Cybersecurity to Feature at Canadian Gaming Summit – Why?
The Canadian Gaming Summit 2025 is scheduled for the 17th to the 19th of June, and it’s set to be one of the most interesting summits yet. According to numerous reports, cybersecurity is going to be a big feature, with a range of professionals to take the stage and explain the dangers that the gaming community faces. But why is this the case and what exactly are the threats facing the gaming industry?
What is the Canadian Gaming Summit?
Before we get into cybersecurity, let’s first focus on the gaming summit itself. Set to take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, this is the 28th edition of the summit, which will bring together over 3,000 industry professionals to discuss the evolving landscape of gaming, including both the traditional and iGaming scene.
Typically, these summits feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, and workshops on topics like responsible gaming, casino innovations, and even Esports. This year, the Canadian Gaming Summit promises to be even more dynamic, with an emphasis on the convergence of technology and gaming. We can expect to hear about the latest developments in VR, AR, AI, as well as developments in the cybersecurity scene – namely, how the gaming industry is addressing the growing concerns around data privacy and security.
Why is Cybersecurity Going to Feature?
As for why cybersecurity is going to be discussed, you only have to look at the most recent figures and statistics. Last year alone, there were nearly 6 billion malware attacks globally, with many of these attacks targeting gaming platforms. Cybercrime as a whole is estimated to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, so the situation is undoubtedly getting worse, not better, and figures in the gaming industry need to be aware of this.
This is especially true for figures in the iGaming scene, where the digital nature of operations makes platforms far more susceptible to cyber threats. In another recent study, it was found that the iGaming industry was closing in on $100 billion, with over 1.6 million active players in Canada alone. Every year, various casino platforms are doing what they can to take advantage of these numbers and push them higher, integrating different bonus types and new, innovative slot games to attract and retain brand-new users.
However, this increase in the number of active users also brings with it a greater risk of cyberattacks, especially as more personal and financial data is shared online. Moreover, as the iGaming industry continues to expand and evolve, so too do the tactics of cybercriminals, with more sophisticated methods of data breaches, phishing, and identity theft. As a result, it has become crucial for every iGaming platform to have the best defenses in place, working to anticipate and prevent potentially devastating attacks before they occur.
The New World of Cybersecurity
These cybersecurity features are going to be discussed at the Canadian Gaming Summit, with a particular emphasis on new technologies like AI and ML. As mentioned previously, AI and machine learning are becoming vital tools in the gaming industry, not just from a user experience standpoint but as a tool in the fight against cybercrime. These technologies can be the perfect defence mechanism, used to identify suspicious behaviour, such as unusual betting patterns or abnormal account activity, and analyse vast amounts of data to spot – and learn from – potential risks.
Blockchain has also gained significant traction in the gaming sector, and it is recognized for its potential to provide transparency in a way that hasn’t been seen before. The decentralized nature of blockchain, of course, ensures that no single entity has full control, making it harder for malicious actors to manipulate or compromise the data. At the summit, experts are likely to discuss how this tech can be used to further enhance the security of player funds, facilitating fair gameplay across the board while also safeguarding personal information – without the risk of centralized data breaches.
Perhaps even more fundamentally, however, the summit will look into the key cornerstones of cybersecurity. Biometric authentication, enhanced data encryption, incident response and crisis management, regulatory compliance and data privacy. These are the crucial cogs that businesses have to recognise if they want to enhance their cybersecurity skills and safeguard their future.
This is particularly true when considering the development in user awareness. Across the world, users are growing more aware of their online safety, especially when it comes to data collection. Every gaming company collects data, but not every company handles it with the same level of responsibility. This is how the biggest data breaches occur, with many companies that have fallen foul of cyber-attackers partly to blame for their lax data protection methods.
People are now far more aware of this problem, and that means players will be likely to question how their data is protected and how the platform they’re playing on is secured as a whole. In order to keep these players onboard – and continue attaining new ones – cybersecurity will be the most important thing to get right. This is why it’s undoubtedly a good thing that it’s going to be at the top of the agenda at the summit in June!
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