With the visible boom in the U.S. gaming industry, it has become increasingly crucial for companies to have a strong Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance. This has led to upgradation of its Best Practices for AML Compliance Guide by the AGA to prevent fraud. IDMERIT UK provides robust AML solutions designed to keep you ahead of evolving financial crime threats.
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There is a visible boom in the U.S. gaming industry making it very vulnerable to frauds. The growth in land-based casinos is exponential with over 1,000 of them in operation. In the U.S. 10 of its states have made betting a legal sport and one has given permission to iGaming. With the boom in the sector there is a significant rise in the frauds that target digital payments, e-wallets, and tokens.
In reply to the frauds in the gaming industry, the American Gaming Association (AGA), this week unveiled the updated edition of its Best Practices for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Guide. This edition was last updated in 2022. The release of the guide comes at a time when the regulators are pushing the gaming industry to tighten the security of their platforms and financial transaction by the regulators
New Landscape with Updated Rules
The update to the guide depicts the concerns beyond cash chips.
The Best Practices for Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Guide has added a stricter protocol for Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filings. There is a completely new section dedicated to risk assessment with the most significant change to focus: AML compliance no more just centred on cage transactions or chip redemptions.
The new edition digs deeper into digital wallets, cryptocurrency, and online activity. As per the regulators, these areas have few of the highest emerging risks. The guidance has also expanded and now focuses on fraud typologies and has now a dedicated section on human trafficking risks associated with money laundering.
The message is clear: there is a shift in the compliance battleground, now it’s online.
Importance of update to the guide
The exponential growth to the gaming industry is one major factor for it being a target for financial crime.
There have been major changes to the gaming industry since the last guide was released in 2022. Sports betting has grown widely across the U.S., iGaming has become legal and casinos are accepting mobile wallets and faster payment systems. With the advent of innovations, regulators see new doors open to opportunities for money laundering and fraud.
For gaming operators, the changes means compliance teams have to work around a larger and complex risk landscape and still maintain a seamless customer experience. The 2025 guide provides the operators with a framework but this increases the expectations for better vigilance and reporting.
What industry experts are saying?
AGA leadership is calling for operators to treat the guide as a living manual.
Underscoring the stakes, Vice President of Government Relations at the AGA, Alex Costello stated, “Maintaining up-to-date AML policies is essential to safeguarding the gaming industry’s operations, employees, and customers – and to protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system. We encourage all casino operators and suppliers to use this resource to continually refine their practices as both the industry and threat environment change.”
Alex Costello’s remarks reflect a similar viewpoint in Washington that the casinos and online operators must align with FinCEN and other financial crime agencies.
The rising focus on human trafficking in gaming
Making a debut in the guide addresses human trafficking as part of AML compliance.
The AGA is expanding the responsibilities of AML officers by incorporating human trafficking into its risk framework. The casinos and digital platforms have global reach and dealing with high-value transactions can possibly become a channel for laundering proceeds tied to trafficking networks.
The new and updated guidance will help staff in identifying red flags and reporting protocols, highlighting that AML in gaming is more than financial risk, it is directly connected to social responsibility regulatory trust.
What’s there for the operators
Compliance is not just about avoiding fines, it is about safeguarding market access.
The updated guide does bring clarity for the U.S. operators, though there is definite pressure.
Key takeaways include:
Tighter integration: Stronger KYC across all channels.
Digital risk management: Real-time checking of crypto, tokens, and wallet activity.
Anti-Fraud oversight: Train staff to identify emerging schemes and prompt filing of SARs.
Knowledge of trafficking: Include human trafficking risks in compliance frameworks.
Partnerships: Operators should deepen the ties with regulators and law enforcement.
It is important for the operators to understand that if they are unable to comply with the standards can lead to them being penalized along with jeopardizing licenses in an ever-competitive market.
Looking ahead
With every new technology coming in the gaming industry, there would be continued evolution of the AML compliance.
With the new and updated AGA guideline, operators are getting the roadmap not only for the present but also indicates what’s next. With the continued advancement in AI tools and blockchain analytics, there would be a growing expectation by the regulators on operators to leverage them in identifying suspicious activity. With an increasing number of states legalising iGaming and sports betting, the need for transaction monitoring will increase too.
For operators the real challenge will be to outpace both criminal innovation and regulatory expectations. The 2025, updated guide highlights the commitment shown by the AGA to keep the industry aligned with U.S. financial safeguards and show that gaming can grow responsibly in a digital era.
