José Carlos Figueroa, Caribbean regional manager at GLI, opened the conference by explaining that: ‘GLI is a global company, with 29 offices around the world, and we are members of the main associations that promote and protect the development of gaming, including CIBELAE, which joins us here today with its president and part of its team. We work on everything that has to do with gaming".

Figueroa also underlined that GLI always works with the objective of ensuring that processes comply with jurisdictional requirements. With a presence in more than 700 global jurisdictions, he mentioned that ‘GLI has a commitment to the industry to create and offer free technical standards that incorporate best practices’.

He also clarified that ‘we are a global company, with 29 offices around the world, and we are members of the main associations that promote and protect the development of gaming, including CIBELAE, which is with us here today with its president and part of its team. We work on everything that has to do with gambling’.

During his presentation, José Carlos Figueroa explained that GLI has evolved from its first technical standard, GLI-11, which focused on gaming devices such as slot machines. Now, the entity covers a wide range of technical standards including platforms and games. In addition, it announced that it will soon launch a cybersecurity technical standard, noting that it is being developed in collaboration with industry and regulators. ‘We are working together to include best practices in that field,’ he said.

In terms of best practices in online gaming, Figueroa pointed to the importance of the GLI-19 and GLI-33 technical standards. GLI-19 addresses aspects related to platforms, random number generators and the security and transparency of online games. ‘It describes how these devices should be made, compiled and offered in order to be secure and transparent,’ he said.
For its part, the GLI-33 standard focuses on sports betting, a sector of great relevance in many countries, including the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean regional manager noted that this standard embraces the concept of sports betting and sportsbook, providing a technical framework for its correct implementation.

Technical details of the software

José Carlos Figueroa continued his presentation by explaining the technical process involved in the certification of online gaming software. He commented that it all starts with the creation of a game, a platform or even an update within an existing system, which marks the beginning of the certification process. He then emphasised that it is critical for companies' internal development team to verify that the software complies with the standards and requirements of the jurisdiction in which it will operate. ‘Those changes, once designed and built, must be adapted to the standards and requirements of the jurisdiction where it will be offered,’ he said.

Figueroa used the conference to explain that GLI works with 707 jurisdictions globally, and while many of them have adopted its standards, others have created their own standards. In this regard, he stressed the importance of companies making sure they comply with these requirements before submitting the product to the laboratory for evaluation. ‘When we are presented with a product that does not take into consideration the requirements of the jurisdiction, we have to stop the process immediately,’ he explained. Start-up companies often face such situations, but he said that in the end the benefit is to have a product that will not only be offered in one country, but can be adapted to other jurisdictions with the information already documented.

Evaluation process

Once the software has been reviewed and is ready for submission to the lab, GLI begins its evaluation process. At this stage, Figueroa detailed that the first step is the compilation of the software together with the development team. ‘We are not going to put the software already installed by you on a server and review it; we are going to compile it together and we are going to see how that software is created,’ he said.

During the process, the lab reviews the source code and extracts the software's unique digital signatures, a procedure that guarantees the authenticity and security of the product. ‘That digital signature will be unique and will be part of the certificate of the platform, the game or any product that is going to be certified,’ said Figueroa, highlighting the importance of this process in certification.

Documenting software and ensuring its integrity

During the conference, José Carlos Figueroa stressed the importance of documentation and software integrity during the certification process. He explained that one of the main objectives is to ensure that the certified software can be validated by regulators, both in the original jurisdiction and in those that allow the transfer of certifications between countries. ‘This is so that the regulator, when it approves that software, can validate that this is the software that was certified,’ he said, adding that if the software is altered or tampered with, the digital signatures generated during certification will change, allowing any irregularities to be detected.

As for the random number generator, Figueroa highlighted its crucial role in online gaming, ensuring that it complies with the cryptographic standards required to maintain transparency and security. In addition, he detailed how the mathematics behind the games is analysed, verifying winning combinations and payout rates using specialised mathematics equipment.

Software homologation process

Figueroa also explained the homologation process, which follows certification. Although GLI certifies the software, the local regulator must approve it and issue a control number before it can be used. ‘We work with the vendor, certify and issue our certification to the regulator, but at the end the vendor must submit the software to the regulator for validation,’ he explained. He noted that this process avoids unnecessary duplication of records, especially if multiple vendors use the same software.

The certification process is detailed and technical, but also efficient. Once software is certified in one jurisdiction, it can be transferred to another without the need to repeat the entire process, provided both jurisdictions allow it. 

Conclusion

With his focus on best practices and the importance of transparency in the certification process, Figueroa made it clear that GLI remains committed to supporting the gaming industry with robust and efficient solutions.