BSA/AML Gaming Conference to Confront Global Money Laundering Networks

The BSA/AML Gaming Conference is set for September 15–17 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Kinectfy CEO and Founder Joseph Martin identifies the gathering as one of the most important dates on the gaming calendar, given the scale of emerging threats.

“I think there’s no more important time for AML professional regulators and law enforcement and industry leaders to share what they’re seeing and collectively consider the threats confronting our industry,” Martin says. “I think we’re at this pivotal moment in the industry’s history.”

Martin equates the current risks to the era when organized crime was tied to gaming. The difference lies in the source: foreign actors, particularly Chinese networks, now drive infiltration through money laundering. Chinese citizens face tight restrictions on outbound funds and therefore partner with transnational criminal organizations, including drug trafficking groups holding large illicit sums.

“Professional money laundering networks, or the brokers, they’re transferring funds from the illicit folks that need to move it to the folks that need access to these funds,” Martin says. “It doesn’t need to be a physical dollar is being shipped across national borders anymore.” These networks enable rapid, low-cost global movement, a pattern visible in enforcement actions worldwide.

FinCEN estimates more than 137,000 BSA reports representing $312 billion between 2020 and 2024, according to reporting by CDC Gaming. Martin notes that multiple countries are expanding AML rules across sectors, positioning gaming as one participant in protecting the U.S. financial system rather than an uniquely exposed industry.

The Shift in Regulatory Focus

Past success came from removing traditional organized crime, especially in Nevada, which produced a regulatory structure centered on ownership, licensing, and state-by-state oversight. That framework delivered legitimacy and growth. The threat has since changed to one that is global, networked, and highly sophisticated. Commercial and tribal operators recognize the AML dangers and seek countermeasures, yet the original rules addressed who owns and operates casinos. The new question centers on who uses the services and what connections they maintain.

The Visibility Imperative

Martin summarizes the core difficulty in one word: visibility. Individual casinos see single customers, banks see isolated transactions, and regulators hold jurisdiction-limited views. Federal agencies receive reports but lack the full picture. The required response must mirror the earlier campaign against localized organized crime, this time adapted to detect patterns across borders and data silos. Operators and regulators will need to assess whether their own networks and information flows match the sophistication of the criminal ones they face.

Reporting: CDC Gaming

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