Starting a career in the gambling industry is arguably easier today than it was 10 years ago. Many operators now recruit candidates with minimal experience and prefer to train employees from scratch so staff learn internal processes and compliance procedures their way.
For those interested in compliance, an AML Analyst role is often the first step into the sector and can provide an excellent foundation for a long-term career in Anti-Money Laundering (AML). However, progressing within AML requires far more than simply completing mandatory internal training.
Internal AML Training Has Its Limitations
Nearly every gambling operator provides mandatory AML training during onboarding, followed by refresher training every 12 months. This training is designed to help employees understand:
– Internal AML procedures
– Company policies
– Regulatory responsibilities
– Suspicious activity reporting processes
While this training is essential, it is often limited in scope. In many businesses, AML training focuses heavily on operational requirements specific to that business rather than broader financial crime prevention strategies or industry-wide AML risks.
From personal experience, progressing in AML and compliance often requires seeking external training opportunities. Employees who want to stand out in the iGaming compliance sector should invest in developing a deeper understanding of:
– AML regulations in gambling
– Financial crime risks
– Source of Funds (SOF) and Source of Wealth (SOW)
– Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
– Risk-based approaches to AML
– Regulatory expectations across the wider iGaming industry
Best AML Qualifications for the Gambling Industry
One of the best starting points for external AML training is the International Compliance Association.
If your employer offers a training and development budget, we highly recommend the ICA Specialist Certificate in Money Laundering Risk in Betting and Gaming.
This course provides a strong introduction to AML principles while focusing specifically on how AML applies within the iGaming and gambling sector.
You can learn more here:
ICA Specialist Certificate in Money Laundering Risk in Betting and Gaming
After completing the initial certificate, both the ICA Advanced Certificate in AML and the ICA Diploma in AML offer further opportunities to deepen your knowledge and progress within compliance roles.
I completed all three qualifications over a three-year period and found each one genuinely valuable for developing a stronger understanding of AML within gambling and financial crime prevention.
The Need for AML Training Designed Specifically for iGaming
One of the biggest challenges I encountered during my AML career was the lack of advanced training specifically tailored to the iGaming industry.
Most AML courses cover financial crime from a broad perspective, but very few focus on the practical challenges faced by gambling operators, AML analysts, MLROs, and compliance teams working within online gaming.
This gap in the market was one of the reasons why Experts in iGaming was developed to create AML training courses specifically designed for the gambling industry and provide practical, real-world insights that compliance professionals can apply immediately.
AML Courses for Different iGaming Compliance Roles
Depending on your current role within compliance, we have developed targeted AML training courses for different responsibilities within the industry:
Staff who complete Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) reports