iGaming Testing Labs Compared: GLI, BMM, iTech Labs, eCOGRA and RNG Certification

Last updated: 31 October 2026

You have a game, an RNG or a platform ready, and a regulator that will not let it go live until an independent lab signs it off. The hard part is not finding a lab. It is knowing which lab the regulators in your target markets actually accept, what the certificate covers, and who now owns the lab you are about to pay.

This guide compares the main iGaming testing labs (GLI, BMM, iTech Labs and eCOGRA, plus five smaller labs that show up on the same regulator lists) on the one criterion that decides everything: whether five regulators name them on their published lists. It also explains what RNG certification involves and what changed in lab ownership in 2025 and 2026.

The short answer: an iGaming testing lab is an independent test house that checks RNGs, game maths, platforms and security against a regulator’s technical standards and issues the report the regulator relies on to approve the product. A lab’s certificate only counts in a market if that market’s regulator recognises the lab, so check the regulator’s own list before you sign.

Everything here comes from regulators’ published test house and auditor lists, each lab’s own website and accreditation pages, and trade press on ownership changes. No lab paid to be included.

iGaming testing labs at a glance

Each lab was checked against five published regulator lists on 12 October 2026: the UK Gambling Commission’s approved test houses (list current as of 2 March 2026), the Malta Gaming Authority’s approved system and compliance auditors (updated 29 September 2026), the AGCO’s registered independent testing labs for Ontario, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission’s approved test houses, and the Swiss Federal Gaming Board’s list of conformity assessment bodies (30 January 2026).

Two things in that table surprise most people. First, iTech Labs does not appear under its own name on any of the five lists, even though its website lists the UK, Malta and Switzerland among its coverage markets. Second, the MGA list is an approved auditor list for system and compliance audits, so “not listed” there does not mean a lab cannot certify a game for an MGA licensee. It means the lab is not one of the firms the MGA names for those audits.

How this list was built

Testing labs are not bought like software. Operators and studios do not leave public star ratings for them, and none of the labs here has a review profile on Trustpilot (we searched). What matters is regulator acceptance, so that is what the list is built on.

• Regulator lists: the five lists linked above, read in full on 12 October 2026. Any lab named on at least three of them made the list, plus iTech Labs because it is in the title and widely used.
• Lab sources: each lab’s homepage, about page, accreditation or jurisdiction page, and its stated services.
• Ownership and track record: deal announcements and trade press (CVC, KeyBanc, iGaming Business, SBC Americas, Intergame, AGB) and regulator disciplinary records.
• Community: a check of recent posts on X, which turned up only lab press reposts, so it did not change any verdict.

Nothing here comes from hands-on testing. Lab jurisdiction counts are each lab’s own claim and are labelled that way.

What does an iGaming testing lab actually test?

A testing lab (regulators also say “test house”, “independent testing laboratory” or “conformity assessment body”) checks a product against a written technical standard and reports the result to the supplier, the operator and the regulator. For online gambling, the work usually falls into five buckets:

• RNG testing: source code review, seeding and re-seeding, period and range, scaling, and statistical testing of the output.
• Game testing: the maths model and theoretical RTP, rules, paytables, artwork and how the game behaves after a disconnect.
• Platform testing: the remote gaming server, player account controls, responsible gambling tools, reporting and integration with the casino or sportsbook platform.
• Sports betting systems: bet settlement, odds display, event control and data feeds.
• Security audits: penetration testing, vulnerability scans and ISO/IEC 27001 work, which many regulators require every year.

The UK is a good example of how the rules bite. The Gambling Commission’s testing strategy says new games and RNGs can only be released once testing is complete and the report has been provided to the Commission. Minor updates that do not affect fairness can be released in-house, but that in-house change process must be audited every year by an approved test house. If you change the RNG or the remote gaming server, a representative sample of games has to be retested before the update goes live.

What is RNG certification?

RNG certification is a lab’s confirmation that a random number generator produces unpredictable, unbiased results and that the game uses those results correctly. GLI, for example, lists source code review, RNG period and range, seeding and re-seeding, background cycling, the DIEHARD battery of statistical tests and outcome distribution tests as part of its RNG work.

