As the global gaming industry continues to navigate rapid technological change, regulatory fragmentation, and emerging risks, the role of standards bodies has become more critical than ever. Throughout 2025, the International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) expanded its reach and influence, evolving its membership structure and advancing practical frameworks aimed at supporting both regulators and industry stakeholders worldwide.
In this exclusive interview with Yogonet, Mark Pace, President of IGSA, reflects on the association’s priorities and progress over the past year, from ethical AI and cyber resiliency to payments and emerging technologies. He also outlines the key issues shaping IGSA’s 2026 agenda, including illegal gaming, sports integrity, and geographic expansion, as the organization works to reduce friction and promote consistency across an increasingly complex global gaming landscape.
Based on the feedback you’ve received from IGSA members and your collaboration with other industry stakeholders, how would you assess the closing year? Which key issues do you expect to drive the 2026 agenda?
2025 was, like previous years, an interesting year for us. IGSA undertook a change in our Membership Level structure, lowering dues and creating more membership levels in an effort to be more inclusive. Our new Committee Level membership has been a big success in driving participation from the technology and payments sectors, which normally would not have considered IGSA membership. Our Operator Level has attracted operators who now have an opportunity to have a seat on the Board of Directors, along with Members from the Director, Industry, and Vertical levels. These changes have increased IGSA membership and, more importantly, have increased the diversity of the companies that are now part of the association.
On the Standards and Best Practices front, IGSA had many successes this year thanks to the contributions of the members participating in the Ethical Use of AI, Cyber Resiliency, and Payments committees. We have also seen a resurgence in the use of our Gaming Device Standard (GDS), particularly in its use with note acceptors in gaming devices, as well as our Networked GAT Interface (NGI), which allows regulators to validate and authenticate critical software remotely over a network connection. NGI is a must-have for ensuring that approved critical programs are the ones being used in sports betting and online casino gaming systems.
Looking forward to 2026, Illegal Gaming, Sports Integrity, Emerging Technologies, and Responsible Gaming are all areas that IGSA will look to assess in terms of Standards or Best Practices. We will also look to expand on the work of existing committees in the areas of Cyber Resiliency, AI, and Payments, as well as enhancing existing Standards based on feedback we’ve received.
This year, IGSA released Best Practices on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. What prompted this initiative, and how is the association contributing to the broader industry conversation? Do you anticipate AI will remain a central focus for IGSA (and the sector as a whole) next year?
IGSA launched the Ethical Use of AI committee after reviewing actions taken in Europe via the EU AI Act and in the US with Executive Order 14110. These programs, at the federal level, created broad regulations around the use of AI while acknowledging that individual industries needed to create their own Best Practices specific to the sector.
Given the fractured nature of the gaming industry, wherein regulations differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, IGSA saw a need to create a set of practical and pragmatic Best Practices to help regulators adopt similar, if not identical, requirements. Reducing fragmentation is something IGSA works towards, and these Best Practices provide a framework that can be adopted and reduce friction for companies operating in multiple jurisdictions.
The use of AI has continued to grow, and there are many use cases that can benefit greatly from the ethical and appropriate use of this technology. IGSA will continue to partner with the regulators who are part of our Regulatory Committee, and regulatory associations such as NAGRA and IAGR, to identify challenges and further develop Best Practices.
What are the main challenges in establishing consistent standards and practices across the industry today? In areas such as AI and cybersecurity, do you see progress toward harmonization or greater fragmentation?
The speed with which technology and innovation are occurring makes it very difficult to develop Standards or Best Practices before that technology has been incorporated into gaming products and, in some cases, even deployed. This leads to fragmentation as regulators seeking to support innovation must rapidly adopt regulations within the constraints of existing legislative frameworks. IGSA’s Emerging Technology committee is trying to identify technology trends and get ahead of them whenever possible to reduce the fragmentation that tends to occur with technology that is considered part of gaming product critical components.
Based on input from several regulatory authorities, we believe that the Best Practices IGSA released regarding the ethical use of AI has the potential to reduce fragmentation. Many regulators are still trying to determine how they need to regulate AI use, and we are optimistic that our Best Practices will help create a more homogeneous set of requirements.
Cyber resiliency is another area where regulators have perhaps struggled to articulate exactly what good cyber hygiene should look like. Some rely on penetration testing (PEN) and vulnerability assessments to ensure cybersecurity; however, that is just a small piece of a proper cyber resiliency program.
IGSA is developing Best Practices that integrate ‘Security by Design’ as a component of a cyber resiliency program. This means that the various entities involved in the development of gaming products must have security protocols built into their entire development, quality assurance, manufacturing, and delivery systems. This process, along with the cybersecurity programs implemented by operators, ensures that the entire ecosystem has a robust cyber resiliency posture.
Looking ahead to 2026, where will IGSA’s main priorities lie? Are there any specific goals or milestones you’re aiming to achieve next year and beyond?
IGSA is planning to open our newest office in Lagos State, Nigeria, towards the end of Q1 2026. This office will support the gaming industry in Western Africa, affording operators and suppliers the ability to join IGSA Africa, where they will be governed by local laws, as opposed to those of countries where IGSA has offices, such as Asia, Europe, or the United States. This will be an important step for IGSA, as gaming in that region is growing significantly, and regulators are very eager to implement standards.
We are also planning to launch committees to work on Standards and/or Best Practices in the areas of Sports Risk and Illegal Gaming, as well as relaunching our Responsible Gaming committee, building a collaborative coalition of organizations seeking to do good in this important area.
In addition, we will look to develop tools that will assist regulators in implementing IGSA Standards, increasing data transparency and auditability, gaming product integrity, and safety.
Finally, we’ll endeavor to grow our membership, expand on the partnerships we have with other gaming organizations, and continue to deliver Standards and Best Practices for the betterment of our industry worldwide.
