At the Sustainable Gambling Conference 2025, Prof. Dr Mary Aiken — a leading Cyber Security keynote speaker and Chair of the Department of Cyberpsychology at Capitol Technology University — delivered a powerful examination of how digital environments influence human behaviour and what this means for the gambling sector.
Her presentation, “Human by Design: Cyberpsychology and Responsible Innovation,” urged the sector to look beyond organisational myopia and confront the realities of behaviour in cyberspace.
Prof. Dr Mary Aiken described cyberspace as a behavioural environment with three layers: the physical network, the logical network, and the cyber-persona layer — the human interface. While cybersecurity has traditionally focused on protecting devices and data, she argued that the real frontier is understanding and safeguarding people. Cyberpsychology shows that behaviour online shifts dramatically due to anonymity, online disinhibition, impulsivity, compulsivity, and the amplifying effect of digital design.
These dynamics are especially relevant for a generation raised entirely in digital ecosystems. Today’s “iPhone children,” now entering young adulthood, have been shaped by the scroll economy’s constant stimulation and time distortion. By the time these young adults encounter gambling products, many already show heightened anxiety, accelerated risk-taking, and reduced self-regulation — arguably vulnerabilities influenced long before gambling comes into play.
Prof. Dr Mary Aiken also warned that the wider online risk landscape is evolving at speed. Cyberfraud is rising, dark AI is emerging, and illegal markets continue to grow in digital spaces where organised crime groups operate with ease. She pointed to a growing compliance paradox: while legitimate businesses face increasing regulatory pressure on the surface web, criminal activity thrives in the unregulated environments of the dark web — she noted that the circulation of cyber fraud and scam content is often aided by adverts on mainstream platforms. She cautioned that over-regulation without effective enforcement risks driving users towards unsafe channels, while allowing online criminal behaviour to flourish unchecked.
Turning to solutions, Prof. Dr Mary Aiken argued for a stronger role for Safety Tech — tools designed to protect people rather than systems. Emerging identity technologies, including Optic Nerve Head analysis, could offer significant breakthroughs for secure age assurance. She also highlighted the importance of responsible AI. While manipulative systems can exploit vulnerabilities, agentic AI — used ethically — could empower users, helping them build safer habits and resist harmful behaviours.
Prof. Dr Mary Aiken encouraged operators to view new agentic AI technologies as a form of protective companion for consumers — a digital “angel on the shoulder” that could help individuals protect themselves against socially engineered fraud and scam attempts, set boundaries and navigate risks, including those posed by problematic gambling.
Prof. Dr Mary Aiken’s session reinforced a clear message: sustainable gambling in a changing world requires putting human behaviour at the centre — combining responsible innovation with a willingness to confront emerging risks across the wider digital ecosystem.
