes what the company can build in the first place.
FIRST.Bet already has a dedicated AI team building tools internally and supporting partners who create their own products on top of the SportOS API. "The businesses that win will be the ones that turn that speed into a real advantage, and that is exactly where we are focused," Bradley said.
World Cup as a proving ground
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, now underway, is the biggest test of a sportsbook platform, Bradley said. With FIRST.Bet's strength across Latin America, the tournament lands in its core markets. "For a sportsbook business, the World Cup is the moment everything is judged on," he said. "It brings millions of casual bettors in alongside regular players."
Success means more than just uptime. Bradley said the goal is helping operators convert the surge in activity into long-term customer growth. "The World Cup is both a proving ground and an acquisition moment. Get it right, and operators feel the benefit for the rest of the year."
Why Bradley chose FIRST.Bet
Bradley joined the supplier after a non-compete period following his exit from DraftKings, where he spent more than six years as senior vice president and managing director of the operator's B2B segment. He said he was looking for a chance to influence an entire business rather than a single product.
"At DraftKings, I built a brilliant team, and together with people across every department, we made a real difference to the product and the margin," Bradley said. "But my remit there was the sportsbook. What I wanted next was the chance to shape a whole business across product, technology, trading, and commercial." He said the technology, team, and room to build at FIRST.Bet made the move the right one.
Why this matters for product development
For product development teams, Bradley's comments highlight a shift from AI as a trading tool to a platform-wide accelerator. The ability to shorten the cycle from idea to market and let operators extend the platform themselves changes the build-vs-buy calculus. Teams that integrate AI into their development workflow-not just for speed but to expand what's possible-can turn a major event like the World Cup into a lasting growth engine.
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