Matt Holt, CEO of Gaming Compliance International (GCI), outlined how the business has evolved from pioneering sports betting integrity in the US post-PASPA to confronting what he describes as the industry’s biggest global threat, the illegal market.
During a fireside chat with host Katie Goldfinch, Holt mentions that the shift reflects a change in where regulators and operators now need support. With legal frameworks in place across many jurisdictions, the challenge has moved on to enforcement, real-time visibility and addressing the imbalance between legal and illegal market shares.
Modern compliance tools for fighting the illegal market
A central theme is the inadequacy of manual, retrospective compliance processes. Holt noted that more than 90% of gaming jurisdictions still rely on delayed, spreadsheet-based reporting. These are often submitted months after activity occurs. This makes tax reconciliation and enforcement ineffective.
GCI’s automated audit tools are designed to give regulators and operators real-time visibility into wagering activity, tax exposure and discrepancies. The acquisition of YieldSec in November further strengthened GCI’s capabilities, adding grey and black market intelligence, advertising monitoring and affiliate tracking to its compliance toolkit.
Supply-chain disruption being key to enforcement
Holt stressed that illegal gambling is a global problem, not a regional one. “It’s growing more aggressive every day. And it’s not a European problem,” he says.
Citing US data, Holt highlighted a shift from a majority of bets being placed legally shortly after PASPA’s repeal to an estimated 75% now flowing through illegal channels.
“Those numbers are skyrocketing everywhere, and we’re trying to find new innovative ways to combat that,” Holt adds. Rather than relying on cease-and-desist letters or cross-border litigation, GCI’s strategy focuses on disrupting the supply chain by cutting off discoverability, affiliate marketing and payment processing. If players cannot find sites or move money, illegal operators lose their advantage.
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Matt Holt, CEO of Gaming Compliance International (GCI), outlined how the business has evolved from pioneering sports betting integrity