Two points trip people up:

• The RNG certificate is not the game certificate. The RNG can pass while a game that maps its numbers to reel positions badly fails. Regulators like the UKGC expect both the RNG and each game to be tested.
• The certificate is tied to a version and a market. Change the RNG or the game server and the old report may no longer cover what you are running. A certificate written against one regulator’s rules does not automatically satisfy another’s.

What does “GLI certified” or “gaming lab certified” mean?

GLI stands for Gaming Laboratories International, the New Jersey lab founded in 1989 by James Maida and Paul Magno. “GLI certified” means GLI tested the product against a named standard (for online casino usually GLI-19, Interactive Gaming Systems, now at v3.0; for sportsbooks GLI-33, Event Wagering Systems, v1.1) and, where relevant, against the specific rules of the jurisdiction the product is going into.

A GLI certificate is the lab’s finding, not a licence. The regulator still approves the product, and the operator still needs its own licence. The same is true of any lab’s certificate, and of the “certified” seals some labs let clients show. That point causes the most launch delays: a certificate issued for one jurisdiction does not open another.

The 2025 to 2026 ownership shake-up

If you last looked at this market a few years ago, it has consolidated fast. Four of the best-known lab brands now sit inside two groups.

• GLI group: GLI bought all outstanding shares in iTech Labs in May 2023 and in Trisigma in May 2024. Both keep their own brands. In June 2026, CVC’s Strategic Opportunities platform completed an investment in GLI and related entities, its first external investor. CVC did not disclose the stake. Trade press reported that CVC takes control, and James Maida stays as CEO.
• Visualize group: New York private equity firm The Visualize Group agreed to buy BMM Testlabs in April 2025 (iGaming Business), with deal financing closing on 3 March 2026. On 30 June 2026 it announced a deal for eCOGRA too, and it later announced the acquisition was complete. BMM CEO Martin Storm said the two “share a common purpose”, and the combined business claims licences or accreditations in more than 800 jurisdictions.

Why it matters to you: if you planned to split work between GLI and iTech Labs, or between BMM and eCOGRA, for a second opinion or pricing leverage, you are now dealing with two sides of the same group. The labs that stayed independent (Gaming Associates, Quinel, Global Lab, RiskCherry, Eclipse) are the real alternatives.

The labs compared

1. Gaming Laboratories International (GLI)

The largest lab by reach. GLI says it serves more than 710 regulated jurisdictions, has laboratories on six continents and employs over 1,500 people. It holds ISO/IEC 17025, 17020 and 17065 accreditations and publishes the GLI technical standards, including GLI-11 (gaming devices), GLI-16 (cashless systems), GLI-19 (interactive gaming), GLI-33 (event wagering) and GLI-GSF-5 (online security audits).

• Regulator lists: on all five. The UKGC lists six GLI entities, including GLI Europe BV, GLI UK Gaming Limited and Gaming Laboratories International, India.
• Services: RNG, game, platform, sports betting, lottery, land-based devices, security audits and vulnerability analysis.
• Best for: suppliers launching in many markets at once, especially US states and land-based plus online.
• Watch for: it is the default choice, so queues and price leverage favour the lab. In 2018 GLI agreed to pay a $125,000 settlement with Nevada regulators over a complaint that it had not acted independently of Interblock while certifying a system in December 2016.
• Track record: the only lab with six separate entities on the UKGC list; ownership changed in June 2026 with the CVC deal.

2. BMM Testlabs

The oldest private gaming lab still operating, founded on 27 November 1981 and based in Las Vegas. BMM’s about page lists 15 offices in 14 countries and says it is licensed or recognised in over 480 jurisdictions. Trade coverage of the 2025 sale put it at more than 700 gaming licences and over 600 staff (licences and jurisdictions are counted differently, so the two figures are not a contradiction).

• Regulator lists: UKGC (BMM Testlabs South Africa and BMM Spain Testlabs), Ontario (BMM North America), Isle of Man and Switzerland. Not on the MGA’s auditor list.
• Services: product testing and certification, maths and RNG testing, iGaming and sports betting, lottery and iLottery, land-based inspections, PCI DSS and managed security.
• Best for: land-based plus online suppliers and anyone needing Latin American or Asian coverage alongside Europe.
• Watch for: now in the same group as eCOGRA. For MGA system audits you will need a lab on that list.
• Track record: holds ISO/IEC 17025, 17020 and 17065 accreditations, per its own site.

