The International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) is taking significant steps to help gambling regulators navigate the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI). The association, founded in 1998, is developing a set of best practices aimed at guiding the regulatory bodies in understanding the role of AI in the gambling industry.
Mark Pace, the president of IGSA, emphasized that AI is currently the organization’s primary focus, and it is gearing up to release a framework for AI deployment tailored to the sector.
Creating the Best Practices
The framework will provide regulators with critical insights into AI’s application in online gambling, allowing them to better understand what aspects they should prioritize when dealing with AI technologies.
As Pace explained, the widespread use of AI across various industries—from household appliances to complex systems—has made it a pervasive technology, often heavily marketed.
This can create confusion, particularly for regulators who may struggle to keep up with its implications. According to Pace, “What we’re doing is creating a set of the best practices that we could give to regulatory authorities to help them understand what they should focus on in terms of AI.”
IGSA’s Role in the Development of Ethical AI Standards
The IGSA, which includes major players in the European gaming industry such as IGT, Merkur, and Novomatic, aims to standardize the use of AI technologies in gaming through its Ethical AI Standards Committee (AIC).
The committee’s goal is to develop guidelines that promote the responsible and transparent use of AI, drawing on practices from various industries to ensure that AI’s application within the gaming sector is both ethical and effective.
This initiative is part of IGSA’s broader mission to create standards for suppliers, operators, and regulators. Pace explained that while regulators don’t need an in-depth understanding of AI algorithms, they must focus on key factors such as data accuracy and potential biases in AI systems.
He advised that regulators should pay attention to the type of data AI algorithms consume, as poor-quality or biased data can severely impact the outcomes of AI-powered applications.
“What you need to focus on are things like, ‘What data are you going to let the AI algorithms consume? What is the accuracy level of the data? Does the data already have an inherent bias in it?’ Because, you know, the old adage of garbage in, garbage out, never applied more than to AI algorithms,” he said.
Adaptability of AI Guidelines Across Regulatory Environments
As AI technology is continuously evolving, IGSA acknowledges that its best practices framework must remain flexible and adaptable to the needs of different regulatory environments. The guidelines will vary by jurisdiction, taking into account each market’s unique regulatory landscape.
Pace highlighted that while the general guidelines will direct regulators on what to focus on, they must also be adaptable to accommodate ongoing changes in AI technology and its applications.
“Every jurisdiction will have to make changes to these guidelines to make them fit their regulatory environment. However, the [general guidelines]
will focus the regulators on what to worry about, not generative AI algorithms that are by their nature going to change anyway,”
said Pace.
Source:
“IGSA Readies AI Guidelines for Gambling Regulators, to Better Understand the Technology”, igamingbusiness.com, March 19, 2025