IAGR2025 session:
PANEL – Regtech: The regulator’s ally or an unregulated shortcut?
The gambling sector is undergoing a profound transformation as regulatory scrutiny intensifies globally. As regulatory scrutiny evolves within jurisdictions and across borders, it’s natural that the gambling sector mirrors the use of technology in other sectors.
Regulatory technology (RegTech) tools and platforms are designed to help gambling operators comply and regulators to understand that level of compliance.
This panel explores how RegTech has evolved in the gambling industry, the regulatory and operational challenges it addresses, and what innovations and policy shifts are likely to shape its future.
About Ian:
Dr Ian Messenger is the Founder and CEO of the Association of Certified Gaming Compliance Specialists (ACGCS), a training and certification body for compliance officers in the casino and iGaming sector. ACGCS offers a range of courses—most notably the Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) program—on topics such as anti‑money laundering, fraud, and regulatory reporting.
Before establishing ACGCS, he led financial‑crime investigation teams at a multinational bank and then served as Director of Anti‑Money Laundering for a Canadian Crown corporation in the gaming industry. In those roles, he designed and implemented transaction‑monitoring frameworks, managed complex money‑laundering and sanctions‑breach investigations, and oversaw AML audits of both brick‑and‑mortar casinos and online platforms.
Dr. Messenger began his career in UK law enforcement, spending ten years in positions with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and its successor, the National Crime Agency, where he focused on disrupting cross‑border money‑laundering networks and terrorist‑financing activities.
He holds an MA in Social Policy and Politics, a Graduate Certificate in Sports Integrity Investigations, an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a Doctorate in International Criminal Justice.
His professional credentials include Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS), Certified Advanced AML Audit Specialist (CAM‑Audit), and Certified Advanced AML Risk Management Specialist (CAMS‑RM).
