G2E 2025: Compliance, Illegal Gaming, AI Take Center Stage

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is turning 25 this October, and the industry’s biggest gathering arrives at a complicated moment. Regulators are tightening the screws, new technology is reshaping casino floors, and unregulated — and sorta-regulated — operators remain a multi-billion-dollar thorn in the side of the legal market.

More than 25,000 professionals from over 120 countries and nearly 400 exhibitors are expected at The Venetian Expo Oct. 6–9. The week will offer both celebration and a reality check: Business is booming, but the pressure to keep it clean and competitive has never been higher.

The marquee keynote on Tuesday morning will put three of the industry’s most recognizable leaders on stage. MGM Resorts’ Bill Hornbuckle, Flutter Entertainment’s Peter Jackson, and DraftKings’ Jason Robins will sit down for one-on-one conversations with Hope King, founder of Macro Talk. Their discussions are expected to cover investor expectations, expansion strategies at home and abroad, and how legal operators can fend off competition from the offshore market.

Talking points

G2E’s agenda includes multiple AML-focused sessions, including a look at how casinos are adopting AI-driven monitoring systems and more sophisticated customer due diligence programs. The takeaway is straightforward: Regulators expect operators to keep pace, or pay the price.

Illegal gambling will be another major focus. A bipartisan group of state attorneys general has called on the Department of Justice to crack down on offshore operators, which some estimates process more than $673 billion in illegal gambling each year, according to the American Gaming Association. At the same time, the AGA counts more than 625,000 unregulated slot machines across the United States, pulling in $30 billion annually. Several sessions will look at how states are responding and what regulated operators can do to compete with businesses that don’t play by the rules.

Sports betting continues to expand, and with it comes new integrity concerns. High-profile cases involving athletes and team personnel have put prop bets under a microscope, and a few states are weighing limits on certain wager types. G2E will take on the issue in “Guarding the Game: Navigating the Intersection of Sports Betting and Sport Integrity,” a session that highlights how legal sportsbooks are using AI-powered algorithms, league partnerships, and independent monitors to spot suspicious betting patterns. These tools, conference speakers will most certainly argue, are what separate regulated operators from the offshore market still attracting U.S. play.

Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence will dominate plenty of conversations outside sports betting. 

Big deal

The expo floor itself will bring some firsts. This year marks the North American debut of the U.S. Dealer Championship, where 34 dealers from casinos around the country will compete in blackjack and roulette. Judges will be looking for technical skill, game control, and hospitality, with the competition running Oct. 7–9.

G2E is also acknowledging challenges beyond the gaming floor. On Wednesday morning, athlete and mental health advocate Kendall Toole will join Global Gaming Women’s Meghan Speranzo for a discussion on workplace wellness and breaking down stigma around mental health.

After 25 years, G2E remains the industry’s best snapshot of where things stand and where they’re heading. This year, the tension is clear: How to grow while staying compliant, how to expand sports betting while keeping games clean, and how to use new technology without leaving responsibility behind. It’s a delicate balance, but then again, it always is.