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A new industry study has found that Bet365 currently dominates AI-driven search visibility within the iGaming sector, outperforming 77 other major operators across leading large language model (LLM) platforms.
The iGaming AI Search Visibility Report 2026 by Toucan International analysed how 78 major iGaming brands were surfaced across ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity and Claude. The study tested performance against 50 common, high-intent iGaming queries to assess which brands are most visible – and most recommended – within AI-generated responses.
According to the report’s executive summary, Bet365 ranked first with an AI Visibility Score of 94 out of 100. The operator appeared in nine out of ten prompts tested, generating 30 total mentions and securing a top-three placement in 86.7 per cent of its appearances.
Paddy Power followed in second place with a score of 87.03, receiving more direct links from AI models than any other brand and recording a positive sentiment score of 89.7 per cent. Sky Bet, Betfair and William Hill completed the top five, reinforcing what the study describes as a pattern in which legacy, high-authority brands dominate AI recommendations.
The report notes that AI search visibility is highly concentrated, with the top 10 brands accounting for nearly 58 per cent of total AI share of voice across all prompts tested.
In contrast, several well-known operators ranked significantly lower despite strong offline brand recognition and established presence in traditional search. Ladbrokes placed 13th, BetVictor 25th, Coral 32nd, and BOYLE Sports 38th.
Notably, nearly half of the 78 brands assessed appeared only once – or not at all – across the 50 prompts, highlighting what the report describes as the “invisible majority” in AI-driven discovery journeys.
The findings underline a structural shift in how brand discovery occurs. Unlike traditional search engines, AI interfaces do not offer a “page two”. Brands are either included in the response or excluded entirely from consideration.
AI as awareness, not traffic driver
The study also found that AI platforms rarely link directly to operators. Less than 2 per cent of all brand mentions included a website link, suggesting that AI search currently functions primarily as a brand awareness and recommendation layer rather than a direct referral traffic channel.
Visibility signals were measured based on mention frequency, recommendation strength, citation, position within responses and sentiment, generating an overall AI Visibility Score for each operator.
According to Toucan International, authority signals derived from digital PR, media coverage and broader brand consensus appear to play a decisive role in which operators are recognised and recommended by AI systems.
The report argues that AI visibility is no longer simply an optimisation issue, but a broader brand authority challenge. For mid-tier and challenger operators, limited AI visibility represents what the authors describe as a structural risk rather than a temporary fluctuation.
Without sustained digital PR, brand-led content and technical credibility, operators risk being excluded entirely from AI-driven recommendation journeys – a development that could materially influence high-intent discovery behaviour in the coming years.
As AI interfaces increasingly shape user decision-making, the concentration of visibility among a small group of established brands suggests that competitive advantage in iGaming may hinge as much on authority signals and media presence as on traditional SEO performance.
