Monkey Madness

About Monkey Madness

The report, titled The State of VIP Operations, was compiled by The Playa in collaboration with Gaming Operations Academy and WarriorLab.

Conducted in 2026, it surveyed 70 professionals actively engaged in VIP management, including VIP account managers, heads of VIP and consultants, with 64% employed directly by gambling operators. 

The report sought to understand how VIP portfolios are managed daily, how the tools are utilised and other key operational challenges.

How to play Monkey Madness

The 2026 World Cup was therefore the culmination of five years of development that had embedded AI throughout Kambi’s trading operations.

“In simple terms, what we have undertaken is a shift from machine-assisted human trading to human-assisted machine trading,” Lamb explains.

The shift means that rather than spending their time pricing and managing established markets, traders can now apply their expertise where human judgement has the greatest value, including developing and testing new products. AI removes many of the practical limits on what can be offered and priced, and manages the resulting scale and complexity. The result is greater efficiency for Kambi and a better service for its partners and their customers.

What is Monkey Madness?

The decision to use a provisional measure means the restrictions can take effect immediately, less than a month before the elections. This is the clearest indication yet that the sector is being used for electoral purposes to try and secure Lula’s re-election.

The drafting of the text is reportedly in the hands of the Civil House, with some believing that it serves an electoral purpose, meaning Lula potentially riding the wave of criticism against the sector.

The Brazil betting industry has faced increasing scrutiny of late over claims that families are falling into debt because of gambling.