By Liam Gaughan I recently had the opportunity to attend the Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) 25^th annual Regulators Roundtable in Las Vegas. The event brought together regulatory professionals from around the world to discuss the evolution of gaming markets and the challenges faced by both new and experienced regulators. With a strong focus on developing trends, cybersecurity, model regulatory frameworks, and responsible gaming, the conference provided valuable insights into creating healthier, safer, and sustainable gaming environments. Expert Panels and Industry Insights Throughout the two-day event, numerous panels featured industry experts discussing various dimensions of the gaming landscape. What struck me most was the collective emphasis on the need to harness technological developments to maintain and improve robust consumer protections and combat the black market. Responsible Gaming Focus One of the most insightful sessions I attended was a panel titled “Level Up: Thoughts on a Future of Gaming that balances fun, fair play, and harm minimization.” The panelists emphasized that while measures such as self-exclusion programs are vital, they represent just one component of a comprehensive responsible gaming strategy. This was great to hear, since the additive and adaptable nature of our Reg Tech solutions at Dataworks positions us strongly to be a great partner for regulators. The panelists made a compelling case that at-risk players need support throughout their entire gaming journey—not just at the point of crisis. This holistic approach requires regulators to implement multiple safeguards that work in concert to identify and assist vulnerable players before serious harm occurs. The Case for Centralized Self-Exclusion During the session, our CEO Al Watson, who was invited to speak on the panel, made a particularly strong point about the limitations of traditional distributed self-exclusion models, which remain the most common approach despite their ineffectiveness in today’s complex gaming environment. With the proliferation of gaming verticals and platforms, centralized self-exclusion systems have become essential to protect at-risk players. The fragmented nature of traditional models creates inefficiencies for regulators and operators, and gaps that vulnerable players can easily fall through, undermining the fundamental purpose of self-exclusion programs. The other panelists all supported this point with their own stories, and it was very well received by the regulators in the audience. RG as a Mindset, Not a Checkbox Perhaps the most powerful takeaway came during Al’s closing remarks to the roomful of regulators: responsible gaming must be approached as a mindset rather than a procedure or requirement. This perspective shift fundamentally changes how regulations are developed and implemented. To build truly safer gaming markets, regulators must embed responsible gaming principles into every aspect of the regulatory process—from drafting initial frameworks to implementing sophisticated monitoring systems. This intentional, proactive approach is necessary to effectively address gambling-related harm. Innovation Tech Hub – Showcasing our Solution The conference also featured a Tech Innovation Hub where companies demonstrated cutting-edge solutions to gaming industry challenges. Dataworks’ booth, showcasing our Centralized Self-Exclusion solution, drew significant attention from regulators looking to enhance their responsible gaming programs. The steady stream of interested visitors across both days of the conference highlighted the growing recognition and interest in centralized approaches to player protection. Many regulators stopped by our booth to admit that their legacy self-exclusion programs are not working as needed and expressed their desire to explore our software further. Looking Forward As gaming markets continue to evolve globally, the insights shared at the GLI Regulators Roundtable underscored the importance of balancing innovation with consumer protection. The panelists throughout the conference emphasized effective regulation requires not just robust systems and processes, but also a genuine commitment to player health that permeates every regulatory decision. For regulators looking to build or strengthen their markets, the message was clear: responsible gaming isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business, creating sustainable markets that can thrive while minimizing social harm. Dataworks has a big role to play in this context, with a proven Reg Tech solution that is already significantly reducing harm in Australia and soon to be doing the same in Ontario.