3. iTech Labs

An online-only lab that built its name on RNG and game certificates for casino studios, and a GLI company since May 2023. The site now calls it “an independent iGaming boutique test lab” with an office in Sofia, Bulgaria, and points to GLI as its global partner.

• Regulator lists: not named under its own name on any of the five lists checked.
• Coverage claimed: 18 markets on its coverage page, including the UK, Malta, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Georgia. The page does not say which of these accredit iTech Labs directly.
• Services: RNG certification, RNG and game certification, RTP/RNG audits, platform and integration certification, maths and payout testing.
• Best for: studios that need a fast RNG or game certificate for Europe and are happy to work inside the GLI network.
• Watch for: before you sign, ask which accredited legal entity will issue the report for each market. If a regulator needs a report from a listed test house, that may be a GLI entity rather than iTech Labs itself.

4. eCOGRA

A UK lab founded in 2003 that is strongest in online casino, with a long list of European and Latin American approvals. Its jurisdictional approvals page lists 52 jurisdictions across four continents, from Great Britain, Malta, Sweden and Denmark to Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Brazil and the UAE. Its homepage says 47, so expect the number to depend on which page you read.

• Regulator lists: on all five.
• Accreditations: ISO/IEC 17025 through UKAS (schedule 4656) and INAB, plus 17020, 17065 and 17021-1 scopes.
• Services: RNG, game engine and RTP testing, platform certification, live dealer and sports betting systems, geolocation, ISO 27001 certification, penetration testing and alternative dispute resolution.
• Best for: online casino suppliers and operators who want one lab across Europe, Canada and Latin America.
• Watch for: now in the same group as BMM after the 2026 Visualize deal.
• Track record: eCOGRA says no accreditation of its has been suspended or revoked and no jurisdictional application rejected (its own claim, repeated in 2023 trade coverage of its Michigan approval).

5. Gaming Associates

A London-headquartered lab led by CEO Dr Aftab Rizvi, and one of the few independent labs on all five regulator lists checked. Its EU entity, Gaming Associates Europe, holds ISO/IEC 17025 and 17020 accreditation from NAB Malta for online gaming systems, announced in 2024.

• Regulator lists: on all five (as Gaming Associates Europe).
• Services: RNG and game certification, RTP, platform and integration testing, sports betting, live and proxy gaming, source code review, geolocation, penetration testing, PCI DSS, ISO 27001 and regulatory advisory.
• Best for: operators and suppliers who want an independent alternative to the two big groups with the same five-regulator reach.
• Watch for: the site gives inconsistent figures (40+ and 50+ jurisdictions), so ask for a current list for your markets.

6. Quinel

A Malta and Italy lab (Quinel Ltd in Birkirkara and Quinel Italia near Parma) that works across online gaming, land-based, PCI DSS and information security. It announced approvals in Panama (May 2023) and Peru (April 2024).

• Regulator lists: on all five.
• Services: online gaming certification, land-based testing, PCI DSS, information security and ISO/IEC 27001 certification.
• Best for: suppliers focused on Malta, Italy and the UK who also want Latin American coverage.
• Watch for: its site does not publish a jurisdiction count, so confirm coverage for each target market.

7. Global Lab

A Malta-based lab that markets itself as “The New Approach of Testing Lab”. Its most recent news is a mandate from Nigeria’s Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority to carry out certification, inspection and audits from June 2026.

• Regulator lists: on all five.
• Services: testing, certification, security, ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 work, consultancy to regulators and lottery testing.
• Best for: suppliers targeting Europe and emerging African markets.
• Watch for: its site does not publish accreditation details, so ask for its ISO/IEC 17025 scope.

8. Eclipse Compliance Testing

A US lab with offices in Solon, Ohio and Las Vegas, listed by the UKGC as Nick Farley & Associates. It says it has supported regulators, manufacturers and operators for over 25 years and is approved for every category of UK gaming machine as well as the remote standards.

• Regulator lists: UKGC, Ontario and Isle of Man. Not on the MGA or Swiss lists.
• Services: regulatory compliance testing, onsite inspections and system audits, forensic evaluations and expert testimony.
• Best for: land-based and lottery suppliers, and disputes where you need forensic evidence.
• Watch for: its site does not list its jurisdictions (it supplies the list on request).

