Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) continues to release its modules of the first and only gaming information security standard.
The GLI Gaming Security Framework modules include vendor controls, land-based gaming controls, and online gaming controls, with more on the way.
Cybersecurity is a constant threat to gaming operations, and cybersecurity insurance has costs that are constantly rising, said GLI president and CEO James Maida.
“The Gaming Security Framework addresses these concerns and fills in what was a large and dangerous gap in cybersecurity for the gaming industry, because before its release, there was no direct cybersecurity standard for gaming,” said Maida. “What GLI is doing with the Gaming Security Framework is to answer the concerns of regulators, operators, suppliers, and players worldwide.”
Each module in the GLI-GSF is a culmination of industry best practices and is continually updated based on industry feedback. The GLI-GSF was created using a collaborative approach that involved thousands of gaming industry stakeholders. This framework was intended to assist regulators by creating baseline security guidelines that they can adopt and/or utilize as they see fit. In addition to assisting regulators, this framework is of tremendous value to gaming organizations seeking comprehensive guidance and recommendations for enhancing security across all aspects of gaming operations, saving both time and expense, Maida said.
Marco Capozzi, vice president, security technologies and R&D global at GLI, talked about how as the first-of-its-kind what the security standard has done for the industry and how it was structured so regulators and organizations can build up on it.
“Our main goal is to protect players, organizational assets and informational data,” said Capozzi, calling it state-of-the-art. “There was no standard to protect players, and that’s why we think it was something missing in the market. And there was nothing to encompass all the best practices and the needs of protecting players. There was a strong demand from operators within the gambling industry as well as regulators to develop a standard of this kind. We produced something that is a milestone.
The technology can be applied to many different configurations of gambling products and services, Capozzi said. That includes land-based casinos and online casinos – both of which have their own specific challenges when it comes to security, he added.
“It is our hope it will become the actual standard of preference when it comes to information security specific to the gaming industry,” he said. “That’s the way it was designed. That’s the way it’s going to be maintained, and that’s the way it’s going to be explained to customers and regulators. The modules can be adapted to different kinds of situations.”
Capozzi said the GSF will supersede what has been done in the past. He noted that this was the right moment to release the modules as clients have been clamoring for a single standard that’s going to make things easier, save money and fair for everyone across jurisdictions.
“As anything entering the market, it will take a while to be understood and adapted to different needs,” he explained. “We will hear the feedback from the market, and we can actually adjust the modules.”
For those who want to provide gambling services within Europe, companies have to comply with about 20 different standards, Capozzi said. Each of them has their nuances that make things more complicated and not always beneficial to the players.
It took two years to develop the framework with many people involved that brought this to the table, he reported.
“We’re proud of it, and we did a job that’s going to be recognized by the industry,” said Capozzi.