International Association of Gaming Regulators 2025 Conference
From October 20–23, 2025, the global gaming regulation community gathered at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle for the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) annual conference -hosted in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
ACGCS was proud to support the event as a Silver Sponsor, connecting with regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the world.
IAGR2025 focused on “what works, why it matters, and what’s next” in regulatory practice - a resilient regulation lens that resonated strongly with our mission to raise standards across casino and iGaming compliance, audit, and investigations. The program highlighted regulatory innovation, cross-border collaboration, RegTech, player protection, and emerging risks - core areas that ACGCS trains and certifies professionals to address.
Conversations we’re bringing back to our community
Operationalizing “resilient regulation.” Attendees shared practical models for stress-testing rules, guidance, and supervisory playbooks against market shocks, rapid tech change, and new risk vectors. The emphasis was on evidence, proportionality, and repeatable controls - exactly the mindset behind our Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) and Certified Gaming Internal Auditor (CGIA) frameworks.
AI, data, and RegTech - beyond pilots. Regulators compared deployment patterns for AI-assisted monitoring (e.g., suspicious play detection, AML/KYC anomalies, self-exclusion analytics) and the governance safeguards that keep tools explainable, auditable, and privacy-preserving. The message: transparency and testable outcomes must anchor adoption, not vendor hype.
Cross-border enforcement & illegal markets. With offshore and unlicensed activity evolving quickly, we heard strong interest in intelligence-sharing protocols, coordinated actions, and standardized evidentiary packages to accelerate outcomes across jurisdictions.
Player protection that’s measurable. Programs are maturing from policy statements to measurable harm-prevention systems - clear thresholds, structured interventions, quality assurance testing, and independent evaluation. This aligns with how we teach outcome-based RG controls and assurance mapping in CGIA and our specialist RG content.
Payments, AML, and convergence risk. Cashless trends, faster payments, and third-party rails are compressing detection windows. The priority is end-to-end control design - where KYC, transaction monitoring, risk scoring, investigations, and SAR/STR quality are integrated and independently tested.
How ACGCS showed up as a Silver Sponsor
Being a Silver Sponsor gave us a platform to listen deeply, compare notes, and share what works from the front lines of casino cage, finance, and enterprise compliance:
We engaged regulators and operators on program effectiveness: moving from “policy present” to “controls proven,” with evidence that stands up to regulatory scrutiny and internal audit.
We exchanged lessons on assurance and audit: including how CGIA candidates assess design vs. operating effectiveness, trace issues to root causes, and quantify remediation impact.
We compared global AML/CTF expectations and practical approaches for risk-based supervision, typology-driven training, and robust investigative file-building.
We discussed talent pathways - how organizations can use CGCS, CGIA, and our Certified Casino Cage & Finance Compliance Specialist (CCFCS) program to build role-specific competence and career progression.
Five takeaways for regulators and operators
Design for evidence. Write every control and policy so it naturally produces artifacts that prove effectiveness over time. If you can’t test it, you can’t rely on it.
Pair innovation with assurance. For every AI/RegTech use case, define validation gates, model risk controls, and audit trails before scaling.
Close cross-border gaps early. Map touchpoints (payments, affiliates, media buys, data hosting) and pre-agree evidence standards to speed joint action.
Make RG outcomes visible. Treat player-protection like safety engineering: thresholds, interventions, QA, and independent verification - reported to leadership regularly.
Train for transfer, not trivia. Certifications must drive on-the-job performance, scenario practice, file reviews, and measurable improvements in investigations, audits, and regulatory responses.
Thank you, IAGR & AGCO
Our sincere thanks to IAGR and AGCO for an outstanding conference in Toronto and for curating a program that advanced the global conversation on effective, future-ready regulation. The four-day agenda and its focus areas captured the urgency - and the opportunity - of this moment in gaming oversight.