9. RiskCherry

The trading name of Lean Lab Company Limited, a newer lab that focuses on online game and RNG certification and pitches speed and automation. It commits to delivering certification within five days of submission and names 25 markets, including the UK, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Ontario, Alberta, Brazil and Colombia.

• Regulator lists: UKGC, Ontario, Isle of Man and Switzerland. Not on the MGA auditor list.
• Services: video slot and other RNG game certification, RNG certification and audits, maths, RTP and rules testing, with a client portal.
• Best for: slot studios releasing many titles that need fast, repeatable game certificates.
• Watch for: its site does not list platform or security testing, so you may need a second lab for those.

Other labs on regulator lists

A few more names appear on the lists and are worth knowing, even though they did not meet the three-list bar here:

• Trisigma (Netherlands and Spain): on the Swiss list. GLI has owned it fully since May 2024 and it keeps its own brand.
• SIQ, the Slovenian Institute of Quality and Metrology: on the Swiss list.
• Asensi Technologies (Spain) and RNG Labs International (Malta): on the MGA’s approved auditor list. Asensi has been a DGOJ-accredited lab in Spain since 2017.

The MGA list also names audit firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, BDO, Grant Thornton and Forvis Mazars. They handle system and compliance audits, not game or RNG certification.

Which lab should you pick?

Start from your target markets, not the lab’s brand:

1. List your markets for the next 18 months. Include the ones on your roadmap, because recertifying later costs more than testing for them now.
2. Open each regulator’s own list. Keep only the labs that appear on every list you need. For the five regulators above, GLI, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates, Quinel and Global Lab cover all of them.
3. Ask which legal entity signs the report. This matters most for group labs (GLI, iTech Labs, Trisigma, BMM, eCOGRA), where the listed entity may differ from the brand you deal with.
4. Match the lab to the product. Land-based and US-heavy: GLI, BMM or Eclipse. Online casino across Europe and Canada: eCOGRA, Gaming Associates, Quinel or Global Lab. High-volume slot releases: RiskCherry or iTech Labs, after checking the entity question.
5. Compare written quotes. Ask each lab to quote the same scope: the RNG, a set number of games, the jurisdictions, the platform and the yearly audits.

Operators usually inherit game certificates from studios and aggregators, so your own lab choice is mostly about the platform, the RNG if you run your own games, and annual security audits. If you are choosing the platform at the same time, our guides to white label casino platforms and casino game aggregators explain how certified content and platforms fit together.

How much does RNG and game certification cost?

None of the nine labs publishes a price list. Every one of them quotes per project, and the forum threads that rank for “RNG certification cost” ask the question without getting a public answer. What drives the quote:

• Scope: an RNG on its own costs less than an RNG plus a game library plus a platform.
• Jurisdictions: each extra market can add work against its own rules and its own report.
• Number of games and variants: each RTP version of a slot is a separate maths model.
• Retests: failed submissions and fixes are billed again, so clean documentation saves money.
• Recurring work: annual RNG reviews, change-control audits and penetration tests repeat every year in markets like the UK.

Budget for the recurring work, not just the launch certificate. Under the UKGC rules above, the yearly audit of your in-house change process is a standing cost for as long as you hold the licence.

Red flags when choosing a testing lab

• Coverage claims that do not match regulator lists. A lab’s “markets we cover” page is marketing. The regulator’s list is the evidence.
• Vague answers about the signing entity. If a lab cannot tell you which accredited company issues the report for each market, expect problems at submission.
• Certificates without a version, date or jurisdiction. A useful report names the product version, the standard, the market and the date. Ask to see a sample before you pay.
• Help that blurs into development. A lab should test what you built, not help build it. The 2018 Nevada settlement with GLI was over a complaint that the lab had not stayed independent of the supplier.
• Ignoring the ownership map. Using two labs in the same group gives you less independence and less price leverage than it looks.

Testing is one part of a launch that also needs the right licence and the right advice. If you are still at that stage, compare iGaming licensing consultants and gambling law firms before you book lab time, and see our casino software guide for how certification fits into total platform cost.

Are you a testing lab missing from this list? Send us the regulator list that names you.