Annual BSA/AM Financial Crime Gaming Conference Gets Underway Today
The annual BSA/AM Financial Crime Gaming Conference opens today in Las Vegas, bringing together government officials, regulators, and gaming industry leaders to discuss the growing challenges of anti-money laundering compliance. The event comes at a time when the casino industry has faced increasing criticism for not doing enough to combat illicit financial activity and follows a year in which enforcement actions and regulatory scrutiny have intensified both in Nevada and globally.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The conference is being held at Planet Hollywood and runs through this Thursday. It remains closed to the press but is expected to attract hundreds of participants, similar to last year's gathering that brought together more than 550 attendees from 39 states, three foreign countries, dozens of tribal organizations, and over 160 gaming entities. Organizers said the event continues to grow in scale as the issue of financial crime gains prominence in gaming regulation and law enforcement priorities.
Related: Singapore Casinos Not Harmed by Recent Money Laundering ScandalKeynote speakers at this year's program include Guy Ficco, chief of IRS-Criminal Investigation. He will address the importance of Suspicious Activity Reports in federal investigations and highlight his agency's involvement in high-profile financial crime cases.
Carole House, senior advisor at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and former director for Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation at the White House National Security Council, will deliver a keynote on the connections between anti-money laundering compliance, national security, and advancing technologies.
Former directors of FinCEN will also take part in the conference, offering perspectives on how Bank Secrecy Act enforcement has evolved and what future developments might mean for the gaming sector. In addition, federal, state, and tribal officials, representing both civil and criminal agencies, are scheduled to speak on the latest trends in compliance and regulation.
Sessions over the week will address recent enforcement actions, know-your-customer requirements, source of funds investigations, and advances in data analysis for identifying player risks. New and unregulated gaming models, including sweepstakes and skill-based games, will also be examined as they continue to spread across the country with limited oversight.
More Vegas News
NGCB to Participate Following Vegas AML Scandals
The Nevada Gaming Control Board will also play a central role in this year's sessions. New chairman Mike Dreitzer is scheduled to convene the conference on Tuesday morning, while board member George Assad will present that afternoon on recent penalties levied against Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts International, and Resorts World Las Vegas.
These fines, totaling millions of dollars, were issued over failures in anti-money laundering compliance. Assad's session is expected to provide insight into enforcement trends and regulatory expectations for casino operators.
Dreitzer described the gathering as an important opportunity to educate and share expertise on an issue of critical relevance to the gaming industry. He noted that compliance has never been more essential and that events like this allow regulators and operators to exchange views on the most pressing challenges.
Panels throughout the week will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on compliance, addressing both the benefits for detecting suspicious activity and the new risks posed by technologies such as deepfakes. Another session will focus on cryptocurrencies and digital assets, highlighting how illicit actors attempt to exploit them for money laundering, sanctions evasion, and other unlawful purposes.
Attendees will also hear analysis of the growing use of sweepstakes platforms, skill games, and event-based contracts, which have proliferated outside traditional regulatory structures. Regulators will discuss the enforcement challenges these products create and their potential impact on the broader gaming market.
RELATED TOPICS: Vegas
Latest News
Responsible Gambling
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for Annual BSA/AM Financial Crime Gaming Conference Gets Underway Today