Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary with the South Dakota Commission on Gaming

South Dakota became a pioneer in the gaming industry more than three decades ago by being the first state in the country to implement a video lottery system. At the time, the state’s Lottery Commission turned exclusively to a new company called GLI for start-up consultation and video terminal/system testing and certification. Soon after, the South Dakota Commission on Gaming was created to regulate casinos and contracted with GLI for slot machine testing. Now, 30 years later, GLI and the South Dakota Commission on Gaming are continuing their three-decade relationship by renewing GLI’s consulting contract.

Since it first began, the contractual relationship between GLI and the South Dakota Commission on Gaming has evolved along with gaming in the state. Today, GLI tests a wide variety of advanced electronic gaming equipment and consults with the state on the latest emerging gaming technologies.

“In 1989, the State of South Dakota took a chance on a small startup gaming test lab and today we can look back with a sense of pride in all that we have accomplished together during these many years,” said James Maida, President and CEO of GLI. “We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the State of South Dakota and the South Dakota Commission on Gaming. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for believing in our company and sharing our vision of how gaming could flourish under the protection of independent testing. We look forward to working together for years to come to ensure the integrity and prosperity of South Dakota’s trailblazing gaming industry.”

“Since the inception of gaming in South Dakota, GLI has been an invaluable part of our accomplishments from the outset,” stated Larry B. Eliason, Executive Secretary for the South Dakota Commission on Gaming. “As we began the process of implementing gaming throughout the state, we needed to ensure our residents, and ourselves, that gaming could be conducted honestly and successfully, while protecting competition and public policy. Our close relationship with GLI was, and continues to be, a key element in achieving those goals.”