Will AI replace gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.8% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Observe casino or casino hotel operations for irregular activities, such as cheating or theft by employees or patrons, using audio and video equipment and one-way mirrors. (2h 48m a shift)
• Monitor establishment activities to ensure adherence to all state gaming regulations and company policies and procedures. (1h 36m a shift)
• Review video surveillance footage. (1h 6m a shift)
• Develop and maintain log of surveillance observations. (48m a shift)
• Report all violations and suspicious behaviors to supervisors, verbally or in writing. (42m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 91% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 81% are in constant contact with other people
• 72% handle conflict at least once a week

On Indeed, job postings in the Security & Public Safety sector are at 119% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 4.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $43,370 a year ($20.85 an hour), 15% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $32,730 and $61,970 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 9,600 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 1,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 9,520 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 671st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 9,600 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 84% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Judgment and Decision Making
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Private Detectives and Investigators (0m touched, $51k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 8 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.