IGSA targets 2025 modernisation of iGaming payments and AI standards

The International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) has outlined a 2025 strategy to update its technical standards across payments, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. The move addresses the operational pressure on regulated markets including Malta, where technical standards directly influence licencing and compliance.

IGSA President Lucien Attala said the modernisation push is meant to keep the association ahead of rapid technological change. He pointed to developments in artificial intelligence, big-data processing and quantum computing as forces that bring both opportunity and risk for operators, vendors and regulators.

“The flow of money to and from players is a central concern for the industry and needs updating to keep pace with both the speed of transactions and the security requirements that are essential for the proper running of any regulated market,” Attala said.

For Malta’s iGaming sector, which operates under the Malta Gaming Authority’s regulatory framework, the implications are direct. Payment processing standards affect everything from player deposit speed to anti-money laundering controls. Updated cybersecurity standards would align with MGA expectations on data protection and platform resilience.

IGSA plans to introduce new standards while revising existing ones. The association’s focus on AI is particularly relevant as more operators integrate machine learning for player behaviour analysis, fraud detection and personalised marketing.

The standards body’s work feeds into technical compliance requirements that operators must meet to maintain their licences. Any changes to IGSA’s framework will likely influence the technical audit checklists used by MGA-approved testing labs.

Attala emphasised that the modernisation effort is designed to help the industry anticipate regulatory and technological shifts rather than react to them. For Maltese licence holders, that forward-looking stance could reduce friction when new rules take effect.

The 2025 timeline means operators should start reviewing their current technical setups against the upcoming standards. Payment infrastructure, data handling protocols and cybersecurity frameworks will all come under scrutiny.