As the 2026 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) kicked off at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas on Monday morning, discussions centered on the evolving role of cryptocurrency within regulated gaming took center stage. The session, led by industry consultant Jonathan Michaels, featured insights from Earle Hall, CEO of AXES; Rich Winley, CEO of Payline; and Lindsay Slader, chief growth officer of UBank, offering a diverse perspective on the intersection of gaming and financial technology.
The panel convened shortly after the US Senate did not advance the CLARITY Act, a proposed federal cryptocurrency bill. This was viewed as a victory by certain industry sectors, particularly those engaged in the prediction market space. In contrast, similar legislation, the GENIUS Act, was enacted in July 2025 and established a framework for stablecoins — digital currencies linked to traditional assets like the US dollar.
Panelists expressed the need for federal legislation akin to the CLARITY Act to enhance cryptocurrency’s role in gaming. Slader remarked, "I feel like we have all these tools in our toolbelt where we could really spin it up quickly if we wanted to, regardless of what’s happening in the federal government, is my personal opinion."
A significant theme was the gaming sector's reluctance to embrace cryptocurrency, which clashed with its dependence on cash transactions and traditional banking. This concern has heightened following several multimillion-dollar anti-money laundering fines in 2025, including a $7.2 million penalty levied against the Venetian, the host of G2E. Hall noted, "The foundation of a crypto or stablecoin technology is the most secure and the fastest means of moving a transaction."
He compared casino chips to stablecoins, describing them as fixed-value assets, tracked by the issuer and backed by cash. This technological foundation could enable a cash-reliant industry to process transactions more efficiently and cost-effectively.
User experience was another critical topic, with Winley highlighting the gaming sector's stagnation in transaction clearing speeds. He asserted that increased similarity between cryptocurrency interfaces and traditional financial products would facilitate user uptake.
New insights emerged from a study commissioned by the American Gaming Association, which indicated that gamblers tend to have higher financial literacy scores than non-gamblers. Specifically, 41% of gamblers were categorized as "highly financially literate," compared to 27% of non-gamblers, suggesting a willingness among bettors for greater cryptocurrency integration in payment and withdrawal processes, provided regulations keep pace with evolving demands.
Echoing similar sentiments, Slader pointed out that despite historical skepticism towards the gaming industry from banking perspectives, the well-established nature of cryptocurrency presents an opportunity for integration within a regulated environment. She emphasized the importance of helping gaming regulators understand the cryptocurrency ecosystem, maintaining that existing verification processes such as KYC (Know Your Customer) and self-exclusion checks remain relevant in this context.
