About GLI (Gaming Laboratories International)
GLI Certification refers to the testing, inspection, and product certification services provided by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®), a Lakewood, New Jersey-based independent testing laboratory founded in 1989. Per our licensing methodology, we classify GLI as the iGaming industry’s largest accredited test lab by scale — with 1,700+ team members, 32 offices, and active certification work across approximately 710 regulated jurisdictions.
GLI was co-founded in June 1989 by James Maida and Paul J. Magno. Maida — who began at the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement in Atlantic City — continues today as President and CEO, providing 37 years of continuous founder leadership.
Current scale reflects laboratories in Wheat Ridge, Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Macau, plus regional entities across Europe, Africa, India, and Latin America. GLI claims active certification work across approximately 710 regulated jurisdictions globally.
In July 2025, private equity firm CVC Capital Partners — through its UK-registered vehicle Avalon Buyer Limited — announced acquisition of a majority stake in GLI alongside Kobetron and Worldwide Laboratories. Maida retained operational control, with CVC providing capital for strategic acquisitions and emerging-technology investment.
What GLI Certifies
GLI’s certification scope spans ten service categories: traditional gaming and casino equipment, digital iGaming systems, sportsbook event-wagering, lottery, cybersecurity audits, forensic evaluations, jurisdictional regulatory advisory, test automation, training and education, and field inspections.
Traditional Gaming covers land-based casino equipment — slot machines, electronic table games, and progressive systems. Digital iGaming addresses platform engines, RNG implementations, and game integrity, while sportsbook certification covers event-wagering operations under GLI-33.
GLI is distinctive among major test labs for authoring industry-wide technical standards that regulators adopt globally. The portfolio includes GLI-11 for gaming devices, GLI-19 for interactive gaming systems (operator and supplier versions, v3.0 June 2024), GLI-33 for event wagering, and GLI-GSF-1 as a gaming information security framework.
Beyond core testing, GLI delivers forensic evaluation, regulatory advisory, GLI University training, and an active AI-driven responsible gaming programme announced in 2026.
How GLI Audits Work
GLI’s audit methodology combines pre-compliance testing, formal conformity assessment against ISO/IEC standards, and operational audits for interactive gaming systems. Software submissions undergo source code review, RNG statistical analysis, RTP verification, and integration testing across the relevant jurisdictional requirements.
The accreditation framework follows four ISO standards issued by A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation): ISO/IEC 17025 for testing laboratories, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies, ISO/IEC 17065 for product certification, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 for information security management system audits. GLI achieved its first ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in 2006 — the first independent gaming test laboratory to do so, voluntarily and before any regulatory body required it.
GLI is listed in the UK Gambling Commission’s approved test house register across multiple subsidiary entities (GLI Europe BV, GLI Africa, GLI UK Gaming Limited, and others) covering all categories of gaming machines plus Remote Technical Standards. Operators pay GLI for certification work — a model standard across major TIC laboratories — and detailed technical reports remain confidential to regulators and licensees rather than published to players.
GLI vs Other Testing Bodies
Among the major iGaming testing laboratories, GLI stands apart by scale — 1,700 team members across 32 offices testing for approximately 710 jurisdictions — and by authoring the industry-wide technical standards that competitor labs and regulators adopt globally.
The clearest contrast sits with eCOGRA’s dual-role testing and ADR framework. eCOGRA combines technical certification with statutory Alternative Dispute Resolution mediation in the UK and Malta. GLI offers no ADR function — players seeking dispute mediation must use other UKGC-approved providers such as eCOGRA, IBAS, CEDR, or ADR Group. The labs serve overlapping markets but address different player-protection layers.
iTech Labs (founded 2004, Australia) focuses on RNG evaluation and game mathematics, while BMM Testlabs (1981, Las Vegas) is the oldest in the sector with regulator-heavy engagement — and was also acquired by private equity in 2025. Neither competes as an ADR provider or authors public industry-wide standards at GLI’s scale.
For markets such as Malta where multiple labs hold approvals, GLI’s certification carries equivalent technical weight to eCOGRA’s under the Malta Gaming Authority’s gaming framework. The choice between labs typically reflects commercial relationships and jurisdictional requirements rather than meaningful quality differences for players.
How to Verify a GLI Certification
Players verify GLI certification by locating the Gaming Labs Certified® Mark in the casino footer and confirming the seal is a clickable link. A legitimate seal should redirect to a verification page on gaminglabs.com showing the operator’s current certification status. A static image, broken link, or redirect to the casino’s own internal page indicates a decorative rather than verified certification relationship.
Individual game information panels sometimes reference the specific GLI test certificate that verified the title. This game-level transparency varies by developer, with larger studios more likely to include certification details as standard.
GLI does not maintain a player-facing dispute submission form since it is not an Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. Players with complaints should follow the operator’s internal complaints procedure and then escalate to the casino’s appointed ADR body.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GLI Certification mean for online casino players?
Who owns Gaming Laboratories International today?
What is the difference between GLI and eCOGRA Certification?
How can players verify a Gaming Labs Certified seal on a casino website?
Final Take
For players who prioritise the most widely-adopted technical framework in iGaming, a GLI seal indicates an operator has cleared certification work backed by 37 years of regulator partnerships and four ISO accreditations issued by A2LA — together with the technical standards (GLI-11, GLI-19, GLI-33) that GLI itself authored and shared publicly.
Players whose core concern is dispute mediation should weigh that GLI offers no ADR function — only technical certification. For mediated disputes, players should look to operators carrying eCOGRA certification or check the casino’s separately appointed ADR provider listed in its terms of service.
