Definition
Game certification is independent laboratory testing that verifies a specific game or platform build against a regulator's technical standard — the RNG, the math model and its RTP configurations, the rules, and the paytable. The output is a test report tied to that exact build and configuration. Certification is evidence, not authorization: it proves the software does what the standard requires, and it feeds the licensing and compliance processes that decide who may offer the game where.
What gets tested
The certified scope is wider than most product teams assume:
- The RNG. The random number generator and its integration — statistical quality of outputs, seeding, and that game logic consumes randomness the way the design document claims.
- The math model. The paytable and rules as implemented, verified against the declared RTP — analytically and by large-scale simulation. Where a game ships multiple RTP configurations, each certified configuration is listed in the report.
- Rules vs behavior. That the game actually plays by its published rules: feature triggers, payout rounding, malfunction handling, incomplete-game recovery.
- Jackpot and pooled logic. Contribution, increment and award mechanics where present — the layer where implementation bugs are costliest.
- Platform components. Regimes also certify parts of the hosting stack — wallet integrity, game-history records, reporting interfaces — so "certified" can attach to the platform, not just the game.
Who tests
Testing is done by independent laboratories approved by the relevant regulator; GLI, iTech Labs, eCOGRA and BMM Testlabs are well-known examples of the category. Labs test against published technical standards — GLI's standards series is the most widely referenced example — or against a regime's own requirements. Which labs a regulator accepts, and to which standard, is a per-market fact: part of supplier due diligence is checking the lab and standard behind a certificate, not just its existence.
Certification vs license vs internal QA
| Document | What it is | Who issues it | What it authorizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game/lab certification | Test report that a specific build meets a technical standard | Approved independent laboratory | Nothing by itself — it is evidence inside licensing and compliance |
| License | Regulator's authorization of an entity to operate or supply | Gambling regulator | Offering or supplying real-money gaming in that regime |
| Internal QA | The supplier's own testing of function and math | The studio or platform vendor | Nothing externally — it is what makes certification pass the first time |
The three are complements, not substitutes: internal QA gets the build right, the lab evidences it, the license authorizes the entity offering it.
The certified build is the product
A certificate names a build and a configuration. Change the math, the RTP setting, the rules or the jackpot logic, and the running software is no longer the certified software — re-certification under the regime's change rules is what restores the match. This is the discipline that matters operationally: version control that can answer "which exact build is live in this market, and which certificate covers it" at any moment. Games with configurable RTP make this concrete — every certified configuration is legitimate, but the operator must know which one is active where, because the regulator will ask about the running configuration, not the brochure.
What operators should track
Operators rarely commission certification themselves, but they own the chain: which certified build and RTP configuration runs in each market, whether every supplier in the stack — studio, aggregator, platform — holds the authorizations the target market requires, and where the evidence lives when a regulator or auditor asks. Treat it as inventory, not paperwork: a per-market register of builds, configurations and certificates, maintained as part of launch discipline. That register is one of the gates in our certification and go-live checklist for entering a regulated market.
Related terms: RNG · RTP · Gambling License
In practice: certification is a stage of the licence application — see how to get a gambling licence.
Common questions
What is game certification in iGaming?
Independent laboratory testing that verifies a specific game or platform build against a regulator's technical standard — covering the RNG, the math model and its RTP configurations, the game rules and the paytable. The resulting certificate applies to that exact build and configuration, not to the game as a brand.
Who certifies casino games?
Independent test laboratories approved by the relevant regulator — GLI, iTech Labs, eCOGRA and BMM Testlabs are well-known examples of the category. Which labs are accepted, and to which standard they test, is defined by each jurisdiction, so the lab list is a per-market fact, not a global one.
Is certification the same as a gambling license?
No. A license authorizes an entity to operate or supply in a regime; certification is a lab's evidence that a specific technical build meets the regime's standard. Certification is typically an input into licensing and compliance, but a certified game does not authorize anyone to offer it, and a license does not make an uncertified build lawful.
Does every market require separate certification?
Standards and acceptance rules are market-specific. Some regimes accept existing test reports issued to a recognized standard; others require testing against their own requirements or by locally approved labs. Whether a supplier's existing certification portfolio transfers to your target market is a due-diligence question with a jurisdiction-specific answer.
What happens if a game changes after certification?
Changes that touch the certified scope — math model, RTP configuration, rules, jackpot logic, RNG integration — invalidate the certificate for the new build and require re-certification under the applicable regime's change rules. Purely cosmetic changes are handled differently by different regimes, which is why suppliers run formal change-control.
Do operators or suppliers get games certified?
Usually the studio or platform supplier obtains certification for its builds, since it owns the code. The operator's job is the chain: knowing which certified build and which RTP configuration runs in each of its markets, and being able to evidence that to the regulator on request.