Compliance Updates
GLI Appoints Four New Compliance and Technology Experts to its Client Services Team
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has appointed four new experienced professionals to its client services team.
The new team members are Gabriel Benedik, client solutions executive; Ross Edwards, technical compliance account executive; Jamie Garcia, account executive; and Kevin Stich, client services coordinator on the client services team.
“As the leading company in the gaming compliance industry, we are continually looking to augment our experienced and talented staff. The expertise and insights these new team members bring to GLI will help our clients get where they need to be, no matter where they are in the process or the world. Gabriel, Ross, Jamie, and Kevin each bring powerful, dynamic, and nuanced individual experience that will serve to enhance our global compliance and technology expertise. They are representative of GLI’s tradition for having the most complete team of subject matter and jurisdictional experts to help guide our clients to successful outcomes,” said James Maida, president and CEO.
Benedik has a storied career in compliance with the state of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where he served for 12 years, most recently as chief of slot operations. Previously he served as slot operations manager, auditor IV (lead), auditor III, and slot operations specialist. He has extensive knowledge of crucial compliance areas, including audit, operations, state and tribal regulations, internal control standards, Title 31, the Bank Secrecy Act, and anti-money laundering reporting and recordkeeping. His background and expertise in compliance will be instrumental in leading GLI’s clients into new jurisdictions, markets, and delivery channels, resulting in successful product launches.
Edwards has been tapped to lead as GLI’s newest technical compliance account executive. He has more than 18 years of gaming jurisdictional compliance experience and will bring deep professional mastery to GLI clients, functioning as a technical compliance engineer and client solutions expert. Previously, he served as senior manager of product compliance at Scientific Games, and as senior principal manager of technical compliance and jurisdictional engineer of technical compliance at WMS Gaming.
Garcia brings more than 11 years of highly technical experience to GLI and its clients. Most recently, she served as software quality assurance engineer at Scientific Games. Previously, she served as program management professional, marketing logistics professional, and senior staff marketing technical specialist at Scientific Games/WMS Gaming. She will work with GLI’s fast-growing list of suppliers, particularly in digital iGaming and event wagering, two areas of the gaming industry seeing exponential growth. Her supplier background and education in electrical engineering will help GLI’s clients navigate these exciting areas.
Stich previously spent eight years at Ditronics Financial Services in various account and project manager positions. While at the company, he garnered experience as a product compliance specialist, worked as a liaison between the product manager and state/local/tribal gaming commissions, and served as a point person working with gaming labs for testing approval letters. At GLI, he will be supporting the North American Client Services department.
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council through its executive director issued $50,000 in fines to Bovada.lv, an unlicensed and therefore illegal sportsbook operating in Tennessee.
Bovada failed to comply with cease and desist letters delivered to addresses in Curaçao, and Council investigators placed wagers through Bovada’s platform on three separate occasions, including as recently as October 16, 2024.
The Sports Gaming Act authorizes the Council to impose a $10,000 fine for the first offense of accepting wagers without a license, which rises to $15,000 for the second offense, and $25,000 for the third offense. Subsequent offenses may lead to the imposition of a $25,000 fine for each occurrence, an occurrence being a single wager accepted in Tennessee.
In the cease and desist letters, the Council ordered Bovada to allow all Tennessee users to withdraw any funds currently held by the unlicensed sportsbook.
“The Sports Wagering Council recommends that Tennessee users of Bovada withdraw their funds immediately. Our primary role is the protection of the public interest through a safe, regulated environment, and Tennessee sports bettors need to know that just because they can access a sports betting website or app inside Tennessee’s borders does not mean it is licensed to do business here,” Mary Beth Thomas, Executive Director of Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, said.
Legal sportsbook operators provide important bettor protections not found in the illegal market. If an individual wagers with unlicensed sportsbooks, their sensitive financial and personal information may not be protected and could even be shared with criminal enterprises. The bettor’s money could be withheld or disappear without a way to recover it.
The SWC is working closely with its network of law enforcement at the state and federal level to eradicate illegal sportsbooks such as Bovada and others.
Tennessee is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the US, with more than $4.7 billion wagered in Tennessee last fiscal year through online sportsbooks licensed by the Council.
Award-winning iGaming supplier Delasport has just positioned itself as the most progressive supplier to date by meeting the new Brazilian regulation requirements for Sports Betting and Online Casino. The global technology developer has taken all required measures to comply in terms of certifications, Data vault integration, payment providers, KYC, AML, and much more.
Delasport’s team of over 400 experts worldwide are advancing to deliver its renowned products and services to the Brazilian market. They have partnered with GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) – the leading certification lab approved by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.
So far, Delasport is fully certified against GLI-33 and GLI-19 – the standards that have inspired regulators in Latin America and likely in Brazil. Additionally, the team is in the process of submitting the platform for certification against Brazilian technical standards. Delasport is also advancing rapidly through data quality testing of its integration with the SIGAP Datavault system.
Key Advantages
Operators that plan on entering the newly regulated Brazilian market will have numerous advantages if they partner with Delasport. They will be able to provide their players with personalization features like My Sportsbook, My Event Builder, My Combo, and My Casino that skyrocket revenues and retention.
Furthermore, Delasport’s KYC and AML provider is a market leader that guarantees the highest level of compliance for all operators that choose to go on this route.
Also, Delasport has already partnered with numerous PIX payment system operators and provides a real-time AI-powered Responsible Gambling system which can easily adapt to local regulations.
Another key advantage is the strong relationship with third-party casino suppliers that will soon be able to provide their exciting portfolios to this thrilling jurisdiction.
Last, but not least, operators will feel Delasport’s support from the get-go all the way to establishing themselves as a market leader. Delasport is knowledgeable of the cultural and regional differences within Brazil and can address all localization needs before they arise.
“Delasport stands on a solid foundation of experience, supplying Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 operators in highly regulated markets globally”, the company’s CCO Filippo Ferri comments. ‘This makes Delasport fully equipped to assist operators navigating complex platforms or adapting to modern jurisdictional requirements, such as Brazil’s.’
The supplier’s VP of Business Development Rosaire Galea Cavallaro adds: ‘It’s a great privilege to enter such a vast and exciting market with the confidence that we’ve gained at Delasport throughout the years. We’re looking forward to seeing our product in action in a new territory, achieving and maintaining solid margins for our partners, keeping the record of having double digit margins in sports betting and helping them scale with ease in both verticals to generate maximum revenue for their brands.’
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
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