G2E panelists said regulated gaming can push crypto adoption forward now. The CLARITY Act’s failure matters less than the stablecoin framework already in the books.
The G2E crypto adoption panel concluded that regulated gaming can move quickly without federal legislation. Slader of UBank said the tools exist, and Slader’s point is that the GENIUS Act already provides a stablecoin framework, even though the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the US Senate. Work should start now.
- G2E Panel Says Crypto Adoption Needs No Federal Law
- What the CLARITY Act Would and Would Not Have Delivered
- Cash Oversight and the KYC Gap
- What Adoption Would Actually Take
G2E crypto adoption can advance without waiting on Washington. That was the message from a panel held in Las Vegas as delegates arrived at the Venetian Expo for G2E. Jonathan Michaels moderated, with Earle Hall from systems provider AXES, Rich Winley from Payline and Lindsay Slader from UBank joining him. The conversation took place about two weeks after the US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act.
G2E Panel Says Crypto Adoption Needs No Federal Law
Slader said the industry has more than enough tools to act. “We could really spin it up quickly if we wanted to, regardless of what’s happening in the federal government,” she told iGB. Her reasoning is practical: the stablecoin framework already exists, so a best-case crypto outcome does not depend on a vote in Congress.
That view has a broader context. Cryptoassets gambling remains very much in flux, with stances varying by jurisdiction. The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, established a framework for stablecoins, so the foundational piece is in place. The question for regulated gaming is no longer whether to adopt crypto. It is how fast operators can build it around existing licensing and compliance rules.
Following this, according to the panel, adoption hinges on experience rather than policy. Slader’s argument is that the same KYC checks, self-exclusion checks and responsible gaming measures continue to apply. If the customer journey stays intact, regulators and operators can integrate crypto without abandoning those controls.
What the CLARITY Act Would and Would Not Have Delivered
The CLARITY Act would have created a market structure for digital assets. It failed to advance in the Senate, and some parts of the industry welcomed the outcome because of crypto’s close ties to the prediction market industry. That political dispute is not what constrained crypto in regulated gaming.
In contrast, the GENIUS Act gave stablecoins a clear framework, and panelists said that is the piece operators can act on today. Hall’s argument is that crypto and stablecoins provide the most secure and fastest way to move a transaction. For an industry still tied to cash, that is the case the regulators and operators should be building around.
As a result, the panel’s conclusion is that federal uncertainty is less relevant than execution. The tools are already in the toolbelt, and the question is how quickly operators can turn them on. That is a stronger argument for action than the failed bill provides.
Cash Oversight and the KYC Gap
The panel also turned to the cash problem. Since the start of 2025, regulators have handed out five multimillion-dollar anti-money laundering fines. One of the largest was a $7.2 million penalty against G2E host Venetian. The Las Vegas casino industry has learned that managing cash oversight is expensive and difficult.
Hall argued that chips are a rudimentary version of stablecoins. They are exchanged for a fixed value, tracked by the issuer and backed by another asset, which makes the underlying foundation secure. Crypto and stablecoins, he said, can help a cash-reliant industry move money faster and cheaper without losing that tracking.
Winley’s point is the user experience. The gaming industry has spent decades clearing transactions at the same speed. He said adoption improves when crypto interfaces start to feel like legacy financial products. AML oversight is the obstacle to change, and it is the obstacle that makes crypto attractive.
What Adoption Would Actually Take
Demand is already there. A study commissioned by the American Gaming Association found that respondents who identified as gamblers posted higher average financial literacy scores than non-gamblers. Forty-one percent of gamblers qualified as highly financially literate, against 27 percent of non-gamblers. The panel read that as a sign that crypto as a payment and withdrawal method would be welcome if regulation catches up.
Paysafe, in a June study, found crypto adoption among online sports bettors is more than double the Arden Consult US average. The authors predicted that crypto would become a top-three deposit method and a top-two payment preference in major markets such as New York and Illinois. Slader acknowledged that gaming has always been viewed unfavourably by banks, but said crypto is well established enough to merge the two in a regulated environment.
The remaining work is regulatory education. Slader said regulators still need to understand the whole system and get comfortable with what the player’s journey looks like. KYC and self-exclusion checks remain. What is needed is for those controls to keep working while crypto becomes another payment route, not for the industry to abandon them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the CLARITY Act needed for crypto adoption in gaming?
No, according to the G2E panel. Slader said the industry already has the tools to move quickly regardless of federal action. The GENIUS Act of July 2025 gave stablecoins a framework, so the foundation exists. Panelists believe work should start now rather than wait for a vote.
Why did the failed CLARITY Act matter less than expected?
The CLARITY Act would have created a market structure for digital assets, but stablecoins are already regulated under the GENIUS Act. Panelists said crypto adoption in regulated gaming is driven by stablecoin infrastructure, not by broad digital asset legislation. The political fight was less relevant than execution.
Why do regulators push crypto adoption back?
Regulators need to understand the whole crypto ecosystem before accepting it. Slader said KYC, self-exclusion and responsible gaming checks must continue. The gap is not compliance itself but the fact that regulators do not yet fully understand the system players will be operating inside.
What is the biggest barrier to crypto in gaming?
The industry’s pace of processing transactions is the biggest barrier. Winley said gaming has cleared payments at the same speed for decades, and adoption rises when crypto interfaces begin to feel like familiar financial products. AML oversight is expensive, and five multimillion-dollar fines have shown the cost of getting cash oversight wrong.
Do gamblers actually want crypto payment?
Yes, according to two recent studies. An American Gaming Association survey found 41% of gamblers are highly financially literate, compared with 27% of non-gamblers. Paysafe’s June research found crypto adoption among online sports bettors is more than double the US average, with the authors expecting it to rank top-three for deposits.
Will crypto replace casino chips?
Not outright. Hall said chips are already a rudimentary version of stablecoins, since they are exchanged for fixed value, tracked by the issuer and backed by another asset. Crypto can make those transactions faster and cheaper without removing tracking. The industry needs the user experience to match legacy financial products first.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
